Intro:
   

[Verse 1: Youssou N'Dour (in Wolof)]
        
Boul ma sene, 

           
boul ma guiss 

              
madi re nga fo

  
kni mane
        
Khamouma li ne

           
ka thi sama so

              
uf ak thi guin


aw
           
Beugouma kouma

          
 khol oaldine 

              
yaw li neka si

 
 yaw
          
Mo ne si man, 

           
li ne si mane 

             
moye dilene di


apale


[Verse 2: Neneh Cherry]
              
Roughneck and 

            
rudeness, We s

         
hould be using
           
On the ones wh

              
o practiced wi

        
cked charms
              
For the sword 

            
and the stone,

              
 bad to the bo

 
ne
              
Battle's not o

           
ver even when 

       
it's won


[Break]
            
And when a chi

          
ld is born int

o this world
         
It has no conc

              
ept of the ton

   
e it's skin li

ving in


[Hook:]
            
It's not a sec

              
ond, 7 seconds

       
 away
              
Just as long a

            
s I stay, I'll

        
 be waiting
            
It's not a sec

              
ond, 7 seconds

       
 away
              
Just as long a

            
s I stay, I'll

           
 be waiting
            
I'll be waitin

    
g
        
I'll be waitin

            
g


[Verse 3: Youssou N'Dour (in French)]
        
J'assume les r

              
aisons qui nou

           
s poussent de 

        
changer tout
         
J'aimerais qu'

           
on oublie leur

             
 couleur pour 

         
qu'ils esperen

t
            
Beaucoup de se

            
ntiments de ra

              
ces qui font q

   
u'ils desesper

ent
              
Je veux les de

     
ux mains ouver

tes
              
(transl.) Des 

            
amis pour parl

              
er de leur pei

            
ne, de leur jo

/
ie
              
Pour qu'ils le

           
ur filent des 

              
infos qui ne d

     
ivisent pas
  
Changer


[Hook:]
              
7 seconds away

 
              
Just as long a

            
s I stay, I'll

        
 be waiting
            
It's not a sec

              
ond, 7 seconds

       
 away
              
Just as long a

            
s I stay, I'll

           
 be waiting
            
I'll be waitin

     
g
        
I'll be waitin

            
g

[interlude - violin part]
   

[Neneh Cherry:]
            
And when a chi

          
ld is born int

o this world
         
It has no conc

            
ept of the ton


e the skin it'

s living in
            
And there's a 

              
million voices

[Youssou N'Dour:]
            
Million voices



[Youssou N'Dour/Neneh Cherry:]
         
To tell you wh

              
at you should 

      
be thinking

So you better sober up for just a second


[Hook:]
            
It's not a sec

              
ond, 7 seconds

       
 away
              
Just as long a

            
s I stay, I'll

        
 be waiting
            
It's not a sec

              
ond, 7 seconds

       
 away
              
Just as long a

            
s I stay, I'll

           
 be waiting
            
It's not a sec

              
ond, 7 seconds

       
 away
              
Just as long a

            
s I stay, I'll

        
 be waiting
            
I'll be waitin

     
g