Linton Kwesi Johnson
Reggae Fi Bernard
Wi nevah come fram di same blood-line
But wi pawt kriss-krass an jaine
An alldow wid wananadah
Wi wozn dat familiah
All di same
Wi woz family

Dats why mi a beg pawdn an tek dis libahty
An pudung a couple rime to yu mehmahry

It come een like a jus di addah day
Yu lef school an jaine di railway
Wid nuff ambishan an a fewcha plan
Yu wozn drawin big pay
But yu woz well an yu way
An jus wen yu ready fi staat
Fi goh choo-choo choo-boogie
Train cut yu journey
Shaat

Di day yu get yu laas send-awf
Fram yu bawn-groun
Before dem fly yu bady
Doun to jamdoun
Di sun stay away fram work dat day
An di slate grey january day
A sing a silent dirge
Az daak clouds daat
Inna diffrant direckshan
Callide an canverge
Merge an re-emerge
Inna blustah a emoeshan
Inna di church grey sky
An di rain it a fall inna squal
Like tear-tip arrows
Piercin di awt a di mounah dem
Di baptiss church
It full-up to di brim
Owevah-floty
Pan di steps to di street
Langtime-noh-si family an fren
Meet an greet
Taakin bout yu hayste retreat
Inside mounful vices a sing
Dem familiah bittah-sweet hym
An it is well
It is well
Wid yu soul

Rude boyz bruk doun in tears
Mini skirted girls weep an wail
Dere'z a passi a black an white workaz
Fram british rail
Yu calleeg dem fram yu shaat workin years

An dere woz testimony awftah testimony
Fram yu age mate dem
Punctuated by spantaneous applauz
Bout ow yu did tall an slim an good lookin
Wid yu lang chin an yu captivatin grin
Bout yu kineness
Bout yu carin
Bout yu tautfulness
Bout ow big an ow broad in love yu woz
Up to now wi still noh get noh prapah explanaeshan
No witnis at di stayshan no police investigaeshan
As to ow yu get fi en up pan di wrang side a
Di track
Ow yu face get fi tun fram front to back
An a who yu did a taak to pan yu mobile
Dem jus call it hacksident an close yu file

Jamdoun woz yu true dream i-lan
Noh deh soh yu did a plan
Fi mek yu final destinaeshan
Now yu dream come tru an yu touch doun
Hashis to hashis
Dus to dus
Inna sent eluabet sile