Africa, my Africa the Dark Continent

Which now owns two distinctions

Giving birth to the human race

And the land of self-extinction

If there were an Adam and an Eve

They looked as your children do

Bestowed with God’s bountifulness

There's no way is He pleased with you

Once I was once proud of you Africa

Even my race bears part of your name

What has taken place in recent years?

I want to bury my head in shame

Human rights violations seem to be

The prescribed order of the day

O’ Africa my once sweet Africa

How did you ever get this way

What has happened to your sons?

Why is it so hard to get along?

While the whole world intervenes

Wars of self-extinction rage on

How can it be a common people

Have such hatred for each other

Since you, my Africa is a continent

God has created with a similar color

There was a time when I longed

To visit your rivers and streams

The Gambia, Nile, Niger, Limpopo

Congo, Volta and many other names

I wanted to return to you Africa

The spirits of your children's kin

But your rivers now runs red

With the blood of them again 

My pride in you is lost O' Africa

With only yourself to the blame

My soul only weeps for your children

Who bears the brunt of your shame.