Life and Debt Lyrics

Mutabaruka- Life and Debt Lyrics

Dem an' dem economical plan

Still cant find a solution

Borrowin money fe lend

World bank a nuh wi fr'en

Is life an'debt all a wi a fret

Life an' debt freedom not yet

Farmers get a blow

Foreign food suh an'suh

Amerikan farmer get a upper hand

W'ile our farmers goin' one be one

Bank crash..pay slash news flash

Big bway hide 'im stash

Nuh money nuh job

Borrowin money fi lend..

Capitalism a nuh wi fren

Caricom carry gone everyt'ing

Too much importin'debt increase

Country deh pon lease

Politicians a fraud

De people draw bad card

T'ings nuh cool

Dem teck wi fi fool

Gun shot in de street

Blood pon sheet

Sour nuh sweet

But t'ings afi tun

Or a pure fire bunn

Someone will 'ave to pay

Nuh more man out a clay

Nuh more blind faith

Wi need food inna wi plate

Look how long wi a sweat

Too much foreign debt

When one thinks of Jamaica one thing that comes to mind first is music, the legendary Bob Marley and reggae- and with these portraits of music come the stereotype of laid back and happy music and the presumed that if their music is happy then all Jamaicans are happy. But this song does not fit those characteristics- it is realistic and explains the injustices and abuse that the natives recieve in the hands of debt. The following verse, "Capitalism a nuh wi fren, Caricom carry gone everyt'ing, Too much importin'debt increase, Country deh pon lease, Politicians a fraud, De people draw bad card, T'ings nuh cool, Dem teck wi fi fool," shows the anger and disappointment of the people in the capital system that has been pushed on them- the system that keeps them impoverished. And all of the emotions in the song (e.g. sadness, anger, hopelessness...) are similar to the emotions one would feel if they had been violently beaten.