Children of the Soil (African Roots) (B)

Children of the Soil (African Roots) (B) — Arjuna Sound / CongoTunes Playlist: Rasta Kamp — Golden Hour Roots LYRICS: [Intro - earthy African roots reggae, deep dub bass, warm one-drop, hand drums and mbira shimmer, horns waking warm] (Children... children of the soil... we rise from the ground...) We come from the earth, my people. Listen. [Verse 1 - warm soulful lead, grounded and proud, easy conscious groove] We are children of the soil, we were born out of the red of the land our fathers worked and the land that keeps our dead they can fence it, they can sell it, they can name it on a deed — but the soil it knows its children and the soil it knows the seed We have planted with our hands and we've buried with our tears we have watered this old ground with the sweat of all our years and they think because they own the page that they have won the land — but the soil belongs to those who love it, those who understand [Chorus - big earthy gospel-roots swell, gang harmonies, horns and drums rising golden] Children of the soil, children of the ground we will rise like the maize when the rains come round they can take the title, but they cannot take the root — children of the soil, we are the soil's own fruit Rise up, rise up, from the red earth where we stand — children of the soil, we are the children of the land [Verse 2 - the groove deepens, dub warmth, mbira ringing, more soul] When the sun goes down at evening and the cooking fires glow there's a wisdom in the old ones that the rich will never know how to share a little maize-meal, how to greet a stranger kind, how to carry on through hardship with a peaceful, settled mind They measured out our worth in coin and found us coming short — but the soil don't count in money and the soil don't keep a court it just gives back to the faithful what the faithful gently give — we are children of the soil and on the soil we'll always live [Chorus] Children of the soil, children of the ground we will rise like the maize when the rains come round they can take the title, but they cannot take the root — children of the soil, we are the soil's own fruit Rise up, rise up, from the red earth where we stand — children of the soil, we are the children of the land [Bridge - drops to bass and hand drum, reverent, mbira shimmering, building] (the ground remembers... the ground will give it back...) Every grave that holds our grandmothers, every furrow that we tilled, is a promise from the ancient earth that one day will be filled — for the soil it keeps its children and the soil it keeps its word, and the rising of the people, beloved, it will be Jah's heard [Outro - the roots groove rolls out warm and earthy, drums and horns into the dusk] Children of the soil... we rise... Jah bless. (from the red earth... back to the land... one love... Selah.)