African Homeland

Dear Celie, dear Celie, dear Celie.

Dear Celie, oh, I love you
Years go by and still you're with me
All we share is one big sky
I pray for your reply.

I teach your children a-b-cs
For a missionary family
These babies sent by god are yours.

Adam and Olivia alive, alive!

I vibrated like a bell
When i saw the African coast
And I kneeled down and thanked God
Thank God
Thank God.

For letting us see the land
Where our mothers and fathers died
African homeland, homeland
Land of my people, people
People!
We are going to be working with a tribe called the Olinka.

Linga
Linga
Oba
Oba
Batuwanga
Ada doon da yay
Linga
Linga
Oba
Oba
Batuwanga
Ada doon da yay.

Linga
Linga
Oba
Oba
Batuwanga
Linga.

We are
Oba
Happy
At the center
Of the universe.

Linga
We are
Oba
Happy
At the center
Of the universe.

Oh dee dee oo day oo day oo dadoo day doo da day
Oh dee dee oo day oo day oo dadoo day doo da day
Oh yoo doh doo day ay ay
Oh yo oon daday
Oh yoo doh doo day ay ay
Oh yoo doh doo day ay ay
Oh yo oon daday.

Oh yoo doh doo day ay ay
Oh dee dee oo day oo day oo dadu day doo da day
Oh yoo doh doo day ay ay
Oh yo oon daday
Oh yoo doh doo day ay ay
Oh yoo doh doo day ay ay.

It was like black seeing black
For the first time
Shiny blue black people looking real fine
In brilliant blue robes
That fly on the winds
Like a beautiful quilt
Stitched together by friends.

You could put everything I knew
In a thimble
What we're taught to be
Don't resemble
The kings and queens
Who for thousands of years
Ruled magnificent cities
Washed away by tears.

Ah too bah yah!
Ah too bah yahhhh!
Ee yea ahn ya
Ee yea ahn ya
Ee yea ahn ya
Ee yea ahn ya oh.

Dear Celie, I've been teaching the Olinka to read
But some of the women Have become very suspicious of me
because girls have never been taught to read here
Girls have never been taught anything at all
I don't understand everything they're saying, but what it sounds like to me is.

What this mess you been preachin'?
Why you tryin' to change us?
They think I should be married

(nodding in agreement)
Whoop!
Girl ain't nothing with no man
Why you makin' a big fuss?
Whoop!
Need a husband and children
Or you're gonna be nothing.

I am nobody's mother
But I am somebody
Girls don't need education
Sound like the white folks back home
Best be knowing your station
But not my Olivia!
Hmmmmmmm
Matenga!

Our village was destroyed by the white soldiers
So now we have walked with so Many other refugees to a tent camp across the border
I don't know how I will mail this letter.

We walk away from this ravaged land
With courage deep in our hearts
To face the unknown
Together.

We'll find a place where we can be
Where spirit rise and soul is free
Oh, people
Oon day unndala!
My people
Oon day unndala!

I have faith that god will let us see each other again before we die, Celie, and you must have faith too
I only hope when that day comes, we are not too old to recognize each other.
Your sister
We walk away
We walk away ahummmmmm, hummmmmm, hummmmmm
Nettie.