A Piece of Ground [Live in Tokyo]

When the white man first came here from over the seas
He looked and he said, this is God's own country
He was mighty well pleased with this land that he'd found
And he said I will make here my own piece of ground

Oya hala
Oyayaye
Oya hala

Well many is the battle he still had to fight
And many is the black men who lived all around
Yes many is the family who died in the night
All of them wanting their own piece of ground

Oya halala
Oyeyeye
Oya halala

Then one fine day in 1883
Gold was discovered in good quantity
Well the country was rich and was richer than planned
And each digger wanted his own piece of land

Oya hala
Oyeyeye
Oya hala

Oh yes the white men were few and the gold was so deep
The black man was called 'cause his labor was cheap
With cruel and shovel he toiled underground
Six pennies a day to tender the ground

Oya halala
Oyeyeye
Oya halala

Now this country's so rich and it seems strange to me
That the black man whose labor has made it to be
Cannot enjoy the fruits that abound
He's uprooted and kicked from his own piece of ground

Oy halala
Oyeyeye
Oya halala

Oh yes some people say now don't you worry
We'll give you a nice piece of reserve territory
But I'll bet my life that twelve million can't be found
On a miserable thirty per cent of the ground

Oya halala
Oyeyeye
Oya halala

Oh yes, some people say oh don't you worry
You can always find work in the white man's city
But don't stay too long and don't stay too deep
For you're bound to disturb the white man in his sleep

Oya halala
Oyeyeye
Oya halala

White man don't sleep long and don't sleep too deep
For your life and possessions, how long will you keep?
Cause I've heard a rumor that's running around
That the black man's demanding
His own piece of ground
His own piece of land
His own piece of ground
His own piece of land
His own piece of ground