BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – Although quite a few calypsos reek with humour and with innuendos that often suggest naughty sexual overtones, many play serious roles in recording the culture of a country and the folk therein, or their singers set out to guide a country along an uplifting moral pathway.
Here are the lyrics of two such calypsos that were sung in 2007:
GONE, DEM CHARACTERS GONE
By
‘Scientist’
Where are the old characters
Who gave colour to this land?
They were the ones who keep us going
When Bata was a big brand
TV was just a concept
Radio was for the rich
But this town
Had people to go around
Remember freyco DULDAL
With his apron tie round he waist?
Duldal ice was de coldest
And he syrup had the best taste
When he wagon bells start ringing
We drop we can cup and we start running
To get a penny freyco from Duldal
We had to race
Gone, gone, gone
He left long ago
But he memory must go on
Before fridge and icebox
Was on the spot
He was there for us
But now he’s not
The man gone, gone, gone
Where are the sweet old people
We could stand up and listen to?
Men like Andre, the local prophet
And my sweet ‘DO UNTO DO’
If they were perilous days for Andre
Well, what would he call today?
I don’t know
But he went when he had to go
Remember Frankie BUZZARD
He will drink his sunshine away
If you call him drunk he correct you
It is ‘Bacchus on the brain’
He will tell you about you mother
Or maybe you sisters too
And in a sober time he will sing
that sweet refrain
Gone, gone, gone
He was a soldier
But his duty call him on
He loved to drink
but it made him weak
In his latter days
he could barely speak
The man gone, gone, gone…
The late great Frankie gone, gone
Where are the local doctors
With they wonderful remedies
Their college it was in St. Kitts
They had ‘tammon tree’ degrees
They will mix us compelling powder
Or fix up some ‘stick to me’
And you man will never ever be free!
Remember ‘SWEET GARBOLEE’
They call him the ‘Dumpling Man’
If you boyfriend get a ‘garbo dumpling’
He must become you husband
And those in Nevis and Monkey Hill
Will be trying to be like him
But Garbo was best of all
For he was …….
Gone, gone, gone
He was tired
But his work on earth was done
If Garbo dumpling was still for sale
HIV and AIDS woulda ketch dey tail
Dem dey gone, gone, gone
©Scientist
****
2
RIGHTEOUSNESS EXALT A NATION
by
QUANTASH
Now listen, people of this Land,
May I have your attention?
Stop what you are doing
And take a look at the horizon
Oh yeah, now look carefully
Then tell me what do you see
If I am not mistaken,
I see a sign of misery
Now there is a darkness
Shadowing our land
From all the madness
That we have going on
With this growing crisis
Our lives are adrift
No moral principle in this land
Today still exist
Remember this
Righteousness exalt a nation
It’s time to be sanctified
And reach out for salvation
Righteousness exalt a nation
You better turn from your wicked intention
These petty political confusion
Causing hatred for each other
While so many young men up and down
With they trigger happy finger
Just look at these problems
That we are now facing
It’s so sad and frightening
The wild west operation
Is fast becoming out of hand
We quick to bawl that
The Christian Council sleeping
And they need a spiritual awakening
But when a crime take place
Eye witness don’t want
To say nothing, nothing
Now why can’t we work along
With the police, tell me
We could help solve crime
and maintain the peace, but no,
We rather see and blind
And hear and deaf
In a matter of time
You might be next for viciousness…
- maliciousness
They gone wild and rampant
throughout my land
If you really want to be blessed,
we got to bring back some godliness,
Oh yes!
Righteousness exalt a nation
Living in a land
Where you find there’s no vision
The people will perish
And surely go down in destruction
For this land to last
We really have to move fast
Only prayer could help us
It’s not too late to make a start
Slow down, give the wild life
And party a break
Control your sexual desires
Before it’s too late
And let fidelity
Reign in our country
Sexual promiscuity causing
Too much a tragedy
Heaven help we!
Righteousness exalt a nation
It’s time to be sanctified
And reach out for salvation
Righteousness exalt a nation
You better turn from your wicked intention
These petty political confusion
Causing hatred for each other
While so many young men up and down
With they trigger happy finger
Just look at these problems
That we’re now facing
It’s so sad and frightening
We’re weeping and mourning
The death toll by gunshot rising
We quick to bawl that
The Christian Council sleeping
And they need a spiritual awakening
But when a murder take place
Eye witness don’t want
To say nothing, nothing
Now why can’t we work along
With the police, tell me
We could help solve crime
and maintain the peace, but no,
We’d rather see and blind
And hear and deaf
But in a matter of time
You might be next for viciousness…
- maliciousness -
They gone wild and rampant
throughout my land
But if you really want to be blessed
You have to bring back some godliness
Oh yes
Righteousness exalt a nation
Lord, heal our Land
Give us a sense of direction
Grant us the knowledge and wisdom
For things we don’t understand
When we fail to trust
The one who died for us
Don’t wait on politicians
The time is so unjust
Remind all them preachers
To practice what they preach
Warn them the Creator
He neither slumbers nor sleeps
He knows all your actions
Every right every wrong
Every word that proceeds
outa your mouth written down
So watch you tongue!
Righteousness exalt a nation
It’s time to be sanctified
And reach out for salvation
Righteousness exalt a nation
You better turn from your wicked intention
Remind all them lesbian and homo
About Sodom and Gomorroh
We can’t afford to perish so
Like back in de days of long ago
This is what we call
A Christian society
Living so ungodly
Man going to bed with man
While woman turning lesbian
We quick to bawl
That the Christian Council sleeping
And they need a spiritual awakening
But when a murder take place
Eye witness don’t want
To say nothing, nothing
Now why can’t we work along
With the police, tell me
We could help solve crime
and maintain the peace, but no,
We’d rather see and blind
And hear and deaf
But in a matter of time
You might be next for viciousness…
- maliciousness -
They gone wild and rampant
throughout my land
But if you really want to be blessed
You have to bring back some godliness
Oh yes
Righteousness exalt a nation.
© Quantash
In years to come, much will be learnt of the fabric of our nation from these creative songsters.
