Tony Humphries Pres. Wheeler del Torro ‘The Merchant’ (incl. David Harness & Paul Adam Remixes) Dog Day Records

The lyrics for “The Merchant” come from the poems“The Slave-Trade Merchant” and “Canto II” by Juan Francisco Manzano from his anthology “Poems by a Slave” (1840). Source: http://culturedetectives.com

“THE MERCHANT” LYRICS

They’re only negroes–true, they count not here,
Perhaps, their cries and groans may count elsewhere,
And one on high may say for these and all,
A price was paid, and it redeemed from thrall.
If the proud “merchants who are princes” here,
Believe his word, or his commandments fear

With twenty hours of unremitting toil,
Twelve in the field, and eight in doors, to boil
Or grind the cane–believe me few grow old,
But life is cheap, and sugar, sir,–is gold.

Then as to food, you may be sure we give
Enough, to let the wretched creatures live:
The diet’s somewhat slender, there’s no doubt,
It would not do, to let them grow too stout;
Nor is it here, nor on estates around,
That fat and saucy negroes may be found.

With twenty hours of unremitting toil,
Twelve in the field, and eight in doors, to boil
Or grind the cane–believe me few grow old,
But life is cheap, and sugar, sir,–is gold.

How can they dare to advocate this trade,
Or call the sacred scriptures to its aid.
How can they have the boldness to lay claim,
And boast their title to the Christian name;
Or yet pretend to walk in reason’s light,
And wage eternal war with human right.

– Excerpts from Juan Francisco Manzano’s “The Slave-Trade Merchant” and “Canto II“