UB40 - Sins of the Fathers Lyrics

Once upon a time, not so long ago
When things were much much simple
And time would travel slow

There came a righteous stranger
With a bible in his hand
To educate the sinner
And liberate the land

[Chorus:]

The sins of the fathers
Have visited from old
In a never ending circle
Of people bought and sold
So the wretched of the earth
Would huddle from the cold
As a ship of fools go sailing
On an Ocean black as gold

So come and sit beside me
And let my tale unfold
In a land on milk and honey
Where the truth must not be told
As men of right and reason
Let the devil take their soul
For greed and fame and fortune
And a river black as gold

[Chorus]

And all the non believers
Where hiding from the light
As a thousand burning crosses
Were scattered in the night
The thieves and the vagabonds
Were sinking in the sand
As a righteous lord and master
Stretches out a helping hand

[Chorus]

And those who had to suffer
The sick the young the old
Where sacrifice to fortune
And left out in the cold
So with this new arrangement
The leaders sold their souls
For bangles, beads and baubles
And a river black as gold

[Chorus x2]