Old War Chant

(album: Mr. Marley - 1996)

Down in a the ghetto is like old Vietnam
Gun shot a bust with grenade and bomb
First fi survive a fi iron lion
Learn fi trod through great tribulation
Learn to survive off the plantation
Plant up potatoes wi plant up yam
Turn over soil cause food have fi nyam
Satta a mi yard a mi base a mi ranch
Mi saw mouth shotgun and mi gold sixpence
Jus yesterday a man rip off mi fence
And if mi catch him a shhhh silence

Now mi do di guzumbah the Old War Chant
Claim sey mi wanted is what dem want
Fi defend mi life mi bus up some corn
Dead man don't tell tale and that done gone
Jus fi survive man a so man a fi gwan
Wey dem a go do when the real war start
Can't find solution who play the part
Claim sey you bad see how fast you tek off
You use to brag how you kill and laugh
How you wicked and a rip out men heart
Carry dead man gwan thing of a wharf
Well I Jr. Gong a show you say you soft
Now Jr. Gong no matter how you brawd or you big
We naw show respect if you don't love how you live
Everyday you get up you tek on, you naw give
Big up Raggamuffin you respect, him solid
Back to the issue wey wi di a deal wid

Down in a Jamaica is like old Vietnam
Print a di eyes put a destruction
For the simplest thing man a bram bram bram
Man a live them whole life in a police station
Man a sentence fi hang and don't do a wrong
We plant sensimillia and we plant up we yam
And wi turn over soil for food have fi nyam
Satta a mi yard a mi base a mi ranch
Mi saw mouth shotgun and mi gold sixpence
Jus yesterday a man rip off mi fence
And if mi catch him a shhhh silence

Now mi do di guzumbah the Old War Chant
Claim sey mi wanted is what dem want
Fi defend mi life mi bus up some corn
Dead man don't tell tale and that done gone
Jus fi survive man a so man a fi gwan
Now really true I and I positive
Taking up a matter getting inquisitive
A blind man can see the type of life man a live
Yo Raggamuffin you is like a college
Back to the issue wey mi a deal wid

Down in a the ghetto is like old Vietnam
Gun shot a ring with grenade and bomb
First wi survive you have to be a marksman
Learn to bus shot a shot gun out a hand
Learn to survive off the plantation
Plant up potato wi plant up yam
Turn over soil for food have fi nyam
Satta a mi yard a mi base a mi ranch
Mi saw mouth shotgun and mi gold sixpence
Jus yesterday a man rip off mi fence
And if mi catch him a shhhh silence

Now mi do di guzumbah the Old War Chant
Claim sey mi wanted is what dem want
Fi defend mi life mi bus up some corn
Dead man don't tell tale and that done gone
Jus fi survive man a so man a fi gwan
Wey dem a go do when the real war start
Can't find solution who play the part
Claim sey you bad see how fast you tek off
You use to brag how you kill and laugh
How you wicked and a rip out men heart
Carry dead man gwan thing of a wharf
I Jr. Gong a show you say you soft
Now down inna di ghetto wey the poor people live
Due to sufferation some of dem think negative
Give thanks and praises to the life Jah Jah give
The elder done tell you small people get big anyway
Back to the issue wey mi di a deal wid

Down in a the ghetto is like old Vietnam
Gun shot a ring with grenade and bomb
First wi survive you have to be a marksman
Learn to bus shot a shot gun out a hand
Learn to survive off the plantation
Plant up potato wi plant up yam
Turn over soil for food have fi nyam
Satta a mi yard a mi base a mi ranch
Mi saw mouth shotgun and mi gold sixpence
Jus yesterday a man rip off mi fence
And if mi catch him a shhhh silence