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Sun City Lyrics by Artists United Against Apartheid

Sun City

1985

[Intro]
Ahh, sun city
Sun city
South Africa
South Africa

[Scatting]

[Verse 1: Run-D.M.C, Grandmaster Melle Mel & Duke Bootee, Afrika Bambaataa & Kurtis Blow, Big Youth & All rappers]
We're rockers and rappers united and strong
We're here to talk about South Africa we don't like what's going on (Tell it)
It's time for some justice it's time for the truth (Speak it)
We've realized there's only one thing we can do

[Chorus]
We gotta say
I, I, I, I, I, I
Ain't gonna play sun city
Oh, no, no, no
I, I, I, I, I, I
I ain't gonna play sun city
Everybody say
I, I, I, I, I, I
Ain't gonna play sun city
No, no, baby
I, I, I, I, I, I
Ain't gonna play sun city

[Verse 2: David Ruffin, Pat Benatar, Eddie Kendrick, Bruce Springsteen]
Relocation to phony homelands
Separation of families I can't understand
23 million can't vote because they're black
We're stabbing our brothers and sisters in the back

[Chorus]
We're gonna say
I, I, I, I, I, I
Ain't gonna play sun city
We're gonna say
I, I, I, I, I, I
Ain't gonna play sun city

[Verse 3: George Clinton, Joey Ramone, Jimmy Cliff & Daryl Hall, Darlene Love]
Our government tells us we're doing all we can
Constructive engagement is Ronald Reagan's plan
Meanwhile people are dying and giving up hope
Well this quiet diplomacy ain't nothing but a joke

[Chorus]
We're gonna say
I, I, I, I, I, I
Ain't gonna play sun city
I ain't gonna play, no, no
We're gonna say
I, I, I, I, I, I
Ain't gonna play sun city
Don't wanna play, don't wanna play

[Scatting]

[Verse 4: Bonnie Raitt, Ruben Blades & John Oates, Lou Reed, Bobby Womack]
It's time to accept our responsibility
Freedom is a privilege nobody rides for free
Look around the world baby it cannot be denied
Some-somebody tell me why are we always on the wrong side

[Chorus]
I, I, I, I, I, I
Ain't gonna play sun city
Will someone tell me what's going on?
I, I, I, I, I, I
Ain't gonna play sun city

[Verse 5: Run D.M.C., Kurtis Blow, Run D.M.C. & Afrika Bambaataa, Duke Bootee, Grandmaster Melle Mel & Afrika Bambaataa, Linton Kwesi Johnson & All Rappers]
Bophuthatswana is far away
But we know it's in South Africa no matter what they say (No matter what they say)
You can't buy me I don't care what you pay
Don't ask me sun city cause I ain't gonna play

[Chorus]
We've gotta say
I, I, I, I, I, I
Ain't gonna play sun city
I, I, I, I, I, I
Ain't gonna play sun city

[Verse 6: Jackson Browne & Bob Dylan, Peter Garrett, Nona Hendryx & Kashif, Bono]
Relocation to phony homelands
Separation of families I can't understand
23 million can't vote because they're black
We're stabbing our brothers and our sisters in the back

[Chorus]
We've gotta say
I, I, I, I, I, I
Ain't gonna play sun city
I, I, I, I, I, I
Ain't gonna play sun city
No, no no, no, no
I, I, I, I, I, I
Ain't gonna play sun city
We've gotta say
I, I, I, I, I, I
Ain't gonna play sun city
I, I, I, I, I, I
Ain't gonna play sun city
No, no, no no no
I, I, I, I, I, I
Ain't gonna play sun city

[Outro]
It ain't that far away
It ain't that far away, sun city
Don't go, no, no, no no no no no
Sun, sun, sun, sun city
Ain't gonna play sun city
Brothers and sisters being stabbed in the back
Don't, not gonna play sun city
Credits
Artists United Against Apartheid

Artists United Against Apartheid

About “Sun City” by Artists United Against Apartheid

Read the complete lyrics to "Sun City" by Artists United Against Apartheid from the album "Sun City" in 1985. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Protest Songs, R&B, Rap.

"Sun City" is performed by Artists United Against Apartheid. from the album "Sun City" in 1985 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Sun City", explore more songs by Artists United Against Apartheid using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for Artists United Against Apartheid · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"Sun City" is credited to Artists United Against Apartheid. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Sun City" appears on "Sun City" in 1985.

Visit the Artists United Against Apartheid artist page at /artist/fat-boys for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.

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