Gold Digger
Yusuf/Cat Stevens Lyrics


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Hey Mr. Gold Man! Where's my pay?
Hmm. Mr. Gold Man! Not one more day.
Mister! Can't you hear my children cryin'?

Came to Pretoria in 46, find myself a job
Met a man with a broken arm, he said:
Come along with us, get onto the bus
Hey Mr. Gold Man! I'm for sale!
Hey Mr. Gold Man! Please don't turn away.
Hey Mr. Gold Man! Can't you hear my tummy rumbling?

"Hey! You a gold digger? There's a job for gold diggers here
You won't get much - but it's a way to survive."

So we continued down the road, till we got to the mine
Dirt and dust all around us now - Hey! I didn't mind
Cause I'm on the workline

Hey Mr. Gold Man! Where's my pay?
Oh Mr. Gold Man! Can't wait another day.
Oh Mr. Gold Man! Can't you see I'm almost dying?

"I'm a gold digger man,
22 pence a shift - no overtime."

Then I heard a good friend say: There's a happening in Town
Come and join the Union, boy. 'Cause today, we ain't going down,
We're gonna stand our ground.

Hey Mr. Gold Man! Where's my pay?
O Mr. Gold Man! Won't wait another day.
O Mr. Gold Man! Can't you hear the thunder coming?

Hey Mr. Gold Man! Loose these chains.
Time Mr. Gold Man! Change is on its way.
Go Mr. Gold Man! Don't come back, this is my country now





"You'd better be leaving now
Mr. Gold Man."

Overall Meaning

The song "Gold Digger" by Yusuf/Cat Stevens tells the story of a man who leaves his home in search of work and ended up in Pretoria in 1946. He finds himself working in a mine with other men, where they are paid very little and have to work long hours without any overtime pay. The singer of the song, dubbed by the other men as a "gold digger," pleads with the "Mr. Gold Man," who seems to be in charge of the mine, for his pay. The man is hungry and his children are crying, but despite his pleas, Mr. Gold Man does not seem to care.


As the song progresses, the man learns of a Union and seeks to join it with his fellow miners. He becomes empowered and determined to fight for their rights, demanding better wages and working conditions. The lyrics of the last verse reveal that the singer, along with his comrades, has taken ownership of the mine and demands that Mr. Gold Man leave, asserting that it is now their country.


Line by Line Meaning

Hey Mr. Gold Man! Where's my pay?
I have worked hard and am asking for the rightful compensation for my labor.


Hmm. Mr. Gold Man! Not one more day.
I am exhausted and cannot work another day without proper payment.


Mister! Can't you hear my children cryin'?
The lack of payment is affecting my family and their basic needs, can you not hear their cries?


Hey Mr. Gold Man! I'm for sale!
I feel like I am being exploited and treated as a commodity rather than a human being.


Hey Mr. Gold Man! Please don't turn away.
I am pleading with you, as my employer, to listen to my concerns and pay me fairly.


Hey Mr. Gold Man! Can't you hear my tummy rumbling?
I am struggling to even meet my basic needs for food and sustenance, and need the payment I have earned.


"Hey! You a gold digger? There's a job for gold diggers here You won't get much - but it's a way to survive."
The employer is offering a job to those willing to endure difficult working conditions for minimal compensation as a means of survival.


So we continued down the road, till we got to the mine Dirt and dust all around us now - Hey! I didn't mind Cause I'm on the workline
The artist arrived at the mine and doesn't mind the difficult working conditions because they are focused on earning their pay as an essential means of survival.


Oh Mr. Gold Man! Can't wait another day.
The artist has been waiting far too long for their rightful payment and cannot continue to do so.


Oh Mr. Gold Man! Can't you see I'm almost dying?
The lack of payment and harsh working conditions are taking a physical toll on the artist, and they are pleading for their earned wages.


"I'm a gold digger man, 22 pence a shift - no overtime."
The employer reveals that the compensation for the difficult work is minimal, with no additional compensation for overtime work.


Hey Mr. Gold Man! Loose these chains.
The artist is demanding to be freed from the exploitation and poor compensation they have experienced under the employer.


Time Mr. Gold Man! Change is on its way.
The singer is confident that a new era of fair treatment and compensation will be ushered in for workers like themselves.


Go Mr. Gold Man! Don't come back, this is my country now
The singer has had enough of the exploitation and lack of fair wages, asserting that they and their fellow workers deserve better treatment and opportunities in their country.


"You'd better be leaving now Mr. Gold Man."
The singer demands that the exploitative employer leave the worksite and not return, signaling the end of the injustices faced by workers under their leadership.




Lyrics Β© BMG Rights Management
Written by: YUSUF ISLAM

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@rukiyeturan3344

This is my country nowπŸŒˆπŸ‘β€ love you CAT STEVENS.THANK YOU FOR ALL THE TIME,,,,,,SINCE I WAS BORN,,,,,,πŸ™‚πŸ‘,,LOVE THE WAY YOU WALK,,,LOVE THE WAY YOU TALK,,,AND I HEAR THE SOUND ALMOST,,, HAVENLY,,,,SO DEEP AND SO HIGH!!!T😊THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOOO MUCH,,,SINCE 1971

@supersleuth3527

I love the revival of the messages that I was first hearing in the late 60’s and all through the 70’s. It’s a second awakening.

@Ponchiegomezsaso

WOW !! .. this is fantastic !! .. I will never forget hearing you sing this in Boston 2014..on the Peace Train Late again tour !! Thank you for coming back to the USA Yusuf...

@madelinegoodall1376

This is such a powerful performance of a song that had to be written.

@Ponchiegomezsaso

Love those electric blues.... Gold diggers and blood diamonds a story that needs to be told and you do it beautifully through song.

@miguelteixido3157

La vuelta a la musica de Cat/yusuf Stevens es una gran alegria desde 2006 con albumes al nivel clasico.este actual es buenisimo.

@solangeloe-sack-sioe1487

Wow!!! That is wild!!! You go Yusuf!!! Love it!!!❀️

@madelinegoodall1376

Thank you for putting out the original video of Gold Digger What an amazing song, the lyrics are so true. This is my favourite track on the album Tell 'Em I'm gone

@rosamarthafernandez1734

BuenΓ­simo

@esrakaya3057

My favourite from this lp

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