1
I'm dancing the seven veils
Want you to pick up my scarf
See how the black moon fades
Soon I can give you my heart
I don't know no shame
I feel no pain
I can't see the flame
But I do know Man-din-ka
I do know Mandinka
I do know Mandinka
I do
They're throwing it all this way
Dragging it back to the start
And they say, "See how the glass is raised?"
I have refused to take part
I told them, "Drink something new"
Please let me pull something through
I don't know no shame
I feel no pain
I can't
I don't know no shame
I feel no pain
I can't see the flame
But I do know Man-din-ka
I do know Mandinka
I do know Mandinka
I do
I do
I do
I said I do
Soon I can give you my heart
I swear I do
Soon I can give you my heart
I do
Mandinka
Soon I can give you my heart
Soon I can give you my heart
Want you to pick up my scarf
See how the black moon fades
Soon I can give you my heart
I don't know no shame
I feel no pain
I can't see the flame
But I do know Man-din-ka
I do know Mandinka
I do know Mandinka
I do
They're throwing it all this way
Dragging it back to the start
And they say, "See how the glass is raised?"
I have refused to take part
I told them, "Drink something new"
Please let me pull something through
I don't know no shame
I feel no pain
I can't
I don't know no shame
I feel no pain
I can't see the flame
But I do know Man-din-ka
I do know Mandinka
I do know Mandinka
I do
I do
I do
I said I do
Soon I can give you my heart
I swear I do
Soon I can give you my heart
I do
Mandinka
Soon I can give you my heart
Soon I can give you my heart
Lyrics submitted by Major Valor
Mandinka Lyrics as written by Sinead O'connor
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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The song really is more about the entrapments of coming of age and the problems that come associated with it. The Mandinka people of western Africa had at one time a nice, prosperous empire there. However, from about the mid 16th century to the abolition of slavery in 1865 in the USA, the Mandinka were herded up and taken as slaves more than any other ethnic group in Africa. In addition, when a Mandinka person comes of age, they are expected to go through a ritual known as kankurang. This ritual involves cutting the genitalia, both on men and women. She doesn't want to do this; that's why She "refused to take part."