Dignity

In 1962, an Independence Celebrations Committee planned an elaborate programme of celebrations for Kingston and local committees echoed the plans in parishes. The singing of the National Anthem, "Jamaica Land We Love", was one of the highlights of many a ceremony.

Dear cousin Min, you miss sinting,
You should be ovah yah
Fe see Independence Celebration
Capture Jamaica.
You wan' see how Jamaica people
Rise to de occasion
An destant up demself fe greet
De birt' o' dem new nation!
Not a stone was fling, not a samfie sting,
Not a soul gwan bad an lowrated;
Not a fight bruk out, not a bad-wud shout
As Independence was celebrated.
Concert outa street an lane an park
Wid big-time acks performin',
An we dance outa street
From night till soon o' mornin'.
Fe de whole long mont' o' Augus'
Independence was in prime;
Everyting was Independence ting
Round' Independence time.
Independence pen an pencil,
Cup an saucer, glass an tray;
Down to Independence baby bawn
'Pon Independence Day.
An de Independence light dem
Jus' a-pretty up de night dem
An a-sweeten up de crowd fe
Look an wonder at de sight.
Dere was functions by de tousan'
An we crowd up every one;
From Packy Piece to Macka Town
De behaviour was gran'.
You want see Jane unruly an
Unmannasable gal
Dah-stan up straight an sing out
"Teach us true respek for all!"
Fan lazy bwoy who spen him time
A-kotch up Joe shop-wall,
Serious up him face an' halla
"Stir response to dutys' call!"
Teet' an tongue was all united,
Heart an soul was hans an glove,
fenky-fenky voice gain vigour pon
"Jamaica, land we love".
It was a sight fe cure sore y'eye,
A time fe live fe see
Jamaica Independence
Celebration dignity.
-------------------------------
Dear departed Federation

In 1960 the Jamaica Labour Party declared against Federation as a matter of policy. The People's National Party Leader - N.W. Manley - who was Premier, decided to put the matter to the electorate in a referendum. The J.L.P. slogan "Jamaica yes, Federation no" won the day and Jamaica opted out of the three-year old West Indies Federation in 1961 to go it alone into Independence. Jamaican anxieties and relief (and even confusion) over the whole affair is well caught in this poem- "...de heap 'o boderation, Eena fe we lickle nation, From de start o' yuh duration, Meck we frighten an frustrate".

Dear Departed Federation,
Referendum murderation
Bounce you eena outa space
Hope you fine a restin place.
Is a heavy blow we gi yuh
An we know de fault noh fe yuh
For we see you operate
Over continent an state.
But de heap o' boderation
Eena fe we lickle nation
From de start o' yuh duration
Meck we frighten an frustrate.
A noh tief meck yuh departed
A noh lie meck yuh departed
But a fearful meck we careful
How we let yuh tru we gate.
Fearful bout de big confusion
Bout de final constitution
An Jamaica contribution
All we spirit aggrivate.
An we memba self-protection
All we ears of preparation!
Referendum Mutilation
Quashie start to contemplate!
Beg yuh pardon Federation
Fe de sudden separation
If we sifferin' survive
We acquaintance might revive.
Dear Departed Federation
Beg you beg dem tarra nation
Who done quarrel and unite
Pray fe po' West Indies plight.
----------------------
Obeah win de war

A Jamaican advice to Britain on how to win the war - not by bombs and guns, submarines or propaganda but by obeah (Jamaican witchcraft)! Hitler's racism was well-known to Jamaicans who can be sensitive about the issue "Him (Hitler) really have a heart fe true, Fe want kill naygaman",...

Independence

"Jamaica start smoke pipe, ah hope We got nuff Fackass Rope" (tobacco)

In other words, Jamaica has taken on to herself new responsibility, let's hope we can manage! Independence came to Jamaica on August 6,1962. The true meaning of the new status was not fully grasped by all, but political leaders emphasised hardships to come, the need for work, self-sacrifice, and plenty of training and education (second-to-last stanza).

Independence wid a vengeance!
Independence raisin' cain!
Jamaica start grow beard, ah hope
We chin can stan' de strain!
Wen dog mawga him head big an Wen puss hungry him nose clean
But every puss an dog noh know
Wat Independence mean.
Matty sey it mean we facety
Stan' up pon we dignity,
An we don't allow nobody
Fe teck libarty wid we.
Independence is we nature
Born an bred in all we do
An she glad fe se dat Govament
Tun independant to.
She hope dem caution worl'-map
Fe stop draw Jamaica small
For de lickle speck can't show
We Independantniss at all!
Morsomever we mus' tell map dat
We don't like we position
Please kindly tek we out o' sea
An draw we in de Ocean.
Wat a crosses! Independence Woulda never have a chance
Wid so much boogooyagga
Dah-expose dem ignorance.
Dog wag him tail fe suit him size
An match him stamina,
Jamaica people need a Independance formula!
No easy-come by freeniss tings,
Nuff labour, some privation,
Not much of dis an less of dat
An plenty studiration.
Independance wid a vengeance,
Wonder how we gwine to cope,
Jamaica start smoke pipe, ah hope
We got nuff Jackass Rope!
----------------------------
Bans o' ooman!

On the launching of the Jamaica Federation of Woman for women of all classes - "high and low, miggle, suspended"...

Bans o' ooman! Bans o' ooman!
Pack de place from top to grung
Massa lawd, me never know sey
So much ooman deh a Tung!
Up de step and dung de passage
Up de isle an dung de wall
Not a Sunday-evening
Hope tram
Pack like St. George's Hall.
De ooman dem tun out fe hear
How Federation gwan.
Me never se such different grade an
Kine o' ooman from me bawn.
Full dress, half dress, tidy-so-so
From bare y'eye to square-cut glass,
High an low, miggle, suspended,
Every different kine o' class.
Some time dem tan so quiet, yuh
Could hear a eye-lash drop,
An wen sinting oversweet dem,
Lawd, yuh want hear ooman clap-
Me was a-dead fe go inside
But wen me start fe try,
Oooman queeze me, ooman push me,
Ooman frown an cut dem y'eye.
Me tek me time an crawl out back
Me noh meck no alarm,
But me practice bans o' tactics
Till me ketch up a platform.
Is dat time me se de ooman dem
Like varigated ants,
Dem face a-bus wid joy fe sey,
"At las' we get we chance".
Ef yuh ever hear dem program!
Ef yuh ever hear dem plan!
Ef yuh ever hear de sinting
Ooman gwine go do to man!
Federation boun to flourish,
For dem got bans o' nice plan,
An now dem got de heart an soul
Of true Jamaica ooman
--------------------------
Six Nil

Few sports-loving Kingstonians will care to remember the soccer match between Trinidad and Jamaica in 1947. The latter was no match for the former and score was six nil, with Jamaica "hanging on to the nil".

"Souce" and "Pellow" are two famous Trinidadian dishes.
Six-tree noh good, six-two bad
Six-one wussars still!
Six-four hooda console me heart
But lawd missis, six-nil!
Cho Jamaica too determin,
Tell yuh how dem got strong will!
Trinidad kip awn a-change score
But we heng awn to de nil!
Lawd ha massi, po Jamaica,
As dem go fe kick dem drop,
As dem se a ball dem fall dung
Biff, buff, biddin, buddun, bap.
Wile Trinidad dah-play foot ball,
Dak-kick an pass an gole,
Jamaica dah-play ripe-breadfruit
Dah-drop, an split an roll.
Ef it only was a circus match
Jamaica hooda win,
For dem bwoys can really slip and slide
An teck headers an spin.
But wen it come to football, careful!
How yuh tumble dung!
For is hard fe run an dribble, wid
Yuh belly pon de grung!
Me feel it to me soul-case, for
Me know wha meck dem fall,
Dem bwoy naw pay attention to
Dem duckoonoo an saal.
All dem good banana pot soup
All dem tings fe meck dem strong
Dem cow-foot an flour dumplin,
Dem bulla an serve-me-long.
As yuh look pon Trinidadian
Yuh can se dem don't allow
Not a ting fe come between dem
An dem Souce an dem Pellow.
So Jamaica feed up, for yuh know
'Omuch man yuh wi kill
Ef anada lickle islan
Ever gi oonoo "Six Nil!"

The war brought to Jamaica many refugees from Europe, particularly Gibraltar, and a rehabilitation camp was established at Mona (the present site of the University of the West Indies). Miss Liza, in the quest for status, assimilates some of the speech habits of the foreigners.

Is wha Miss Liza she dah-form,
Dah-gwan like foreigner!
Because her sister husban get
One job up a Mona!
You want hear her cut Spanish, like
She jus come from sea!
So till dem bwoy start fe call her
De dry-lan-refugee!
Toder mornin me go ask her
Wat she tink about de war,
She gi out "Ah tink de war is
Muyee malo me amar".
Me did a-dead fe bus out laugh,
But me tun me y'eye look round',
An as a me one ben deh-deh,
Me dis 'queeze me foot a groun'.
Dis is how she greet me wat day,
"Manana coaraseng,

How is you Granmadre? Ah hope
She keepin muyee beng"
Me go eena her shop, an call
Fe tree gil wut o' saal,
An some oder tings wat come up
To mack-an-tup in all.
Wen she sell me done she say,
"Add dem up sinorita,
For is hard fe intiendeh,
Jamaica diniera!"
Me did know how much it come to,
But me start fe add i' up,
An wen me done me tell her say,
Is jus two bit-an-tup!
De wud never outa me mout'
Before she grab me han
An bawl out pon top o' her voice
Fe tief an policeman!
Is a good ting say de policeman
Was somebody me know,
Leah husban outside darta son
Wha dem call knock-knee Joe.
Wen him ask her how much me owe,
Missis it frighten me,
Fe hear Miss Liza bawl out
"Is shillin an quatty".
So Liza she cant form no more
Pon dis Senorita,
For me know say she undastan'
We Jamaica Patois.