A Man Called Joe

Lend me a listen And hear this tale of woe The life and times Of a man 'called' Joe Keep still, keep quiet Hush, listen to the sound The silent footsteps of a man As he walks his native ground Joe was born long, long ago Across the waters blue In a land of plenty There, Joe the babe grew Five generations deep A lifetime of needs supplied Hard work, respect for self Full of heritage and pride Now, Joe's given name was 'Shakka' A father, a husband, a strong man One day while hunting Was snatched from the 'Motherland' In a ship made of wood With white sails full mast Joe and fellow countrymen Were in the deep below casted Please, listen a little longer Can you hear the pain The fear, the confusion The frustration of chains Landing on the auction block Stripped of humanity and pride There, Shakka's name was lost And all his rights deprived The years were hard, the master cruel In a strange and foreign land With obstacles to suppress Still Shakka (called Joe) remained a man The whip couldn't break that freedom spirit Held deep within his soul Joe vowed that freedom dream His people someday restore Listen, can you hear the silence As his people struggle on Keep still? ...Keep quiet? Has all the work been done? Remember: Joe's dreams Shakka's screams Mother's crying Children dying Policemen hosing Prison doors closing Dog attacks Refusing the back College sit-ins Integration begins Malcom's plight Martin's fight Jesse's stand RESPECT, DEMAND! Mandela's victory Apartheid's history A borrowed ear, Joe's tale's been told Yet the struggle remains Speak Out! Shout Loud! the time has come Total freedom we must regain