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Rasta John (14) [Version One]

from The Black Fruit by Anthony Leonard Pierre

/

lyrics

RASTA JOHN - 14

Com’ Wi guh doung a’ - Jubilee
Young Gyal a have baby … com’..!
LA~A~AWD Sis’ta Jane
A’mem’ba when
Sister Jane
used to get [a’ one visit
from ... Brother John]
get visits
[from - so-cal’ Raaas~ta John]
Him ... Him - box cross de’way
[pon wyan street
doung suh] ... ‘Im is a
Rude-Sweet-Bad-Bwoy
all ov’a Town an’ Kuntry ..!

One day
Him com’ sey
[HIM - A DEFEND - PUSSIE~E~e~e]
som’ ... som’a Sister Jane’s
sweet, young and ju~icy [PUSSY]
after - de’talking and de’charming - and
de’whole heap’a promises ...
She give in -- [oh mamma~me~mia!]
and after a’ few times
VISITING [DE’PUSSY]
Pickney, wan’fe com’ - born
[WHAT - A - AGONY!]
Mi sey ... hoyiee
anywhey yuh si Rudy - ‘Im sweet, sexy-sweet ..!
Pretty-Bwoy … Natty Dreadie ..!

Dem sey
every day - bucket - [a’guh’a well]
one day
de’bottom - MUS’ [dropout]
an’wha’ gwan a’bush
one day
a’guh [com’ a-light]
come ALIVE

suh Pickney
[com’ born]
hog - [meck yu’r mouth long suh?]
dog - [nyam yuh sup’pa!]
Sister Jane an’ de’Pickney - A’ SUF’FA
[LA~A~AWD - WHAT - A - AGONY!]
is agony, agony pon de’Momma
an’ She Pickney
so-so agony in de’city.


Not because She live
inna “de’Ghetto”
[why ... She CAN’T ... PROVIDE]
but mouth fe feed
[nappy fe buy
medicine - a’ necessity]
an’ nobody nuh ‘ave work
[fe Sister Jane]
for dem sey
She jus’ ‘ave - [Young Baby]
suh Sister Jane, tu’n
[POOR - SISTER - JANIE~E~e~e]
is agony, agony pon de’Momma
an’ She Pickney
so-so agony in de’city.


HIM - RASTA JOHN
claim sey Him ha’fe - [trod-on]
Pickney
couldn’t b’ - [fe de’Dready]
worst of all
Him refuse - [fe mine … ‘IT’]
a’nuh de’Mommie~e
yuh nuh
[a’de poor ... helpless
likkle Pickney
not a’ cent
fe’min’ … ‘IT’.]
com’ Wi guh doung a - Jubilee
Young Gyal a have baby … com’ ..!

But - when Him did’a
get - Him ‘fun’ - [a’bus’up gum]
if She did ever say
She’a take de’pill
[or dem other kin’a - t’ings]
Him - Rasta John
[the all-righteous Wyan]
wou’da b’ de’fus’
to screw face
[“wrinch-up” Himself and]
an’a sey
Him’a fight ‘gainst - [white-pill
whe’a destroy - Blackman’s Seed]
but now - [story UP ... to bump]
DE’SEED TU’N PICKNEY
Ras-ta John - [not even consider
fe min’ … ‘IT’.]


Rasta John
a’wyan hustler yuh know
get few dollars
[from ganja smugglin’]
some from
[d. j. talkin’]
sometimes
[a’ - robbin’ an’ lootin’]
name it -- [Rasta John, inna it]
but ... a’ mis’ta clarks an’ the tailor-bwoy
doung de’street
[who’a gettin’ de’doney - yuh know!]
‘cause Rasta John
Him - more interested
in lookin’ - [trash an’ ready]
dan in de’welfare
[of Him Pickney]
nuh clothes
[pon de’back]
no likkle baby shoes
[nuh cover de’tiny feet]

Rasta John
neat and tidy
[well ready]
Freddy like Dready
[steppin’ high and mighty]
HIGH - AND - MIGHTY
com’ Rudy - We ... one an’ all
are-a depending - pon You
‘tan-‘teady ... meck Pickney an’ Mommy
com’ lean pon Yuh ... seen.

I forget to tell yu - [‘bout]
Mary, Sonia an’ Maxine
[Elaine and Pam]
down - [the OTHER LANES]
Brother John
defending, [DEFENDING PUSSY]
sweet talk, sweet talk - [SWEET TALKING the Sisters]
an’ de’Sisters
believe, believe - [BELIEVING]
suh ... “de’Ghetto~o~o” is a place
whe’ lot’a PICKNEY STARVING and
WOMEN BAWLING
“de’Ghetto~o~o” is a place
whe’ lot’a PICKNEY STARVING and
WOMEN BAWLING
“If A’ave Mi life fe live all over ..!”
“LA~A~AWD help Mi ... if A’ had
Mi~life~fe~live~all~over AGAIN!”
She cries, She cries and She cries
[SISTERS CRYING]
Their Babies hungry
and [SOMETIMES DYING]
the “GHETTOS” OVER POPULATED
but still [A - LONELY - CITY]
while Rasta John
Him look
[NEAT AND TIDY]
Mi sey
de’Bwoy
[TRASH AN’ READY.]


‘Im is a
Rude-Bwoy, Sweet-Bwoy, Bad-Bwoy
all ov’a Town an’ Kuntry ... is a
cho Rudy/Youtiee
nuh meck de’shit~stem leads Yuh astray
‘tan-‘teady ... meck Pickney an’ Mommy
com’ lean pon Yuh ...
Rude ... Sweet-Bad-Bwoy ..!


LA~A~A~AWD Sis’ta Jane
A’mem’ba when
Sister Jane
used to get [a one visit
from … Brother John]
get visits
[from so-cal’ … Raaas~ta John]
Him ... Him - box cross de’way
pon wyan street
doung suh
pon wyan street
doung suh ...
com’ Wi guh doung a - Jubilee
Young Gyal a have baby … com’..!

credits

from The Black Fruit, released May 15, 2015

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Anthony Leonard Pierre Durham, North Carolina

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