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about

Written by Ewan MacColl

lyrics

Ahmed Timol and Matthew Mabelone:
Two young men who died before their time -
Fell from a tenth-story window in Johannesburg’s police station
While undergoing police interrogation.
They were killed by

The Anglo-American Corporation,
Barclays Bank and I.T.T.,
Union Carbide Corporation,
Thatcher’s spivs and Reagan’s bully-boys,
Get-rich-quick, don’t-care investors,
Sun Life Assurance Company.

Jacob Mashabane, Ernest Mamasila:
Two among ten thousand detainees -
Found hanging by the neck in Johannesburg’s police station,
While undergoing police interrogation.
They were killed by

Falconbridge Nickel Mining Limited,
Rio Tinto and S.T.C.,
Exxon Mining Corporation,
Reagan and Thatcher’s grisly crew
Of used-car salesmen, board-room gangsters,
General Motors and A.E.G..

Joseph Mdluli and Fenuel Magatusi:
Two opponents of apartheid’s law -
§ Both met their deaths by manual strangulation,
While undergoing police interrogation.
They were killed by

Anglo-Transvaal Consolidated,
Ford and the Chase Manhattan Bank,
Alcan Aluminium Limited,
Reagan’s conmen, Thatcher’s Tories,
The hangmen’s bosses and rich paymasters,
Siemens, Krupps and the Deutsche Bank.

Benjamin Moloise: poet and freedom fighter;
Met his death, upon his lips a song:
A song of a land without racial exploitation,
Without apartheid, Pass Law, police interrogation.
He was killed by

Caltex Petroleum Corporation,
Mobil, Total and BP,
Texaco and Standard Oil,
Pulling the strings of Reagan and Thatcher
And all the rest of the crooks and clowns
Who dance to the tune of
THE GREAT CONSPIRACY!

credits

from White Wind, Black Tide, released April 12, 1986
Ewan MacColl - vocals
Peggy Seeger - guitar, backing vocals
Calum MacColl - dulcimer

Produced by Calum MacColl
Engineered by Harun Coombes
Recorded at Falconer Studios, London

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all rights reserved

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Ewan MacColl London, UK

This site is maintained by the MacColl family, aiming to make Ewan's catalogue available to download.
Ewan MacColl is known to most as a songwriter and singer, but he was also of significant influence in the worlds of theatre and radio broadcasting. His art reached huge numbers through the folk clubs, greater numbers through his recordings and untold millions through the radio. ... more

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