No Military Coup in Africa
(Intro)
"A soldier without political education is a potential criminal."
— Thomas Sankara
"The military has no business ruling a nation; their duty is defense, not governance. A coup is a theft of the people's voice."
— African Proverb
We say Bravo to all brave African soldiers who conducted peaceful multiparty democratic elections and handed power to the people: Brigadier Maada Biyo, General Salami Abu Bakarr, General Kouyateh,Flight Laitenant JJ Rawlings and all the great African soldiers.
Yeah, yeah, yeah...
Rise up, sons and daughters of the soil.
No more chains, no more bloodshed.
Listen to the voice of the people.
Hear this now.
(Verse 1)
Until the philosophy which holds one class superior and another inferior
Is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned,
Everywhere is war, that’s what the prophet said.
But until the boots of the soldier stop marching on the constitution,
And the greed of the generals stops overriding the institution,
Until the power belongs truly to the children of the land,
Behold, there will be no peace, only a trembling hand.
(Chorus)
We say no, no military coup in Africa!
We want freedom, justice, and democracy.
No, no military coup in Africa!
The voice of the people is the only majesty.
Put down the gun, lift up the nation,
No more violent confrontation.
(Verse 2)
Until that day, the dream of lasting peace,
And world citizenship, and the rule of international morality,
Will remain but a fleeting illusion, to be pursued but never attained.
And until the ballot box is respected as the ultimate voice,
And the African people are given their rightful choice,
Without the shadow of a rifle, without the terror in the night,
We will stand for our rights, we will step into the light.
(Chorus)
We say no, no military coup in Africa!
We want freedom, justice, and democracy.
No, no military coup in Africa!
The voice of the people is the only majesty.
Put down the gun, lift up the nation,
No more violent confrontation.
(Bridge)
We don't want no martial law, we don't want no curfew.
We want food on the table, and a future that is true.
You cannot build a nation with the barrel of a gun,
Look what you've done, look what you've done.
Mother Africa is weeping for her daughters and her sons.
Rise up, stand firm!
(Verse 3)
Until the ignoble and unhappy regimes
That hold our brothers in Angola, in Mozambique,
South Africa, sub-human bondage, have been toppled,
Utterly destroyed...
Now we look at our own leaders, and the forces within,
The betrayal of the promise is the ultimate sin.
No junta can save us, no tyrant can lead,
It's only unity and justice that we truly need.
(Outro)
No military coup... we say no.
Africa must unite in peace.
The power belongs to the people, not the weapon.
Put down the arms. Let the children grow.
One love, one heart, one destiny.
No more coups. No more war.
Jah Rastafari.