Lyrics of 'Ship Ahoy' by Sinead O'Connor

A thousand cultures stolen ships that came sailing
Sighted from the shoreline people stood waiting
But armies came invading and raiding to conquer
Understood nothing of a land that stood longer
But might was much stronger than right could ever be
Took away the land planned a new destiny
Butchery and murder and still I say murder
Butchery and murder and still I say murder

Wait! Hold up cos Phrase will break the mould
Culture growing stronger aging never old
Death accelerating, and I don't want to die
Fish hooked by a ship, Lord take me where I lie
Gone where the lucky ones, disease or suicide
The pride of survivors to cry for those that died
To resurrect the status and overcome the ploy
No bells or beads to barter for this young black boy

Ship ahoy
Lord take me where I lie, don't let my children die
Ship ahoy
Lord take me where I lie, don't let my children die

Gone are the days now the ships cease to sail
I don't think so what does a wage entail
Nine of five slavery or a twenty four seven
Most slaves tricked by the promise of a heaven
Controlled by the sound of a whip that goes sack
Mind - forged manacles make sure there's no slack
Think your not a slave, cos no whip marks your back
Now a bureaucrat wields the nine tails of the cat

Ain't nothing changed but the weather the song remains the same
Hollis comes left set up upon the Lamebrain
You can't tame the beast, the beast can't be changed
Have to smash the system, wisdom rearranged
Slavery claimed to be histories mystery
Wished it could be....It's still part of we
Search and look around my birthplace is torn
But England has fallen dusk negates dawn

Ship ahoy
Lord take me where I lie, don't let my children die
Ship ahoy
Lord take me where I lie, don't let my children die

Ship ahoy, ship ahoy, now they call it perestroika
Mandela's free but still can't stop the slaughter
Now they call it free trade, free choice for all
But the real freedom is ten per cent small
Freedom is a song which the caged bird sings
They keep the key all we see is the keyring
Fooled by the glisten, but the glisten is not gold
And I will not buy the beads that I'm sold

I stand here stand clear truth be my witness
How many Hitlers before you see the litmus
Test I won't rest, slave who won't behave
And no I want not the freedom of the slave
If the East wants the beast let the beast roam
Cos in the East the death of the beast was sown
You can fool the people that they're equal
But you won't fool me with a sequel

Ship ahoy
Lord take me where I lie, don't let my children die.
Ship ahoy
Lord take me where I lie, don't let my children die.

Don't let my children die
Don't let my children die

Lord take me where I lie, don't let my children die.
don't let my children die
children
don't let my children die
children
don't let my children die
children