Lyrics

WHERE WILL THE CHILDREN PLAY?

Where will the children play?
Where will the children play?

The rain poured down on Trench Town
The hurricane was mighty
The wind blew my brother’s house away
The flood became a river
The sky was black like midnight
Darkness hovered deep at Louzy Bay
And I thought to myself
What will we people do?
Where will the children play?

The sunrise came too slowly
As cries broke through the silence
Tears flowed wet on every Trench Town face
From First Street up to Thompson
You could not find a dry eye
Debris and heartache cluttered every space
And I thought to myself
What will we people do?
Where will the children play?

Can anybody tell me…yeah, tell me
Where will the children play?

I went to find my sister
She looking for our brother
He looking for his neighbor’s pregnant wife
We found her safe on Crook Street
Laboring intensely
Such a day to birth a new life
And I thought to myself
What will this woman do?
Where will this child play?

We gathered up at Cross Roads
With friends and total strangers
And shared the food and water we all had
The Red Cross came with blankets
Police came asking questions
Looters took all that we people had
And I thought to myself
What will we people do?
Lord, give us a better day
Yeah, I thought to myself
What will we people do?
Where will the children play?

The rain poured down on Trench Town
The hurricane was mighty
What will we people do?
Will tomorrow be a better day?

Can anybody tell me…yeah, tell me
Where will the children play?

© 2026 Christopher Iverson Music/BMI
words & music: Christopher Iverson