Madonna's latest ethnic appropriation music vid. "Batuka"

 

After setting the stage with ambient shots of laundry blowing in the wind near the coast, title cards give the viewer a brief history lesson on Batuque, a style of music created by the women of Cape Verde, an African archipelago that some say [is] the birth place of the slave trade.

 

… a foreboding cloudy sky that almost looks like it was pulled from Madge's video for Frozen back in the Nineties, the sun breaks through as the women begin clapping and dancing while facing the sea.

 

They begin a procession from the house to the coast, as the stormy wind blows underneath the building percussion of the song.

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-7265569/Madonna-delves-African-history-sisterhood-haunting-beautiful-new-music-video-Batuka.html

 

BATUKA LYRICS

[Chorus: Madonna, The Batukadeiras Orchestra]

It's a long way (It’s a long way)

It's a long way (It's a long way)

It’s a long day (It's a long day)

It's a long day (It's a long day)

 

[Verse 1: Madonna, The Batukadeiras Orchestra]

Lord have Mercy (Lord have Mercy)

Things have got to change (Things have got to change)

'''There's a storm ahead (There's a storm ahead)

I hear the wind blowing (I hear the wind blowing)'''

Let me catch my breath (Let me catch my breath)

Will we win this race? (Will we win this race?)

Swear the road is long (Swear the road is long)

And the highway listens (And the highway listens)

 

[Chorus: Madonna, The Batukadeiras Orchestra]

'Cause it's a long way (’Cause it’s a long way)

It's a long way (It’s a long way)

'Cause it's a long day ('Cause it’s a long day)

It's a long day (It's a long day)

 

[The Batukadeiras Orchestra Interlude]

[?][1:12]

 

[Verse 2: Madonna, The Batukadeiras Orchestra]

'''I was up all night

I said a little prayer

Get that old man

Put him in a jail

Where he can't stop us (Where he can't stop us)

Where he can't hurt us (Where he can't hurt us)

We will stand tall (We will stand tall)

Underneath this tree (Underneath this tree)'''

'Cause it's a—

 

Chorus

 

[Verse 3: Madonna, The Batukadeiras Orchestra]

'''But when we can stop it all (But when we can stop it all)

In the right way (In the right way)

Will we stand together? (Will we stand together?)

It's a new day (It's a new day)

So don't judge a human (Don't judge a human)

'Til you're in their shoes ('Til you're in their shoes)

'Cause if you have a dream ('Cause if you have a dream)

Then you can't stop us'''

 

[Bridge: Madonna, The Batukadeiras Orchestra]

Sing, "Hallelujah" (Sing, "Hallelujah")

Say, "Amen" (Say, "Amen")

Say, "Hallelujah" (Say, "Hallelujah")

And say, "Amen" (And say, "Amen")

I say, "Oh, yeah" (I say, "Oh, yeah")

I said, "Oh, yeah" (I said, "Oh, yeah")

I said, "Amen" (I said, "Amen")

I say, "Hallelujah" (I say, "Hallelujah")

 

Chorus

 

[The Batukadeiras Orchestra Outro]