A Piece of Ground lyrics

When the white man first came here from over the seas

He looked and he said, this is God's own country

He was mighty well pleased with this land that he'd found

And he said I will make here my own piece of ground

Now many's the battle he still had to fight

Many's the family that died in the night

For many were the black men that lived all around

And all of them wanting their own piece of ground

Then one fine day in 1883

Gold was discovered in good quantity

The country was rich, much richer than planned

And each digger wanted his own piece of land

Now the white diggers were few and the gold was so deep

That the black man was called 'cause his labor was cheap

With drill and with shovel he toiled underground

For six pennies a day to tender the ground

Now this land is so rich and it seems strange to me

That the black man whose labor has helped it to be

Cannot enjoy the fruits that abound

Is uprooted and kicked from his own piece of ground

Some people say now don't you worry

We've kept you a nice piece of reserve territory

But how can a life for so many be found

On a miserable thirty per cent of the ground?

Yet, some people say now don't you worry

You can always find jobs in the white man's city

But don't stay too long and don't stay too deep

Or you're bound to disturb the white man in his sleep

White man don't sleep long and don't sleep too deep

Or your life and your possessions, how long will you keep?

For I've heard a rumor that's running around

That the black man's demanding his own piece of ground

His own piece of ground

• Artist:Miriam Makeba