So I told him that he'd better shut his mouth And do his job like a man And he answered, "Listen, father, I will never kill another" He thinks he's better than his brother that died What the hell does he think he's doing To his father, who brought him up right? Take your place on, The Great Mandella As it moves through your brief moment of time Win or lose now, you must choose now And if you lose, you're only losing your life Tell the jailer not to bother With his meal of bread and water today He is fasting 'til the killing's over He's a martyr, he thinks he's a prophet But he's a coward, he's just playing a game He can't do it, he can't change it It's been going on for ten thousand years Take your place on, The Great Mandella As it moves through your brief moment of time Win or lose now, you must choose now And if you lose, you're only losing your life Tell the people they are safe now Hunger stopped him, he lies still in his cell Death has gagged his accusations We are free now, we can kill now We can hate now, now we can end the world We're not guilty, he was crazy And it's been going on for ten thousand years Take your place on, The Great Mandella As it moves through your brief moment of time Win or lose now, you must choose now And if you lose, you've only wasted your life (and if you lose, you've only wasted your life)