wance upon a time
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jus like inna nursery rime
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before piggy tun swine
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mi did wear
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mi fear
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pan mi face
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like a shiel
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like a mawsk
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an evrybody tink mi cool an deadly
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|
nottn yu coulda seh
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woulda mek mi tek it awf
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an if yu get mi nervos
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ah voulda jus lawf it awf
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an evrybody tink mi cool an deadly
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|
but not soh long ago
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ins like inna pitcha show
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whey di hero get a blow
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mi spirit get vex
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an mi get soh ressless
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dat mi get careless
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an goh bare mi mawgah chess
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|
mi newah indah tink seh
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dat it mek outa glaas
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dat di whole wide worl coulda si
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rite dung to di vien inna mi awt
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ow dem twis-up
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ow dem tie-up
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ow dem tite-up
|
o mi awt
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ow it cut-up
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ow it craw-up
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ow it scar-up
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|
( it is a aad awt fi mawstah yu noe
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dis smilin an skinin yu teet
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wen yu awt sweel-up soh till yu feel it a goh bus
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wen yu cyaan fine di rime fi fit di beat
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wen yu cyan fine di ansah fi di puzzle complete)
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soh mi tek awf mi mawsk
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an staat fi wear daak glaas
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but eyry so awftin
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mi haffi tek it awf
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an evry nowanden
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mi fine mi laas
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oonu evah
|
si mi trial
|
si mi crawsiz ?
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-------------------------------
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With LKJ, it's a lot of work to decipher the lyrics. Here's the best I can make out so far.
|
|
Once upon a time
|
just like in a nursery rhyme
|
before piggy turn swine
|
me did wear
|
for my fear
|
on my face
|
like a shield
|
like a mask
|
an everybody think me cool and deadly
|
|
Nothing you could have said
|
would have make me take it off
|
and if you get me nervous
|
I woulda just laughed it off
|
an everybody think me cool and deadly
|
|
But not so long ago
|
just like in a picture show
|
where the hero gets a blow
|
me spirit gets vexed
|
an me get so restless
|
that me get careless
|
and go bare me mawgah(?) chest
|
|
Me never even think
|
that things are make outta glass
|
that the whole wide world coulda see
|
right down to the feeling in my heart
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how them twist-up
|
how them tie-up
|
how them tight-up
|
oh my heart
|
how it cut-up
|
how it craw-up
|
how it scar-up
|
|
It's a hard act to master you know
|
this smiling and skining your teeth
|
when your heart swell up so till you feel it gonna bust
|
when you can't find the rhyme to fit the beat
|
when you can't find the answer for the puzzle complete.
|
|
So (?) me take off me mask
|
and start for wear dark glass
|
but every so often
|
me have to take it off
|
and every now and then
|
me find me last
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onnu(?) ever
|
see me trial
|
see me crosses?
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|
-----------------
|
Story
|
Linton Kwesi Johnson |