MAMBO

MAMBO

by

Matt McGinn

Mambo was a dusky man

The sun had burned him brown

But when he met with the colour bar

It never got him down

He’d ask them, ‘What colour is the good lord’s skin?

Tell me brother, do

Is he black or is he brown?

Or is he just like you?’

He went into a bar one night

But he heard the barman say,

‘We don’t want no coloureds here’

So Mambo then said, ‘Pray’

‘Tell me what colour is the good lord’s skin?

Tell me brother, do

Is he black or is he brown?

Or is he just like you?’

He went to pray in Pretoria

But the preacher’s face turned blue

He thumped on his bible and he told Mambo,

‘You’re sitting in the white man’s pew’

‘Oh tell me what colour is the good lord’s skin?

Tell me brother, do

Is he black or is he brown?

Or is he just like you?’

He went in search of a room one day

But the landlord turned him down

Saying, ‘You can bet we’ve a room to let

But man, your skin is brown’

‘Oh tell me what colour is the good lord’s skin?

Tell me brother, do

Is he black or is he brown?

Or is he just like you?’