Third World Child
Juluka/Savuka/Johnny Clegg Lyrics

Bits of songs and broken drums
The memories he holds are fractured and few in number

Are all he could recall
His past is a blur, with few coherent memories

So he spoke to me
The singer is relating what the subject of the song told him

In a bastard tongue
His language and identity have been corrupted and mixed due to colonialism and oppression

Carried on the silence of the guns
The subject of the song's story is marked by the trauma of violence and war

It's been a long long time
Colonialism and its effects have been going on for a long time

Since they first came
The colonizers have been present for generations

And marched through the village
Their presence was marked by violence and oppression

Oh they taught me to forget my past
The colonizers demanded cultural assimilation and the erasure of history

And live the future in their image
The colonized were pressured to adopt the culture and values of the colonizers

They said
The colonizers spoke to the subject of the song

I should learn to speak a little bit of English
The colonizers demanded cultural assimilation, including the ability to speak their language

Don't be scared of a suit and tie
The colonized were encouraged to adopt Western fashion and styles

Learn to walk in the dreams of the foreigner
The colonized were pressured to adopt the values, lifestyles, and aspirations of the colonizers

I am a third world child
The subject of the song identifies as a person from a colonized country, affected by the legacy of colonialism

The outworld's dreams are the currency
Western values and aspirations dominate the world

That grip the city streets
Western culture and ideals are particularly prevalent in urban areas

Oh I live them out
The subject of the song has adopted aspects of Western culture and ideals

But I have my own
Despite pressure to assimilate, the subject of the song has retained a sense of their own identity and culture

Hidden somewhere deep inside of me
Their identity and heritage are important, but not always visible to outsiders

In between my father's fields
The subject of the song has a connection to their family's traditional occupation

And the citadels of the rule
They are also subjected to institutions and structures of power imposed by the colonizers

Lies a no-man's land which I must cross
There is a gulf between traditional culture and the imposed structures they must navigate

To find my stolen jewel
The subject of the song desires to reclaim their culture and heritage from the effects of colonialism

Wo ilanga lobunzima nalo liyashona
This is a Zulu phrase meaning 'Oh, there is a difficult sun and it's setting'

Ukuthini asazi
This is a Zulu phrase meaning 'What do we not know'

Mus' ukukhala mntanami
This is a Zulu phrase meaning 'Don't cry, my child'

The future calls his name out loud
The subject of the song is searching for a way forward despite the obstacles they face

Echoed on the violence of the guns
Their experience is marked by the trauma and violence of colonialism and war

I am a seed, I have survived
The subject of the song has emerged from a difficult past, and holds the potential to grow and thrive

I am the fire that has been molded
They have been shaped by their experiences, and are determined to move forward with strength and resilience

I am the world child
The subject of the song identifies as a person who exists outside of any one culture, shaped by a variety of influences