[Intro] [Finger-picked acoustic guitar, soft and lonely] [Lead guitar cries softly between the chords] (Oh children) (Oh children) (Mm-mm-mm) [Verse 1] Little child wake up to thunder in the sky No school bell ringing, just the siren passing by Barefoot dreams running through the dust and stone Mama hold him close but she frightened to the bone In Gaza where the night feel heavy on the chest Tiny hands praying just to find a place to rest In Ukraine where the snow fall cold on broken ground A little girl still listens for a peaceful sound [Pre-Chorus] And dem never choose no border Dem never choose no fight Dem only want some water And a safe place for the night [Chorus] Children of war What are we fighting for? When the babies cry Heaven hears it more Children of war Lay down the sword Let the little ones live Let dem dream once more (Oh children) (Oh children) [Verse 2] In Russia there’s a child with a question in his eyes Why the grown ones speak in fire, why the truth wear disguise In Iran a little voice is calling through the smoke Holding on to hope when the morning almost broke And somewhere in Sudan, Yemen, Syria too Small hearts carry pain that the world barely knew Different flags above them, same tears on the floor No child should be learning how to survive a war [Pre-Chorus] Dem never build no weapon Dem never sign no plan Dem only want a blanket And the warmth of someone’s hand [Chorus] Children of war What are we fighting for? When the babies cry Heaven hears it more Children of war Lay down the sword Let the little ones live Let dem dream once more [Bridge] [Lead guitar, tender and weeping] No more lullaby under broken roof No more tiny shoes in the ash as proof No more names carved where the flowers grow No more mothers crying what the world should know Jah, lift dem spirit Keep dem soul from fear Let love come closer Let peace draw near (Protect the children) (Protect the children) [Verse 3] Mi seh one little boy draw a sun on the wall Even when the room had no window at all One little girl still sing soft in the rain Like music could wash some sorrow from the pain So me sing for the child with the dust in the hair For the child in the shelter whispering a prayer For the child with no country, no bed, no door You were born for love, not born for war [Final Chorus] Children of war What are we fighting for? When the babies cry Heaven hears it more Children of war Lay down the sword Let the little ones live Let dem dream once more Children of war Open up the door Let the healing come Let the hatred fall Children of war You are loved for sure May your morning rise With no bombs anymore [Outro] [Finger-picked guitar slows down] [Lead guitar answers like a soft cry] (Oh children) (Oh children) (No child born fi war) (No child born fi war) Little child sleep now May peace find your shore Little child dream now No child born for war
