PICK UP THE PEN
RAS TEWELDE & RAPHAEL


DA ONE YAH FE DI YUTES, WE GO CHANT STRAIGHT FE DEM
PUT DUNG DI GUN, PICK UP DI PEN !
ALL OVER AFRICA LIKKLE SOLDIERS DEM DEH

PUT DUNG DI GUN, PICK UP DI PEN !
WE CHANT TO THE GOVAMENTS, HAFFI SAVE DEM !
PUT DUNG DI GUN, PICK UP DI PEN !

AN WE BUN EVERY MAN WHO DOWNPRESS THE CHILDREN
FYAH PON DEM , FYAH PON DEM


Mumma and Puppa nah be fool
unu betta love dem good
member dem is your children

dem nah fi provide fi da food
unu betta send dem school
dem a gwaan so intelligent

ongle learn and play should be dem rule - but
unu force dem fi be rude
dem still nah reach the age of ten - so

unu give'em a blessing and a big gun fi carry
unu tak-way dem innocence an tell'em seh na worry


DA ONE YAH FE DI YUTES, WE GO CHANT STRAIGHT FE DEM
PUT DUNG DI GUN, PICK UP DI PEN !
ALL OVER AFRICA LIKKLE SOLDIERS DEM DEH

PUT DUNG DI GUN, PICK UP DI PEN !
WE CHANT TO THE GOVAMENTS, HAFFI SAVE DEM !
PUT DUNG DI GUN, PICK UP DI PEN !

AN WE BUN EVERY MAN WHO DOWNPRESS THE CHILDREN
FYAH PON DEM , FYAH PON DEM


CHILDREN HAFFE GO SCHOOL
PLAY SPORTS AND GROW SELF ESTEEME
AND NOT BE BRAINWASHED ROBOTS, HOLDIN' M16

BAD MINDED KILL DEM HOPES AND DREAMS
SOME A DEM ARE LUCKY WHEN DEM TURN TO TEENS
WE CHANT FE DE VICTIMS OF THE WAR

BABY SOLDIER NEVER LOOK TO THE SKY, AND NO WISH 'PON NO STAR PAIN INSIDE A THE DEEPEST SCAR
THEIR LIFE IS SO HARD


DA ONE YAH FE DI YUTES, WE GO CHANT STRAIGHT FE DEM
PUT DUNG DI GUN, PICK UP DI PEN !
ALL OVER AFRICA LIKKLE SOLDIERS DEM DEH

PUT DUNG DI GUN, PICK UP DI PEN !
WE CHANT TO THE GOVAMENTS, HAFFI SAVE DEM !
PUT DUNG DI GUN, PICK UP DI PEN !

AN WE BUN EVERY MAN WHO DOWNPRESS THE CHILDREN
FYAH PON DEM , FYAH PON DEM


Put down da gun ca we nah need anedda soldier
roun ya - already many wars a gwaan - see it ya
no education fi di poorman - a so dem conquer africa


FREE THE CHILDREN IN AFGANISTAN
FREE THE CHILDREN IN BURUNDI

FREE THE CHILDREN IN CHAD AND COLOMBIA
FREE THE CHILDREN IN COTE D' IVOIRE
LIBERATE THE YOUTHS IN IRAQ, LIBERIA, MYANMAR, NEPAL, PHILIPPINE AND CONGO

GIVE THEM A CHANCE IN SOMALIA, SRI LANKA, SUDAN AND UGANDA