Reggae Fi Dada (Johnson Linton Kwesi)

galang dada galang gwwaan yaw sah yu nevvah ad noh life fi live jus di wan life fi give yu did yu time pan ert yu nevvah get yu jus dizert galang goh smile inna di sun galang goh satta inna di palace af peace o di waatah it soh deep di waatah it soh daak an it full a hawbah shaak di lan is like a rack slowly shattahrin to san sinkin in a sesa af calamity where fear breed shadows dat lurks in di daak where people fraid fi waak fraid fi tink fraid fi taak where di present is haunted by di pass a deh soh mi bawn get fi know bout staam learn fi cling to di dawn an wen mi hear mi daddy sick mi quickly pack an tek a trip mi nevvah have noh time when mi reach fi si noh sunny beach wen mi reach jus people a live in shack people livin back-to-back mongst cackroach an rat mongst dirt an dizeez subjek to terrorist attack political intrigue kanstant grief an noh sign af relief o di grass turn brown soh many trees cut doun an di lan is ovahgrown fram country to toun is jus tissel an tawn inna di woun a di poor is a miracle ow dem endure di pain nite an day di stench af decay di clarin sights di guarded affluence di arrogant vices cole eyes af kantemp di mackin symbals af independence a deh soh mi bawn get fi know bout staam learn fi cling to di dawn an wen di news reach mi seh mi wan daddy ded mi ketch a plane quick an wen mi reach mi sunny isle it woz di same ole style di money well dry di bullits dem a fly plenty innocent a die many rivahs run dry ganja planes flyin high di poor man im a try yu tink a lickle try im try holdin awn bye an bye wen a dallah cyaan buy a lickle dinnah fi a fly galang dada galang gwaan yaw sah yu nevvah ad noh life fi live jus di wan life fi give yu did yu time pan ert yu nevvah get yu jus dizert galang goh smile inna di sun galang goh satta inna di palace af peace mi know yu couldn't tek it dada di anguish an di pain di suffahrin di prablems di strain di strugglin in vain fi mek two ens meet soh dat dem pickney coulda get a lickle someting fi eat fi put cloaz pan dem back fi put shoes pan dem feet wen a dallah cyaan buy a lickle dinnah fi a fly mi know yu try dada yu fite a good fite but di dice dem did loaded an di card pack fix yet still yu reach fifty-six before yu lose yu leg wicket ' a noh yu bawn grung here' soh wi bury yu a Stranger's Burying Groun near to mhum an cousin Daris nat far fram di quarry doun a August Town