Linton Kwesi Johnson

now watchta mistah man
mi noh like di way yu tan
an yu tan soh too lang yu know man
a meditate yu a meditate pan di same sang soh lang ?
well hear mi man :
mi naw preach
mi naw teach
mi jusa show yu
ow mi seit
caw di trute well sweet
jus like a African beat
like wen yu si whey yu comin fram
like wen yu site whichpawt yu reach
soh mi noh care if yu waan vex
ar even gwaan like yu perplex
mi a goh show yu whey mi si mistah man
yu jus sidoung an fole-up like a cabbidge
like seh yu gat not andahstandin gat no nallidge
like seh yu still noh realise seh a jus di addah day
wi chuck-awf di chokin chains of bandidge
dat in spite a di hateridge an disadvantage
dow wi slip-up an stumble pan di way
wi still reach far doun freedom street
still mindful af di minefields pan di way
soh mi a beg yu mistah man
please come out a yu shell
yu cyaan dwell inna di paas
cat laas fi evah yu know mi bredda
now dat di sun a shine brite
please come out a di doldrums a di daak nite
histri biggah dan mi ar yu know
time cyaan steal but it can heal
soh shake di dew from out yu hed
wipe di cabweb fram yu face
wi gat nuff work fi dhu
far wi nob reach mount zion
yet
yes wi phudung a solid foundaeshan
fi true
an wan an two a wi well a get tru
fi true
but wi still noh bil di new jerusalem yet
di time goin come agen
yu can bet
wen wi a goh march awn agen
yu hear mi fren
mobilise wi women an wi fren dem
agen
even di pickney dem a golb jine een
agen
for freedam is nat noh idealagy
freedam is a human necessity
it cycan depen pan now wan somebody
is up to each an evry wan a wi
mi naw preach
mi naw teach
mi jusa show yu
ow mi seit
caw di trute well sweet
jus like a African beat
like wen yu si whey yu comin from
like wen yu site whichpawt yu reach
soh mi noh gwaan like yu waan vex
or even gwaan like yu perplex
mi jusa show yu whey mi si mistah man