The Mines Of Mozambique
Bruce Cockburn Lyrics

There's a broad river winding
A large river meanders through the landscape of Mozambique

Through this African lowland
The river passes through a flat area in Africa

The moon is held up orange and big
The moon is visible and appears large and orange in the sky

See it raise its hands
The moon appears to be lifting its hands up towards the sky

And the last ferry's pulling out
The final boat is leaving the area

With no place left to stand
There is no longer a physical spot for people to remain

For the mines of Mozambique
This is due to the fact that the area is filled with mines

There's a wealth of amputation
There is an abundance of resources in the ground

Waiting in the ground
These resources are still undiscovered

But no one can remember
There is nobody left who knows where these resources are located

Where they put it down
The exact location of the resources is unknown

If you're the child that finds it there
If someone discovers this wealth, especially a young child

You will rise upon the sound
They will become successful rapidly

Of the mines of Mozambique
Due to the abundance of resources in the area

Some men rob the passersby
Some people engage in petty theft for financial gain

For a bit of cash to spend
They do this to acquire money to use for themselves

Some men rob whole countries dry
Other people exploit entire countries' resources and wealth

And still get called their friend
Despite their exploitation, they are still seen as friendly

And under the feeding frenzy
In the midst of chaos and greed

There's a wound that will not mend
A deep injury that cannot be healed

In the mines of Mozambique
This wound is a result of the exploitation of Mozambique's resources

Night, like peace,
The nighttime is similar to a peaceful state

Is a state of suspension
Time feels like it is paused or on hold

Tomorrow the heat will rise
The next day will be hot

And mist will hide the marshy fields
Mist will obscure the low-lying, damp areas

The mango and the cashew trees
These are examples of trees in the area

Which only now they're clearing brush from under.
The underbrush around these trees is only being removed now

Rusted husks of blown up trucks
Abandoned vehicles that have been destroyed

Line the roadway north of town
These vehicles line the road leading out of town, heading north

Like passing through a sculpture gallery
This scene is reminiscent of a gallery filled with sculptures

War is the artist
The destruction and decay from war creates this artistic display

But he's sleeping now
There is currently a lull in the violence

And somebody will be peddling vials of penicillin stolen out of all the medical kits sent to the countryside.
People are illicitly selling medicine that was meant for those living in rural areas

And in the bare workshop they'll be molding plastic into little prosthetic limbs
In a rudimentary manufacturing area, people are creating prosthetic limbs out of plastic

For the children of this artist
These limbs are for those who have been impacted by the violence of war

And for those who farm the soil that received
They are also made for those who grow crops in the war-torn land

His bitter seed...
This is a metaphor for the impact that the war has had on the land and its inhabitants

The all-night stragglers stagger home
Those who were out late are slowly making their way home

Cocks begin to crow
Roosters are heralding the beginning of a new day

And singing birds are starting up
Birds are beginning to sing

Telling what they know
This is a metaphor for the beginning of a new day and the potential to uncover more information

And after awhile the sun will come
The sun will rise eventually

And we'll see what it will show
This is a reflection on the unknown future in Mozambique, both good and bad

Of the mines of Mozambique
The abundance of resources in the land