Lyrks
Lyrks
Lyrks
Cover Art

African Homeland Lyrics by The Color Purple Broadway Cast

The Color Purple (2015 Broadway Cast Recording)

2016

[Nettie]
Dear Celie, oh I love you
Years go by and still you're with me
All we share is one big sky
I pray for your reply
[Nettie] (spoken)
When Mister threw me out that day, I was so mad
I ran straight to the church, but when the Reverend's wife opened the door, she had two little children with her
And something about those children made my mad go away
So I asked her if they needed help with those children
And they told me they were going to Africa as missionaries
And maybe I could come with them
[Celie] (spoken)
Nettie a missionary
[Nettie] (spoken)
And then one day on that boat over here, the Reverend asked me about my family, so I told him about you and everything that happened to ya
And he told me, Celie, he's the one Pa gave your babies to
Adam and Olivia are right here with me
[Celie] (spoken)
My babies
[Nettie]
I teach your children ABCs
For a missionary family
These babies sent by God are yours
[Together]
Adam and Olivia
Alive
Alive
[Nettie]
I vibrated like a bell when I saw the African coast
And I kneeled down and thanked God
[Celie]
Thank God
[Together]
Thank God
[Nettie]
For letting us see the land
Where our mothers and fathers died
African homeland
[Together]
Homeland
Land of my people, people
[Ensemble]
People
[Nettie] (spoken)
We are going to be working with a tribe called
The Olinka
[Chief]
Linga
[Villagers]
Linga
[Chief]
Oba
[Villagers]
Oba
[Chief]
Batuwanga
[Men]
Ada doon da yay
[Chief]
Linga
[Villagers]
Linga
[Chief]
Oba
[Villagers]
Oba
[Chief]
Batuwanga
[Men]
Ada doon da yay
[Chief & Villagers]
Linga
[Nettie]
Linga
[Chief & Villagers]
Oba
[Nettie]
Oba
[Chief & Villagers]
Batuwanga
[All]
Linga
[Nettie]
We are
[All]
Oba
[Nettie]
Happy
At the center
Of the universe
[All]
Linga
[Nettie & Celie]
We are
[All]
Oba
[Nettie & Celie]
Happy
At the center
Of the universe
[Chief & Villagers]
Oh dee dee oo day oo day oo dadoo day doo da day
Oh dee dee oo day oo day oo dadoo day doo da day
[Men]
Oh yoo doh doo day
[Women]
Oh yo oon daday
[Chief & Villagers]
Oh yoo doh doo day ay ay
Oh yoo doh doo day ay ay
[Women]
Oh yo oon daday
[Chief & Villagers]
Oh yoo doh doo day ay ay
Oh dee dee oo day oo day oo dadu day doo da day
Oh yoo doh doo day ay ay
[Women]
Oh yo oon daday
[Nettie]
My people
[Chief & Villagers]
Oh yoo doh doo day ay ay
Oh yoo doh doo day ay ay
[Women]
Eeleeyah ooday
[Chief & Villagers]
Oh yoo doh doo day ay ay
[Nettie]
It was like black seeing black for the first time
Shiny blue-black people looking real fine
In brilliant blue robes that fly on the winds
Like a beautiful quilt stitched together by friends
[Celie]
You could put everything I knew in a thimble
What we're taught to be don't resemble
The kings and queens who for thousands of years
Ruled magnificent cities washed away by tears
[Mister] (spoken)
Celie? Celie?
[All]
Ee yea ahn ya
Ee yea ahn ya
Ee yea ahn ya
Ee yea ahn ya oh
[Grady] (spoken)
Celie, what are you doin'?
[Celie] (spoken)
Nothin'
[Grady] (spoken)
Well I ain't never seen you just sit
[Celie] (spoken)
How I look?
[Shug] (spoken)
Good mornin'
[Celie] (spoken)
Y'all want some breakfast?
[Shug] (spoken)
I wish I could but I got to go
Take this on outside to the car
[Celie] (spoken)
Soon as he get back from town I think I'm gonna kill him
[Shug] (spoken)
No, Bible says don't kill
[Celie] (spoken)
Nope, I think I feel better if I kill him
[Shug] (spoken)
No, you won't. Nobody ever feel better for killin' nothin'
Think of me. Think of Nettie
[Celie] (spoken)
Goodbye
[Nettie] (spoken)
Celie, I've been teaching the Olinka children to read
But some of the women have become very suspicious of me
Because girls have never been taught to read here
Girls have never been taught anything at all
I don't understand everything they're saying
But what it sounds like to me is
[Olinka Women]
What this mess you been preachin'?
Why you tryin' to change us?
[Nettie] (spoken)
They think I should be married
[Olinka Women]
Girl ain't nothin' with no man
Why you makin' a big fuss
Need a husband and children
Or you're gonna be nothing
[Nettie]
I am nobody's mother
But I am somebody
[Olinka Women]
Girls don't need education
[Nettie]
Sound like the white folks back home
[Olinka Women]
Best be knowing your station
[Celie & Nettie]
But not my Olivia
[Olinka]
Matenga!
[Nettie] (spoken)
Our village was destroyed by the soldiers
So now we have walked with so many other refugees to a tent camp across the border
[Nettie]
We walk away from this ravaged land
With courage deep in our hearts
To face the unknown
[Nettie & Olinka]
Together
[Nettie]
We'll find a place where we can be
Where spirit rise and soul is free
Our people, my people
[Nettie] (spoken)
I have faith that God will let us see each other again before we die, Celie
And you must have faith too
I only hope that when that day comes
We're not too old to recognise each other
[Nettie]
We walk away
We walk away
We walk away

About “African Homeland” by The Color Purple Broadway Cast

Read the complete lyrics to "African Homeland" by The Color Purple Broadway Cast from the album "The Color Purple (2015 Broadway Cast Recording)" in 2016. 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 Musicals, R&B.

"African Homeland" is performed by The Color Purple Broadway Cast. from the album "The Color Purple (2015 Broadway Cast Recording)" in 2016 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 "African Homeland", explore more songs by The Color Purple Broadway Cast 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 The Color Purple Broadway Cast · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"African Homeland" is credited to The Color Purple Broadway Cast. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"African Homeland" appears on "The Color Purple (2015 Broadway Cast Recording)" in 2016.

Visit the The Color Purple Broadway Cast artist page at /artist/the-color-purple-broadway-cast for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.