Aotearoa Maranga

Dedicated with love to all those who fight oppression everywhere

Rise Up

By Native Savage

We’ve been fighting for 160 years
And that a lot of blood lost and many tears shed
For our whaea
Papatuanuku
When she’s gone, whose got chu?

Born with a responsibility
coz we are kaitiaki
Of our whenua
Thru nga kapua
Maintaining that harmony

White man came with no obligation
Just a long history of devastation
Native under thumb
Controlled by their guns
On mass slaughter
Blood in the water
But we didn’t die
Yes we fought to survive
Now its our turn to rise on up

Chorus:

Rise Up! Rise Up! Rise Up!
Yea.yah
Rise Up! Rise Up! Rise Up!
Yea.yah
New generation
Preservation
And Restoration
Our peoples and this land
Yes we are making a stand

War was fought with men guns and pens
New nuclear bomb called legislation
Only form of infiltration
Was penetration or destruction of this system
And no we won’t compromise
Coz they conquer wise
And let the good ones stay in
To continue this devastation
Of that which is colonization

So baton downs your doors
Because we have decided its time we settle the scores
We are sick of being your slaves
And we are sick of being your whores

We are a new generation
Concerned primarily with preservation
and restoration of our peoples and this land
Will you give us a hand?
Or continue to demand that we stay on our chains
And just obey
Whatever it is that you say!
Coz Mr. It will be a long day
And many who will pay
If that’s the way you want to play
Coz we are ready to fight
Yes we are ready to die
Coz for far too long we’ve just had to survive
But this native believes in a maori nation that will thrive
And lead indigenous peoples world wide sky high
But natives gotta rise

Chorus:

Rise Up! Rise Up! Rise Up!
Yea.yah
Rise Up! Rise Up! Rise Up!
Yea.yah
New generation
Preservation
And Restoration
Our peoples and this land
Yes we are making a stand

Native Savage is a sometimes bedroom MC and a full time Maori rights activist.