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
Sent us off to mission land
Taught us to read, to write and pray

And then they took the children away
They took the children away
Yeah, they took the children away
Snatched from their mother's breast
Said it was for the best
And they took them away

The welfare and the policeman
Said you've got to understand
We'll give 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

And you took them away
Yeah, you took the children away
Breaking their mothers' hearts
Tearing us all apart
You took them away

One dark day on Framingham
Came and did not give a damn
My mother cried go get their dad
And he came running, fighting mad
Mother's tears, they were falling down
Dad shaped up and stood his ground
He said, "You touch my kids and you gonna fight me"

And they took us from our family
Yeah, they took us away
Oh they took the children away
Snatched from our mother's breast
Said this was for the best
And they took us away

Told us what to do and say
They told us all the white man's ways
And 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
And feeling black

One sweet day the children came back
Yeah, the children came back
Oh, the children came back
Back where their hearts grew strong
Back where they all belong

The children came back
Oh, I said the children came back
Yeah, the children came back
Back where they understand
Back to their mother's land

The children came back
Oh back to their mother
Back to their father
Back to their sister
Back to their brother

Oh back to their people
And back to their land
All the children came back
Oh, the children came back
Yeah, the children came back
Yes, I came back