Folk Songs
Before Me Married
Before me married an go hug up mango tree
Me we live so me one
Before me married an go hug up mango tree
Me we live so me one
A jus month before las de gal Liza married
An she magha yu see
Everynight a she one deh a yard
She nuh see im till daylight
An poor Liza, er husband nuh give er a cent
An she ha fe pay de rent
She ha fe fine money fe buy food and clothe
An fe mine di pickney Rose
Me say before mi married an go bite me finga
Me we live so me one
Me say before mi married an go bite me finga
Me we live so me one
Me say before mi married an go bite me finga
Me we live so me one
Me say before mi married an go bite me finga
Me we live so me one
Bad Mind People
Chorus: I don’t know, I don’t know why some people bad minded so
I don’t know, I don’t know why some people bad minded so
If you hol’ yuh head in de air dem sey you fasty and fresh me dear
And if yu friendly wid dem mi love, dem sey a dry yaws yu waan fi scrub
If yu got nuff money fe spen, dem sey a tief yu tief it an den,
If yu bruk and out a yu luck, dem sey a witless whey mek yu bruk
If yu single and by yu self, bad minded people sey yu pan shelf
And if yu married yu mek big catch, or else de two a oono no match
If yu fat an yu looking well, bad minded people sey yu da swell
An if yu maga and looking t’in, dey sey consumption a ride yu skin
If yu dress up and wear good clothes, bad minded people sey yu a pose
And if one day yu no change yu frok, dem call yu poting and naked back
If yu go church a Sunday time, dem sey a axe yu da try fe grind
And if yu stay home an take a rest, dem sey poor hypocrite im a confess
Chorus: I don’t know, I don’t know why some people bad minded so
I don’t know, I don’t know why some people bad minded so
A Weh Yu Ben Deh
A weh yu ben deh gal, mek me no get nuh tea
A weh yu ben deh gal, mek me no get nuh tea
Me go a gully, me go a gully
Me go a gully, mek yu no get no tea
A weh yu go fa gal, mek me no get nuh tea
A weh yu go fa gal, mek me no get nuh tea
Me go fe wata, me go fe wata
Me go fe wata, mek yu no get no tea
Wah mek yu tan long gal, wen yu go a gully
Wah mek yu tan long gal, wen yu go a gully
Me cyan talk a tall, me cyan talk a tall
For weh me go do i’ sweeter dan de tea
Mango Time
Me no drink cawfee tea, mango time
Care how nice it maybe, mango time
At de height of de mango crop
When de fruit dem a ripe an drop
Wash yu pot, tun dem down, mango time
Mek we go mango walk, mango time
Far its only de talk, mango time
Me we jump pon de big jackass
Ride him dung an tap a pass
For de bankra mus full, mango time
Turpentime large an fine, mango time
Robin mango, so sweet, mango time
Number eleven and hairy skin
Pack de bag an a ram dem in
Mek de bes a de crop, mango time
Me no drink cawfee tea, mango time
Care how nice it maybe, mango time
At de height of de mango crop
When de fruit dem a ripe an drop
Wash yu pot, tun dem down, mango time
When Goat Meat Done
When goat meat done, den a weh curry da go do
When goat meat done, den a weh curry da go do
Curry cook de meat, curry cook de bone, cook de goat skin too
Curry cook de meat, curry cook de bone, cook de goat skin too
When goat meat done, den a sheep meat we ha fe do
When goat meat done, den a sheep meat we ha fe do
Curry cook de meat, curry cook de bone, cook de sheep skin too
Curry cook de meat, curry cook de bone, cook de sheep skin too
When Mary gawn, den a weh Charlie da go do
When Mary gawn, den a weh Charlie da go do
Mary cook de food, Mary wash de clothes, stretch a dollar mek two
Mary cook de food, Mary wash de clothes, stretch a dollar mek two
When Mary gawn, den Charlie wi look fe Sue
When Mary gawn, den Charlie wi look fe Sue
And i’ Sue should go, dere is always Flo, Sarah, Jane and Lue
And i’ Sue should go, dere is always Flo, Sarah, Jane and Lue
When Mary gawn, den a weh Charlie da go do
When Mary gawn, den a weh Charlie da go do
Dip an Fall Back
Chorus: Dip an fall back, dip an fall back
My advice there is nothing nice
Like the dip an fall back
Now when the war was ovah an everything was scare
An man was experimenting wid tings to fill dem space
We had a lot of food, but de meat was out a stock
So to get a blen, we recommend de dip an fall back
Some people call it ‘dasheen’, some call it ‘fill mi up’
Some call it ‘rock an fall back’ but mi call it ‘full mi gut’
But how di ting so sweet, and how it mek yu fat
Jus buy a tack an larn fe cook de dip an fall back
Yu get a shad or herring, an put it dung fi soak
Get a bone dry coconut, yu doan need no pork
Yu grater dung de coconut, an put it on fe bwile
Till de custard start sekkle dung pan de coconut ile
Now yu tek de shad or herring, an put in on fe steam
Wid de peppa, tomatis, skellion until it form a cream
Now stew beef or mackerel, herring, pork or sprat
Can be so sweet, when yu start fe eat de dip an fall back
Yu crush de bwile banana an yu eat it wid de dip
Get a mug a bebrige an so yu dip yu sip
And if de war should come yah, an bum begin fed rap
A would a face a tank or a long range gun fi mi dip an fall back
Mass John sey ‘tek mi lan, tek mi mule and tek mi dray
Tek mi married wife an me tree sweetheart away
Tek away mi house an tek way mi burial spot
But don’t skylark or a bus yu head
Fi mi dip an fall back.
Mi Caffi
Chorus: Mi caffi, mi caffi, mi caffi, mi caffi
Mi bowl a bwiling caffi in de mawning
I cares for none a dese, de only ting for me
Is mi bowl a bwiling caffi in de mawning
Some people likes de chaaclet
Some people likes de tea
Some people drinks sugar an water
An some de lemonade
But I cares for none a dese
De only ting for me
Is mi bowl a bwiling caffi in de mawnin
At de sunrise I gets up
Every mawnin dry or wet
So as nevah to be lated
For de work I had to do
I generally says mi prayers but sometimes I forgets
But mi always drinks me caffi in de mawnin
Sometimes I has it gran
Wid mi ackee an saltfish
Me yellah heart breadfruit
Ripe pear an coconut ile
But wah me mine does gi mi fah
More betta dan de res
Is me caffi wid a gil bread in de mawnin
I is a ole woman now
An does often punish hard
But I has seen mi good days
An I mus satisfy
I can still hole togeda
An still praise de lawd
If only a gets mi caffi in de mawnin
Win de Sweepstake
Chorus: Win de sweepstake, win de sweepstake
Every murmur was do me lawd, me a win de sweepstake
Me go a Knutsford Park on de las big sweepstake day
Me nevah really know dat some people could a pray
But when de horse dem line up an de drum begin fi roll
Every murmur was do me lawd, mek a win de sweepstake
One woman buy one ticket and carry go a obeah man
She sey Massa Herman me wan yu fe undastan
Me wan fi win de sweepstake so me come before it late
A gi yu half or non at all if a win de sweepstake
Mass Herman tek de ticket an push i in a wall
Im sey fe forty-one day yu nuh fe eat at all
Eat a farthin fine salt every mawnin as yu wake
Drink nuh wata eat notin at all an yu win de sweepstake
De Ribba Ben Come Dung
De ribba ben come dung, de ribba ben come dung
De ribba ben come dung and me couldn come ova
Chorus: Wah oh, wah oh, wah oh an how you come ova
Me look in a de wata, me look in a de wata
Me look in a de wata, see grangi, grange
Me get piece a dealboard, me get piece a dealboard
Me get piece a dealboard me trow i pan de wata
Me jump pan de dealboard, me jump pan de dealboard
Me jump pan de dealboard, me jump pan de banking
Chorus: Wah oh, wah oh, wah oh an how you come ova
Me glad yu come ova, me glad yu come ova
Me glad yu come ova de dutty wata
Wah oh, wah oh, wah oh, me glad yu come ova.
Rio Grande
I was raftin on de Rio Grande oho
Me an me Uncle Benjie oho
We buck pan one big rock stone
An de raft tun ova o
Oho! Oho! Oho!
When yu raffin on de Rio Grande oho!
Don’t go wid Uncle Benjie oho!
For him buck pan one big rock stone
An de raft tun ova o
Oho! Oho! Oho!
Guava Root
Guava root a medicine
Guava root a medicine
Guava root a medicine
Fi go cure de young gal feva.
Courtesy of JCDC