Hip-Hip Hooray
21-Gun salute in 94
Our black president
The rainbow nation born
The father of it
Today his birthday
The whole world in unison
At least most of it
67 minutes for Madiba
Is it enough ? – It’s sufficient
From the blanket-giving
The going green initiatives
To the visits in orphanages
The town-cleaning
The pictures,
Cameras-rolling
It’s mind-blowing
And it’ll be gone in 67 minutes
A question with a billion echoes :
“What have you done in 67 minutes”
What have I done with my life?
The ocean of opportunities given
The long walk that was took for me
The opportunity to go to school
I need not toyi-toyi and carry my I.D
I will not see another June 16
No hiding from the police
Or secret gatherings
A matter of life and death
No need to hold my breath
I breathe with ease
No sacrifices to make
No risks to take,
No long walk to freedom
Look within yourself and be grateful
As today the streets march on
And the marching bands play on
The publicity stunts
And all fakes and blades
In their shades and Mercs
Doing it for Madiba
It’ll be gone in 67 minutes
The choppers in 94 colouring the sky
In rainbow colours it was beautiful
We were young back then
I heard him say, “Never again.. “
Promises made never broken
All fulfilled over and over
The people’s Saviour
His name engraved in our dreams
Written in our history and lives
And in our warmest hearts
Even in our coldest hearts
Everybody salutes him
An icon and more
He never gave up on us
Dedicated his life to us
Today is his day
And everybody is throwing their hands in for 67 minutes
Bashes are thrown,
It’s a beer-fest out there,
As we celebrate The Icon’s life
The rainbow nation is like a rainbow
Just for 67 minutes?
…All this will be gone in 67 minutes