I’m making footprints on this ancient beach
Like some new age australopithecine;
Giant clams with bright blue eyes
Watching me as I go by;
Making footprints on this ancient beach.
“Jambo raffiki, habariako!”
The smiling WaSwahili say “hello”.
They see me dive beyond the reef,
Ask “Is he blessed or smoking keif?”
“Jambo raffiki, habariako!”
Beneath the waves down steep embroidered cliffs,
I dive amongst the shoals of coloured fish;
It always livelies up my brain
To know I’m part of the food chain,
Beneath the waves down steep embroidered cliffs.
Forty feet below the dappling blue
“Hello shark, I long to swim like you;
I may be hunting on your beat,
But my spear’s longer than your teeth”,
Forty feet below the dapping blue.
BRIDGE: I’m getting stronger every day
In Mother Ocean’s close embrace;
Fathoming life’s ancient ways
In the savage honesty of this place,
This magical place.
Sunset and the cooking fire is hot;
My camp-mates look to see what I have caught.
I’m the hunter home from sea
Bless’d with this day’s offerings;
Sunset and the cooking fire is hot.
Now daylight’s gone, stars are shining bright;
And Orion strides across the velvet night.
Everywhere are fireflies,
The ocean heaves and breathes and sighs;
Daylight’s gone, stars are shining bright.
FINALE: Everywhere are fireflies,
The ocean heaves and breathes and sighs
Washing footprints from this ancient beach,
Washing all my footprints from this ancient beach.