Reggae Fi Dada Lyrics - Singles - Linton Kwesi Johnson

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