It just would not have sounded the same if Half Pint had sung about 'Sonia' instead of Winsome, but he nearly did. And, very likely, he would not have made it to the top of the charts in 1983.

Lindon 'Half Pint' Roberts had had the topic of the rude girls, who "every man a street you say you waan fe use" as he eventually sang, for sometime. "It was in my mind from 12, 13, 14 years old," he told The Sunday Gleaner. "When I was coming up to 19, 20, 21 I record it at Channel One."

He had been singing the chorus ("girl you too bad, girl you too rude") at dancehall sessions for sometime and put in the additional lyrics at a producer's suggestion.

Growing up

The rhythm had been played by music production duo Sly and Robbie for The Melodians song Come on Little Girl, Yellowman and Peter Metro doing a version of The Girl is Mine on the rhythm. Half Pint's producers were given the rhythm and he recorded Winsome. The first verse amplifies of the behaviour of the rude girl:

"All around town all over the

place

Every man have a picture of your

face

Hey little girl don't you realise

This is a doggone disgrace?"

Growing up in west Kingston, he had seen the behaviour of women who would drop the man they were with as soon as someone 'badder' came along. Still, he says that these were the girls who would also protect him. The late Louise Frazer-Bennett, who was heavily involved in the Sound System Association of Jamaica and Ninja Man's career, knew them as well.

There was one particular woman named Winsome, who fell into the 'rude girl' category, who thought Half Pint was singing specifically about her and approached him. Half Pint denied it, even as he wondered whether she was the person the producer had in mind when he suggested the name change for the song.

Half Pint confirms "that song buss me", even though he had previously recorded Sally in 1982 and had songs such as Money Man Skank and Political Friction around the same time. After Winsome was recorded and hit, Half Pint first performed it in Negril, Westmoreland, at an event called Moonsplash. "It was the first show I performed on outside of the dancehall," Half Pint said. Lloyd Parkes, Home T and Sly and Robbie were also on that show where Half Pints says he was "really highlighted".

He took the house down and, Winsome in tow, has not looked back since.

- Mel Cooke