[Chorus]

A-S-K-A-R-I

They lust papes, we play nice

Soldiers in the empire

Violence plaguing our time

Wanna go home in a little

Bit of chrome by my middle

Patrolling a riddle

For, my enemy

[Verse 1]

Feelings don't mean nothing

From what I've seen in theatres of destruction

But these scenes aren't scripted

Nah, it was a con, that's why we were conscripted

If war's a theatre, we're the actors

Directed by colonial captors

They took control of where my fam lives

Forced us to chuck our own language in favour of theirs

What kind of slavery's heir is this hell we're in?

I'm seeing people bleeding, broken

Don't have a reason but for freedom we're hoping

But it's not for us, 'cos after this war we will still be stuck

Our lives in exchange for another buck

Collecting their spoils when the blood has stopped

[Chorus]

A-S-K-A-R-I

They lust papes, we play nice

Soldiers in the empire

Violence plaguing our time

Wanna go home in a little

Bit of chrome by my middle

Patrolling a riddle

For, my enemy

[Verse 2]

We were called upon

Pawns from across waters

Battalions transported on

Shores to be slaughtered from

Landmines and the first tanks, planes and automatic guns

Our bodies left out when the battle's done

No honour in the way we were abandoned

No slumber, up for days, while the ranking

Officer can't be seen like a phantom

This was his country's fight

Unaware if his country's right

Agency taken away by his country's might

One day we'll see the light, fam, it must be nice

From Eritrea to Ireland

India, Jamaica to Thailand

Finland, Brazil and Azerbaijan

Our fight will cease and we'll be rising

One day, yeah

[Chorus]

A-S-K-A-R-I

They lust papes, we play nice

Soldiers in the empire

Violence plaguing our time

Wanna go home in a little

Bit of chrome by my middle

Patrolling a riddle

For, my enemy

[Verse 3]

Fela says Zombie

Fellas are zombies

Fela says Zombie, fellas are zombies

Fela says Zombie

Fellas are zombies

British Army ain't just man in Abercrombie

No monuments to the colonies in Fondi

Viceroy, we ain't nice boys, you're wrong, b

Strongly advise against being a zombie

[Chorus]

A-S-K-A-R-I

They lust papes, we play nice

Soldiers in the empire

Violence plaguing our time

Wanna go home in a little

Bit of chrome by my middle

Patrolling a riddle

For, my enemy

[Chorus]

A-S-K-A-R-I

They lust papes, we play nice

Soldiers in the empire

Violence plaguing our time

Wanna go home in a little

Bit of chrome by my middle

Patrolling a riddle

For, my enemy

[Outro]

Hamid Idris Awate was an Askari

My great grandfather's were Askari