They walked off the water with the books in their hand
Saying “Show us the rivers, please show us the land”
And we, with the hearts of the warm summer sun
We welcomed the strangers, we didn’t see the gun
They wrote in their diaries, they measured the stone
They smiled at our children, they sat in our home
We offered them water, we offered them bread
But they were counting the gold underneath where we tread
It was psychological warfare, dressed up as a friend
The beginning of a story we didn’t know would end

The Explorer mapped the mountain and the mineral
The Missionary mapped the spirit and the mind
The Merchant mapped the market and the capital
And left the freedom of our fathers far behind

They told us “Look up to the Heavens, let your worries fade!”
While they were down in the dirt, taking everything we made!
They said “Turn the other cheek, wait for the Promised Land”
We closed our eyes to pray.. and they stole the sand!
No, the ancestors didn’t fail, they were ambushed by grace!
They brought a war in a smile to a peaceful place!
Before we could even say “Amen”
The chains were already on the wrists of the men!

“God loves you” they whispered” Just love all your foes”
While the mercenaries waited to conquer the rows
“Don’t worry about the earth, your kingdom is high!”
So we stared at the clouds, and we stared at the sky
We were waiting for the trumpet, waiting for the cloud
While the cannons in the harbor started blasting out loud!
We were outgunned, outnumbered by a quiet deceit
Betrayed by the hospitality we laid at their feet
They took our forgiveness, they took our embrace
And used it as a weapon to conquer the race

The Explorer mapped the mountain and the mineral
The Missionary mapped the spirit and the mind
The Merchant mapped the market and the capital
And left the freedom of our fathers far behind

They told us”Look up to the Heavens, let your worries fade!”
While they were down in the dirt, taking everything we made!
They said”Turn the other cheek, wait for the Promised Land”
We closed our eyes to pray.. and they stole the sand!
No, the ancestors didn’t fail, they were ambushed by grace!
They brought a war in a smile to a peaceful place!
Before we could even say “Amen”
The chains were already on the wrists of the men!

So dry your tears for the elders, they fought in the dark
They didn’t know the diary was leaving a mark
But we have the history. We have the sight
We know how the shadows operate in the light!
If we see the blueprint of how it was done
If we see the shadow of the incoming gun
And we still let them divide us, still let them reign
Then WE are the failures! WE are to blame!