Galang dada

Galang gwwaan yaw sah

Yu nevvah ad noh life fi live

Jus di wan life fi give

Yu did yu time pan ert

Yu nevvah get yu jus dizert

Galang goh smile inna di sun

Galang goh satta inna di palace af peace

O di waatah

It soh deep

Di waatah

It soh daak

An it full a hawbah shaak

Di lan is like a rack

Slowly shattahrin to san

Sinkin in a sesa af calamity

Where fear breed shadows

Dat lurks in di daak

Where people fraid fi waak

Fraid fi tink fraid fi taak

Where di present is haunted by di pass

A deh soh mi bawn

Get fi know bout staam

Learn fi cling to di dawn

An wen mi hear mi daddy sick

Mi quickly pack an tek a trip

Mi nevvah have noh time

When mi reach

Fi si noh sunny beach

Wen mi reach

Jus people a live in shack

People livin back-to-back

Mongst cackroach an rat

Mongst dirt an dizeez

Subjek to terrorist attack

Political intrigue

Kanstant grief

An noh sign af relief

O di grass

Turn brown

Soh many trees

Cut doun

An di lan is ovahgrown

Fram country to toun

Is jus tissel an tawn

Inna di woun a di poor

Is a miracle ow dem endure

Di pain nite an day

Di stench af decay

Di clarin sights

Di guarded affluence

Di arrogant vices

Cole eyes af kantemp

Di mackin symbals af independence

A deh soh mi bawn

Get fi know bout staam

Learn fi cling to di dawn

An wen di news reach mi

Seh mi wan daddy ded

Mi ketch a plane quick

An wen mi reach mi sunny isle

It woz di same ole style

Di money well dry

Di bullits dem a fly

Plenty innocent a die

Many rivahs run dry

Ganja planes flyin' high

Di poor man im a try

Yu tink a lickle try im try

Holdin' awn bye an bye

Wen a dallah cyaan buy

A lickle dinnah fi a fly

Galang dada

Galang gwaan yaw sah

Yu nevvah ad noh life fi live

Jus di wan life fi give

Yu did yu time pan ert

Yu nevvah get yu jus dizert

Galang goh smile inna di sun

Galang goh satta inna di palace af peace

Mi know yu couldn't tek it dada

Di anguish an di pain

Di suffahrin di prablems di strain

Di strugglin in vain

Fi mek two ens meet

Soh dat dem pickney coulda get

A lickle someting fi eat

Fi put cloaz pan dem back

Fi put shoes pan dem feet

Wen a dallah cyaan buy

A lickle dinnah fi a fly

Mi know yu try dada

Yu fite a good fite

But di dice dem did loaded

An di card pack fix

Yet still yu reach fifty-six

Before yu lose yu leg wicket

' A noh yu bawn grung here'

Soh wi bury yu a stranger's burying groun

Near to mhum an cousin Daris

Nat far fram di quarry

Doun a August Town