Batuka (Live at the Coliseu dos Recreios, Lisbon, Portugal, 1/12-23/2020)
Batuka (Live at the Coliseu dos Recreios, Lisbon, Portugal, 1/12-23/2020) 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]
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: 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)
[Verse 3: Madonna, The Batukadeiras Orchestra]
But will we taste the freedom (But will we taste the freedom)
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 (So 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 (Then you can't stop us)
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: 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
[The Batukadeiras Orchestra Outro]
[Spoken]
Ladies and gentlemen
The Batukadeira Orchestra from Cabo Verde, give it up!
About
“Batuka” live begins with an entirely new intro sung by The Batukadeiras Orchestra, not found in the album version. While they sing, like an army, 12 of the 14 women walk down the theater aisles towards the stage — the 2 elderly ones are already there. It’s the perfect tone setter for what’s about to happen.
When on stage, the Batukadeiras form a semicircle and Madonna joins on top of the staircase on the left. There she stays, discretely singing her parts in the call-of-response song during the first chorus and verse. The Batukadeiras Orchestra are the protagonists of the first half of the act, owning the stage with their hypnotic traditional chants, dancing and fantastic hand-drumming.
From the second chorus on, Madonna comes down to the center of the Orchestra, where she sings, rotates and even ululates. Then some of the Batukadeiras join Madonna on the dancing, and the chemistry of their talents is an organic delight.
Fans who attended the concert claimed that the powerful energy of hearing the arrangement drums live, echoing through the venue, makes “Batuka,” the spiritual highlight of the entire concert. And a New York Times review stated that
Madonna was more suited to the harder beat of “Batuka” a song based on the matriarchal, call-and-response Cape Verdean tradition of batuque. Backed by more than a dozen batuque drummers and singers — Orquestra Batukadeiras — and doing some hip-shimmying batuque moves, Madonna conveyed the delight of her discovery […].
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
During the Intro, the historical background provived in the music video is projected:
Batuque is a style of music created by women that originated in Cape Verde, some say the birth place of slave trade. The drums were condemned by the Church and taken away from the slaves because it was considered an act of rebellion. The women continued their singing and dancing and the Batuque lives on today.
Through the rest of the song, scenes from the music video are shown, mixed with footage from World of Madame X documentary.
- 8.Batuka (Live at the Coliseu dos Recreios, Lisbon, Portugal, 1/12-23/2020)
