Let me tell you what it was like when I was younger Before my pain and the wonder of the thunder Skin of oil and rich with it My song spiritual, gold teeth Every other interval a mineral like diamonds on my feet The bling ain't saying one My music fit for canes, my king singing the sun The scenery of greenery, my spit was honey Attracted visitors and visitors attracted money And visitors saw my riches and dug ditches What was to come next was envisaged by witches Witches not to say that my mind listened Cause I woke up my visitor and let her see what glistened Then she struck me for my treasures and my pleasures Even till today still searching for new measures My song is different now I sing the blues like Attica Hard to recall my name but she called me Africa She is where I began She is where I end She is who I defend She is where I stand She is where I began She is where I end She is who I defend She is where I stand She is where I began She is who I defend She is where I stand Where did we stand? Where did we fall? Over and over and over and over Standing on my shoulder African soldier Where did we stand? Where did we fall? Over and over and over and over Standing on my shoulder African soldier Where, where, where am I? I told you I'm on my way I'm in the UK My church isunken My brothers and sisters may hear about us African soldier Where are you now in Africa and what is your future? A!. A. Africa Active among the people Changing the world Speaking about tomorrow Impacting the nations Raise the flames Let them hear To the roots Until we are united Let's do it Let's go She is where I began She is where I end She is who I defend She is where I stand She is where I began She is where I end She is who I defend She is where I stand Where did we stand? Where did we fall? Over and over and over and over Stand on my shoulder African soldier Where did we stand? Where did we fall? Over and over and over and over Stand on my shoulder African soldier You know what? Shoot me if you're gonna shoot But first I want some graham rice and a bonnet soup Digesting enzymes that were meant for me No disrespect but this food is essentially Mentally helping me deal with my everyday Crisis Inner city lightswim And I'm forgetting all up in my spices Clogging the wheels and pulsing my devices My street folk making me the saddest I'm living in an inner city madness My people thinking nothing really matters A history of rearranged status I was dying in police custody Famines in our very own homeland Gun battles on our very own doorsteps Superstars who don't wanna be black now Oh what the hell? Let's bubble to these tunes Disrespecting the wounds Slowly suffocating me in my room I need to break out I'm on a stakeout of CDs and street CVs Taking the place of extended families And I'm speechless Label me a conscious man cause I speak this Label me no nonsense man cause I speak this No time to be unconscious man so repeat this No time to be unconscious man She is where I began She is where I end She is who I defend She is where I stand She is where I began She is where I end She is who I defend She is where I stand Why did we stand? Why did we fall? Over and over and over and over Stabbed in my shoulder African soldier Why did we stand?