E TU (original lyrics)

Karanga,(calling to) rangatahi, (youth) whakarongo, (listen) whakarongo / We're nga tamatoa, so we must light te ahi / Don't get led astray by Babylon, kia mau ki to maori

There's alot of people who think they're tough today / But chiefs like Te Rauparaha woulda blown dem away Cher / Hone Heke he expressed his disgust by cutting down the flagpole, huh / Pakeha killed Maori inna Matawhero so Te Kooti exacted it in a slaughter / Yes, the Maori battalion inna World War Two / Staunch on the battlefield dem had many clues / Like Moana Ngarimu on hill 209, Victoria cross so true so strong / Yes the Maori was a fierce warrior Strike fear in the hearts of the Babylon soldier / Yeah its true, yeah its true / I'm talking to you / Kia kaha, kia kaha two one two two

E Tu (stand!)/ Stand Proud / Kia Kaha (be strong)/ Say It Loud

The man who tried to kill him was Von Tempsky / But he became a victim of his own folly /Cause Titokowaru him too smart you see, / Guerilla warfare, huh, Maori / The British raided a Pa they thought it'd be a victory / But Kawiti fooled the enemy / The British raided the Pa (fortified village) yeah but they got shot down / Cause Kawiti had a plan and it was sound, break down

Te Rangihaeata believes in holding land / Against the foe, yo, the British man / To him lands essential to the mana of the chief / And in the Hutt there were some hardcore feats /In 1846 in the Hutt Valley I said /Fighting broke out between the British and the Maori /And more than one settler on disputed land / Was killed when the Maori fought the British Plan /Cause white rule and injustice go hand in hand / So against that is where we stand / Don't forget those who've fought before / Our struggle continues more and more / Yeah it's a struggle, it's a struggle / The systems got us in a muddle / So strive to get outta this puddle

Well I always put my mind to the rhyme / Don't wear no gold chains cause we ain't that kind / Don't neva rap and say I think I'm cool / Just preach the truth with us that's a rule / Yeah, rising inflation to me is a crime / And sport is politics so don't mess with my mind / They falsely own our land so they really don't / We've been ripped off man so shut up I won't

You gotta learn the history to know where ya truly are / Learn it somehow this ignorance has gone too far / Have self determination in what ya gonna do / Kia kaha, kia mau ki to Maori (hold on to your Maori identity) / Don't let no-one stand on you

[original lyrics by Dean Hapeta, 1988]