I woke up this morning Hunger was gnawing my soul But the preacher man's sermon Won't put no food in my bowl Abidjan to Monrovia Looking for food and a home Instead I found factions and armies In the middle of a combat zone I want love, I need love I want love I want love, I need love And a little food in my bowl Here in this tribal warfare For food you need money or a gun I signed up - whose side I don't care At least now I'm someone At parade time the grown-ups are cruel And all of the soldiers are small Commanders and capitains and colonels All kids with their backs to the wall I want love, I need love I want love I want love, I need love And a little food in my bowl They told me I'm joining a family But here I ain't nobody's son
My brothers are right here beside me We share our hunger and we share our gun Tomorrow we start the offensive Been drinking palm wine all day Grigrimen can keep us from bullets But hash won't keep hunger at bay I want love, I need love I want love I want love, I need love And a little food in my bowl When it's time the small soldiers march forward When one falls the next takes his gun Four to one AK47 I was number three but now I'm gone Our future is dying right here Children only ten years old In this tribal colonial nightmare We're reaping the seeds you have sown We're reaping the seeds you have sown We want love, we need love All of us want love We want love, we need love And a little food in my bowl