Once upon a time, not so long ago

When things were much much simple,

And time would travel slow.

There came a righteous stranger,

With a bible in his hand.

To educate the sinners

And liberate the land.

[Chorus]

Sins of the fathers

Are visited from old

In a never ending circle

Of people bought and sold

So the wretched of the earth

Would huddle from the cold

As a ship of fools go sailing

On an ocean black as gold.

So come and sit beside me

And let my tale unfold

In a land on milk and honey

Where the truth must not be told

As men of right and reason

Let the devil take their soul

For greed and fame and fortune

And a river black as gold.

[Chorus]

Sins of the fathers

Are visited from old

In a never ending circle

Of people bought and sold

So the wretched of the earth

Would huddle from the cold

As a ship of fools go sailing

On an ocean black as gold.

And all the non believers

Where hiding from the light

As a thousand burning crosses

Were scattered in the night.

The theives and the vagabonds

Were sinking in the sand

As a righteous lord and master

Stretches out a helping hand.

[Chorus]

Sins of the fathers

Are visited from old

In a never ending circle

Of people bought and sold

So the wretched of the earth

Would huddle from the cold

As a ship of fools go sailing

On an ocean black as gold.

And those who had to suffer

The sick the young the old

Where sacrifice to fortune

And left out in the cold

So with this new arrangement

The leaders sold their souls

For bangles, beads and baubles

And a river black as gold

[Chorus x2]