Took The Children Away

This story's right, this story's true
 I would not tell lies to you
 Like the promises, they did not keep
 And how they fenced us in like sheep
 Said to us, "Come, take our hand"
 Set us up on mission land
 Taught us to read, to write and pray
 Then they took the children away
 Took the children away
 The children away
 Snatched from their mother's breast
 Said, "This is for the best," took them away
 The welfare and the policeman
 Said, "You've got to understand
 We'll give to them what you can't give
 Teach them how to really live"
 "Teach them how to live," they said
 Humiliated them instead
 Taught them that and taught them this
 And others taught them prejudice
 You took the children away
 The children away
 Breaking their mother's heart
 Tearing us all apart, took them away
 One dark day on Framingham
 Came and didn't give a damn
 My mother cried, "Go get their dad"
 He came running, fighting mad
 Mother's tears were falling down
 And Dad shaped up and stood his ground
 He said, "You touch my kids and you fight me"
 And they took us from our family
 Took us away
 They took us away
 Snatched from our mother's breast
 Said, "This is for the best," took them away
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 Told us what to do and say
 Taught us all the white man's ways
 Then they split us up again
 And gave us gifts to ease the pain
 Sent us off to foster homes
 As we grew up, we felt alone
 'Cause we were acting white
 Yet feeling black
 One sweet day all the children came back
 The children came back
 The children came back
 Back where their hearts grow strong
 Back where they all belong
 The children came back
 Said the children came back
 The children came back
 Back where they understand
 Back to their mother's land
 The children came back
 Back to their mother
 Back to their father
 Back to their sister
 Back to their brother
 Back to their people
 Back to their land
 All the children came back
 The children came back
 The children came back
 Yes I came back