That day I walked by the river
Remembering the days of young
My Mum, the food she delivered
Our bellies were so full and fun
We heard a plane in the air flying up above
The enemy from overseas
I grabbed my family by the hand as we ran away
We're running from the enemy
No roots, no roots, no culture
We're running from the enemy
No roots, no roots, no culture
I'm hiding with my family
Inside a room we would hide and the sun was gone
So quiet as we lay through the night
I heard a man in the window on the telephone
They're searching for my family and I
I took the chance with the gun, hold it in my hand
Behind it we would sneak through the night
I pulled the trigger to his head, now his life is gone
My family, we are free for the night
Say, no roots, no roots, no culture
We're hiding in the thick of the night, yeah
No roots, no roots, no culture
My family will fight for our lives, oh
There's no price they can put on my name
My heart's fighting in the game
They try to take my family apart
It's a war that you don't wanna start
And now the tables have turned on the enemy
Almighty God has answered my cries
Sometimes a friend is also a frenemy
They're smiling with them lying eyes
Just like in life there's a war everywhere around
But you can be that shining light
They took their bombs, their guns, the enemy
They're running in the dead of the night
Our roots, our roots, our culture
No one can take that feeling from me, yeah
Our roots, our roots, our culture
The power of the tōtara tree, yeah
Our roots, our roots, our culture
No one can take that feeling from me, oh
Our roots, our roots, our culture
The power of the tōtara tree