Lyrics Took The Children Away (LIVE at Key Largo '92) - Archie Roach

Song about a misguided attempt
To, to help people
Or better people learn people's lives
Ehhn, a party instituted by the government
Back when
My great grand mother's generation
Forcibly removing children from their peoples
And bringing them up diffrently
According to their standard
Some called up the children away

Story's right, this story's true
I would not tell lies to you
Like the promises they did not keep
How they fenced us in like sheep
Said to us, "Come take our hand"
Sent us off on mission land

Taught us to read, write and pray
Then they took the children away
Took the children away
Yeah the children away
Snatched from their mother's breast
Said, "This is for the best"
Took them away

Welfare and the policeman
Said, "You've got to understand"
'cause 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

They taught them that and taught them this
And others taught them prejudice
You took the children away
Yeah the children away
Breaking our mothers heart
Tearing us all apart
Took them away

One dark day on Framingham
Came and didn't give a damn
And My mother cried go get their dad
He came running, fighting mad
Mother's tears were falling down
Dad shaped up and stood his ground

And he said, "You touch my kids and you fight me"
And they took us from our family
Took us away
Oh took us away
Snatched from our mother's breast
Said, "This is for the best"
Took us away

Told us what to do and say
Told us all the white man's ways
And then split us up again
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

Then one sweet day all the children came back
The children came back
Yeah the children came back
Back where their hearts grow strong
Back where they all belong
The children came back

Said the children come back
Oh the children come back
Back where they understand
Back to their mother's land
The children come 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 coming back
All the children came back
Yes, we came back