LYRICS:

We are not putting down our pens,

We are not putting down our pens,

We're the same as the white guys

We're smart, dapper and baptised

And we're not putting down our pens.

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Imma send a letter to the Prince of Wales

I could shout or punch but I prefer to use Royal Mail;

The trouble is I write a lot of words to no avail

Gain supporters, get press and every night a boat sails.

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I'm a black guy in Britain; a free man, once a slave

Hope my actions form a pave; my book, man, it's a fave

Got power in my pen and my speech won't falter

We Sons of Africa get bolder.

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I shoulder that I was kidnaped, sold to bondage

The empire's hostage, I built upon my knowledge

Not been easy if I'm honest.

The plan - make abolition cool amongst the dames

A lot of letters floating round so let me spell my name;

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I'm the O-T-T-O-BA-H  C-U-GOA-NO

No, we're not meant to be

A group of brothers kept from opportunities

Meanwhile, Britain keeps stealing us endlessly.

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Yo, slavers we're fighting back,

Yo, slavers we're fighting back,

You're so behind with the times your actions will be crimes

Yo, slavers we're fighting back.

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They can't go, don't you see?

I'd have less money if the slaves were free.

Tell them no, we'd have to pay

We must not let our conscience get in the way...

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Na-da-da-da-da

Hey! Da-dee-da-dee-da-dee-da-da.

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Olaudah Equiano, writer and barber

I lead Sons of Africa and schmooze in the parlour;

We make the economic case to abolish the slave trade

Stop the ships now, then we all get paid.

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Cruelly, they make us work for free

And we're banned from taking part in democracy;

They ain't gonna let kids of Africa just be

So we write letters to stop ships going out to sea.

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Geniuses, keep up the writing

Maintain the pressure in the law, we'll keep fighting;

Are you all not a man and a brother?

We'll get the votes we need, if not this time then another.

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We are the Sons of Africa,

We are the Sons of Africa,

You can't deny our lives matter, the slave trade we will shatter

We're the Sons of Africa.

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We are the Sons of Africa

We are the Sons of Africa

You can't deny our lives matter, the slave trade we will shatter

We're the Sons of Africa.