A powerful lament from the brilliant Mighty Sparrow.

SLAVE

I`m a slave from a land so far
I was caught and was brought here from Africa
Well it was licks like fire from the white slave master every day ah down on me knees
And it took weeks and weeks before we cross the seas
To reach to the West Indies.

CHORUS
And then you work and work and get no pay
Toil and toil so hard each day
I`m dying....I`m crying....
Oh Lord oh.....
Oh Lord I want to be free.

Many times I wanted to run
But the English Slave Master standing there with his gun
Oh I know he would shoot to kill
So I stayed and prayed but I planning still
I studied night and day how to get away
Ah got to make a brilliant escape
But every time I think bout the whip and them dogs
Me body does start to shake.

In my heart there was much to say
And I hope that the boss would listen to me some day
Though he knew my request was small
Twas a sting whip that will answer me when I call
We had to chant and sing to express our feeling
To that wicked and cruel man
That was the only medicine to get them to listen
And it`s so Calypso began.

Times had changed in so many ways
Till one day someone said free the bloody slaves
I was then put out in the street
Got no food, got no clothes, got no place to sleep
I had no education, no particular ambition
This I cannot conceal
Forgot my native culture I live like a vulture
From the white boss I had to steal.

Lyrics are Sparrow`s from his book "One Hundred and twenty calypsoes to remember".
Several different *The Slave* musical performances are posted on YouTube.

GJ