Lyrics of 'African Homeland' by The Color Purple (Musical)

[Nettie]
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

[Nettie]
When Mister threw me out that day, I was so mad
I ran straight to the church
But when the Reverend's wife opened the door
She had two little children with her
And something about those children made my mad go away

So I asked her if they needed help with those children
And they told me they were going to Africa as missionaries
And maybe I could come with them

[Celie]
Nettie a missionary

[Nettie] (spoken)
And then one day on that boat over here
The Reverend asked me about my family
So I told him about you
And everything that happened to ya

And he told me, Celie, he's the one Pa gave your babies to
Adam and Olivia are right here with me

[Celie]
My babies

[Nettie]
I teach your children ABC's
For a missionary family
These babies sent by God are yours

[Together]
Adam and Olivia
Alive
Alive

[Nettie]
I vibrated like a bell when I saw the African coast
And I kneeled down and thanked God

[Celie]
Thank God

[Together]
Thank God

[Nettie]
For letting us see the land
Where our mothers and fathers died
African homeland

[Together]
Homeland
Land of my people, people

[Ensemble]
People

[Nettie]
We are going to be working with a tribe called
The Olinka

[Chief]
Linga

[Villagers]
Linga

[Chief]
Oba

[Villagers]
Oba

[Chief]
Batuwanga

[Men]
Ada doon da yay

[Chief]
Linga

[Villagers]
Linga

[Chief]
Oba

[Villagers]
Oba

[Chief]
Batuwanga

[Men]
Ada doon da yay

[Chief & Villagers]
Linga

[Nettie]
Linga

[Chief & Villagers]
Oba

[Nettie]
Oba

[Chief & Villagers]
Batuwanga

[All]
Linga

[Nettie]
We are

[All]
Oba

[Nettie]
Happy
At the center
Of the universe

[All]
Linga

[Nettie & Celie]
We are

[All]
Oba

[Nettie & Celie]
Happy
At the center
Of the universe

[Chief & Villagers]
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

[Men]
Oh yoo doh doo day

[Women]
Oh yo oon daday

[Chief & Villagers]
Oh yoo doh doo day ay ay
Oh yoo doh doo day ay ay

[Women]
Oh yo oon daday

[Chief & Villagers]
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

[Women]
Oh yo oon daday

[Nettie]
My people

[Chief & Villagers]
Oh yoo doh doo day ay ay
Oh yoo doh doo day ay ay

[Women]
Eeleeyah ooday

[Chief & Villagers]
Oh yoo doh doo day ay ay

[Nettie]
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

[Celie]
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

[Mister]
Celie? Celie?

[All]
Ee yea ahn ya
Ee yea ahn ya
Ee yea ahn ya
Ee yea ahn ya oh

[Grady]
Celie, what are you doin'?

[Celie]
Nothin'

[Grady]
Well I ain't never seen you just sit

[Celie]
How I look?

[Shug]
Good mornin'

[Celie]
Y'all want some breakfast?

[Shug]
I wish I could but I got to go
Take this on outside to the car

[Celie]
Soon as he get back from town I think I'm gonna kill him

[Shug]
No, Bible says don't kill

[Celie]
Nope, I think I feel better if I kill him

[Shug]
No, you won't. Nobody ever feel better for killin' nothin'
Think of me. Think of Nettie

[Celie]
Goodbye

[Nettie]
Celie, I've been teaching the Olinka children 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

[Olinka Women]
What this mess you been preachin'?
Why you tryin' to change us?

[Nettie]
They think I should be married

[Olinka Women]
Girl ain't nothin' with no man
Why you makin' a big fuss
Need a husband and children
Or you're gonna be nothing

[Nettie]
I am nobody's mother
But I am somebody

[Olinka Women]
Girls don't need education

[Nettie]
Sound like the white folks back home

[Olinka Women]
Best be knowing your station

[Celie & Nettie]
But not my Olivia

[Olinka]
Matenga!

[Nettie]
Our village was destroyed by the soldiers
So now we have walked with so many other refugees
To a tent camp across the border

[Nettie]
We walk away from this ravaged land
With courage deep in our hearts
To face the unknown

[Nettie & Olinka]
Together

[Nettie]
We'll find a place where we can be
Where spirit rise and soul is free
Our people, my people

[Nettie]
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 that when that day comes
We're not too old to recognise each other

[Nettie]
We walk away
We walk away
We walk away