I have noticed that a lot of people do not understand much when it comes to Caribbean patios - The version of English in most reggae tunes, aside a few Bob Marley songs. That is really unfortunate because sometimes the lyrics are very much worth understanding. I will translate one of my favorite Damian Marley songs.
Bunny Wailer Dialogue:Since the beginning of modern civilizationgenerations have witnessed and inherited the only conflicts of world warsbut behold the marriage supper of the lamb and the bridegroom onto his bridethen shall the earth's children know the true epression of ONE LOVE, then mother earth shall honeymoon in peace.Forever eliminating the aspirations, lust and anguish of wars and rumors of wars...SELAH!
VERSE: See it deh know the innocent going up in vapors
and propoganda spreading inna the sunday papers
not even superman coulda save you with him cape cause
Red-a judgement a blaze, blaze, yaand
Babylon a gamble the youth dem life like racehourseand
gi dem a uniform and shave dem head with razors
and now the clock a strike war, don't be amazed cause
inna dem churches tryin to save...saviours
Translation: The innocent are being killed, propaganda keeps your from knowing it, even Superman could not save the human race, baylon is the system, or the government and they gamble the lives of young people like race horses, make them wear a uniform and shave their heads, so do not be suprised by the fact its war time, and religon will try to keep the saviours alive.
Marcus Garvey Dialogue:Can we do it? We can do it, we shall do it!
A famous speech Marcus Garvey gave when he introduced and defended his idea for a black nation.
Damian Marley:Boom, tell dem fe uh draw mi out
when the world government inna falling out
only few men survive crawling out
run lef him collegues dem sprawling out
NEARLY DEAD!medic haffi haul him out
and give him two tranquilizer fi stall him out
DEH PON BASE!can't get no calling out
Translation: Draw out Damian when the world government is falling apart, not many will survive this, and those who do will have to crawl out of the rubble and spread out, many will be nearly dead and require medical attention but in most cases just to give a shot of morphine to dull the pain, nobody will hear them calling out for help.
when him hear from the shout last week
him mistress find a new shoes
wife can't get no news and lately she starting to doubt
SHE STILL SEARCHING!and the youth dem bawling out
working hard not to let it all come out
well it's not safe to go walk about a slaughter house
from Bagdad to Waterhouseshe start arouse
sometime she want a spouse
she start go outs tart beat a darker stout GUNS COME OUT!
working people funds run out
keep a show last week and no one come outBOMBS COME OUT!
mi gas tank just run out BOMBO CLAATT!
Translation: A man gets caught cheating on his wife, she will search for her strength, its not safe to go outside because of criminals with guns who will rob you, honest people will run out of money, I tried to do a show last week but nobody came out, and FUCK my car is out of gas.
the scotch tape just run out
WEED RUN OUT!yuh senses must dumb out
mi have a pound round a back deh a gwan sun out
NAH COME OUT!till the chalice bun out
NAH COME OUT!till the malice bun out
A WAR! Zimbabwe to Berlin wall, blazin like a burningball
loose ball....dat no work...IN WAR,
sleepin...dat now work...IN WAR
can't wear jheri curl...IN WAR,
no diamond and pearl...IN WAR
can't drink weh a serve...IN BAR,
gas we fuck up yuh nerves...IN WAR
shot wi' blood up yuh shirt...IN WAR,
can't go lift up no skirt...IN WAR
now disease and germs...IN WAR,
can't go release your sperms...IN WAR
stamina must preserve...IN WAR,
fire constantly burn...IN WAR
RED...IT RED...IT RED...IT RED...IT RED
Translation: Scotch tape cant fix this problem, and if there is no more weed then some will loose their senses, the sun may not come up anymore, all the things you cannot do in war: play sports, sleep, wear jheri curls in your hair, no diamonds no pearls, no drinking, no looking at pretty girls. Things that you can have in war: Gas warfare, Gunshots in your chest, disease and germs, stamina to fight and constant fire.
Marcus Garvey:if you cannot do it, if you are not prepared to do it...then you will die. You race of cowards, you race of imbeciles, you race of good for nothings, if you cannot do what other men have done, what other nations have done, what other races have done, then you yourself shall die.
A famous speech Marcus Garvey gave when he introduced and defended his idea for a black nation.
Damian Marley:Hey! now wi fore parents sacrifice enough
dem blood sweat and tears run like syrup
any dany a revolution might eruptand
the skys over kingston lighting up
for the new generation rising up
of youths now a days weh dem sighting up
and through reasoning dem biding up
searchign for the sign and the sign is us
searching for the truth all you find is us
searching for the troops still behind it's us
the almighty we recruit and we come from the root
we build like roach killing boot
Translation: Our parents sacrificed a lot of blood, sweat and tears, any day a revolution might start with bombs going off in Kingston, Jamaica. The new generation of youth is rising up in age and understanding, if they want to find a sign(symbol for action) the sign is themselves, if you want to find the truth, the truth is themselves and these are the solders of the future and will be strong like a boot to a roach
weh just can't done
Rastafari design we tuff
if a the fight for freedom, sign me up
cause you Tell-Lie-Vision can't blind me up
Soldiers and police dem wising up
realizing they're no more right than us
realizing there's no use fighting us
realizing their opening their eyes to see
the same demoralizing life as us
Translation: We cannot stop the fight, god made us strong and if it is a fight for freedom sign me up, the propaganda cant blind me, even the soldiers and police are starting to understand that they are not any more right then us and they cannot fight us, realizing they are the same as we are and live through the same struggle.
so we nah tek talk nor smiling up
cause the word temper tantrum boiling up
and who...calling the shots and nah buss none
controlling the mind of the young
Translation: No more talking and smiling, the anger is building, who are these leaders making decisions of who to kill and shoot yet they are not the ones asked to do the killing themselves, they will try to control the mind of the young.
Bring Down...bear famine, no rain nah fall
from London to Dadeland mall
all the son of the virgin bawl
institute of the church IN WAR
preaching and researching WAR
practice and rehearsing WAR
teaching and dem learing WAR
instigating and urging WAR
always keep alert in WAR
cause man wi jump out a swerving car
now bees and birds IN WAR
and the freeks and nerds IN WAR
and the straight and curves IN WAR
forward and reverse IN WAR
RED...IT RED...IT RED...IT RED...IT RED
Translation: Famine will come, the rain will stop falling. The propaganda of war will cause churches to institute and preach war, the kids to practice and rehearse war, teach and learn war, instigate and urge war, so stay ready for it, from birds to bees and nerds to freaks, there is no place to hide from it, in the past or future.
VERSE: See it deh know the innocent going up in vapors
and propoganda spreading inna the sunday papers
not even superman coulda save you with him cape cause
Red-a judgement a blaze, blaze, yaand
Babylon a gamble the youth dem life like racehourseand
gi dem a uniform and shave dem head with razors
and now the clock a strike war, don't be amazed cause
inna dem churches tryin to save...saviours
Translation: The innocent are being killed, propaganda keeps your from knowing it, even Superman could not save the human race, baylon is the system, or the government and they gamble the lives of young people like race horses, make them wear a uniform and shave their heads, so do not be suprised by the fact its war time, and religon will try to keep the saviours alive.
Marcus Garvey Dialogue:Can we do it? We can do it, we shall do it!
A famous speech Marcus Garvey gave when he introduced and defended his idea for a black nation.
Damian Marley:Boom, tell dem fe uh draw mi out
when the world government inna falling out
only few men survive crawling out
run lef him collegues dem sprawling out
NEARLY DEAD!medic haffi haul him out
and give him two tranquilizer fi stall him out
DEH PON BASE!can't get no calling out
Translation: Draw out Damian when the world government is falling apart, not many will survive this, and those who do will have to crawl out of the rubble and spread out, many will be nearly dead and require medical attention but in most cases just to give a shot of morphine to dull the pain, nobody will hear them calling out for help.
when him hear from the shout last week
him mistress find a new shoes
wife can't get no news and lately she starting to doubt
SHE STILL SEARCHING!and the youth dem bawling out
working hard not to let it all come out
well it's not safe to go walk about a slaughter house
from Bagdad to Waterhouseshe start arouse
sometime she want a spouse
she start go outs tart beat a darker stout GUNS COME OUT!
working people funds run out
keep a show last week and no one come outBOMBS COME OUT!
mi gas tank just run out BOMBO CLAATT!
Translation: A man gets caught cheating on his wife, she will search for her strength, its not safe to go outside because of criminals with guns who will rob you, honest people will run out of money, I tried to do a show last week but nobody came out, and FUCK my car is out of gas.
the scotch tape just run out
WEED RUN OUT!yuh senses must dumb out
mi have a pound round a back deh a gwan sun out
NAH COME OUT!till the chalice bun out
NAH COME OUT!till the malice bun out
A WAR! Zimbabwe to Berlin wall, blazin like a burningball
loose ball....dat no work...IN WAR,
sleepin...dat now work...IN WAR
can't wear jheri curl...IN WAR,
no diamond and pearl...IN WAR
can't drink weh a serve...IN BAR,
gas we fuck up yuh nerves...IN WAR
shot wi' blood up yuh shirt...IN WAR,
can't go lift up no skirt...IN WAR
now disease and germs...IN WAR,
can't go release your sperms...IN WAR
stamina must preserve...IN WAR,
fire constantly burn...IN WAR
RED...IT RED...IT RED...IT RED...IT RED
Translation: Scotch tape cant fix this problem, and if there is no more weed then some will loose their senses, the sun may not come up anymore, all the things you cannot do in war: play sports, sleep, wear jheri curls in your hair, no diamonds no pearls, no drinking, no looking at pretty girls. Things that you can have in war: Gas warfare, Gunshots in your chest, disease and germs, stamina to fight and constant fire.
Marcus Garvey:if you cannot do it, if you are not prepared to do it...then you will die. You race of cowards, you race of imbeciles, you race of good for nothings, if you cannot do what other men have done, what other nations have done, what other races have done, then you yourself shall die.
A famous speech Marcus Garvey gave when he introduced and defended his idea for a black nation.
Damian Marley:Hey! now wi fore parents sacrifice enough
dem blood sweat and tears run like syrup
any dany a revolution might eruptand
the skys over kingston lighting up
for the new generation rising up
of youths now a days weh dem sighting up
and through reasoning dem biding up
searchign for the sign and the sign is us
searching for the truth all you find is us
searching for the troops still behind it's us
the almighty we recruit and we come from the root
we build like roach killing boot
Translation: Our parents sacrificed a lot of blood, sweat and tears, any day a revolution might start with bombs going off in Kingston, Jamaica. The new generation of youth is rising up in age and understanding, if they want to find a sign(symbol for action) the sign is themselves, if you want to find the truth, the truth is themselves and these are the solders of the future and will be strong like a boot to a roach
weh just can't done
Rastafari design we tuff
if a the fight for freedom, sign me up
cause you Tell-Lie-Vision can't blind me up
Soldiers and police dem wising up
realizing they're no more right than us
realizing there's no use fighting us
realizing their opening their eyes to see
the same demoralizing life as us
Translation: We cannot stop the fight, god made us strong and if it is a fight for freedom sign me up, the propaganda cant blind me, even the soldiers and police are starting to understand that they are not any more right then us and they cannot fight us, realizing they are the same as we are and live through the same struggle.
so we nah tek talk nor smiling up
cause the word temper tantrum boiling up
and who...calling the shots and nah buss none
controlling the mind of the young
Translation: No more talking and smiling, the anger is building, who are these leaders making decisions of who to kill and shoot yet they are not the ones asked to do the killing themselves, they will try to control the mind of the young.
Bring Down...bear famine, no rain nah fall
from London to Dadeland mall
all the son of the virgin bawl
institute of the church IN WAR
preaching and researching WAR
practice and rehearsing WAR
teaching and dem learing WAR
instigating and urging WAR
always keep alert in WAR
cause man wi jump out a swerving car
now bees and birds IN WAR
and the freeks and nerds IN WAR
and the straight and curves IN WAR
forward and reverse IN WAR
RED...IT RED...IT RED...IT RED...IT RED
Translation: Famine will come, the rain will stop falling. The propaganda of war will cause churches to institute and preach war, the kids to practice and rehearse war, teach and learn war, instigate and urge war, so stay ready for it, from birds to bees and nerds to freaks, there is no place to hide from it, in the past or future.
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