Real World

Peter Mealy

 

We took a six week trip though East Africa a couple of years ago, and needless to say, we came home with many lasting images. This song touches on some of the issues that many African women have to deal with. The back breaking manual labor, genital mutilation, and AIDS are still very much evident throughout Africa, and while you don't really encounter a lot these things first hand as a tourist, you can't help but reflect on them.

 

G               Em                 G              Em

 

                                 G                                Em                 

She stops in the road to catch her breath
                             G                                   Em

Bent from her load with four miles left

                         G                           Em

Fishes out a smoke from her shirt

                                 G                                         Em

Watches as her kids dance around her skirt

                              CaddG                       Am7addG

Mama can we go can we go right now

                              CaddG                       Am7addG

Wanna see the boys down in Addis town

                              CaddG                       D

Mama let me go wanna go right now

                                  G               Em      G     Em

She smiles at the little one

She looks down the hill and remembers when

Masinkos played and she danced till ten

Now she gathers wood to sell in town

Wonders what she’ll do when it’s all cut down

Mama can we go can we go right now

Mama get some food down in Addis town

Mama can we go wanna go right now

                                  G              

She cries for the little one

         Em               C                 D               G

This world can be such a beautiful place

                 C                                     D                G

Like the love for a child on a mothers face

Em               C                 D                          Em   G

But for every star there’s an empty space

                       C                    Am7    D      

In the real world  In the real world

Back in the hills a young girl waits

The coat of ash on her young girl face

Doesn’t hide the fear of things to come

She doesn’t understand why things are done

Mama let me go let me go right now

Mama let me go wanna leave this town

Mama let me go wanna go right now

She cries out for anyone

Steps in the dark where someone waits

Lays on the floor and begins to shake

Body goes stiff she feels the knife

Now she make a fine and sturdy wife

Mama make them go make them go right now

Mama don’t want no one to see me now

Mamma le me go wanna go right now

She cries out for everyone

CHORUS

There’s no one in the fields the sun burns hot

No one in the streets with the empty shops

No one in the church where they used to pray

There’s no one in the bed where her momma lay

Momma did you go did you go to town

Momma don’t you know that we need you now

Momma can we go with you somehow

She cries with the little one

Her momma loved her man and she loved him well

Her poppa loved to dance on the carousel

Spinning every night into some ones arms

Spinning back to momma now they’re both gone

Mama if you knew what we all know now

Mama how the love can bring you down

Mama don’t you know I can hear you now

They cry for the other ones

CHORUS