Mighty Sparrow - Capitalism gone mad, de l'album The greatest, 1983
You got to be a millionaire or some kind of petit-bourgeoisie
Any time you living here in this country
You got to be in skullduggery (1), making your money illicitly
To live like somebody in this country
It's outrageous and insane, them crazy prices in Port of Spain
And like the merchants going out dey brain
And the working man, like he only toiling in vain.
Chorus:
Where you ever hear, a television for seven thousand
Quarter million for lil piece of land
A pair of sneakers - two hundred dollars
Eighty, ninety thousand for motor cars
At last here in Trinidad, we see capitalism gone mad
It's sad and getting more bad because, doudou, capitalism gone mad!
To provide for your family today on your present salary
Is an impossibility in this country
So many bills to pay, there is no conceivable way
To save for a rainy day in this country
Avariciousness to be precise, is why every damn thing so overpriced
Big business making everybody feel
Government give them an open license to steal.
Chorus:
Would you believe me, one nylon panty is nineteen ninety
Twenty dollars for some baby milk
The cheapest jersey cost over sixty
Two hundred and change a yard for silk
It hard here in Trinidad, lord have mercy, capitalism gone mad
It's sad, things getting more bad, oh lord, capitalism gone mad!
To buy a pack of cigarette does leave you with a hole in your wallet
And money is so hard to get in this country
Necessity or luxuries, it doesn't matter what the item is
They charging anything they please in this country
Primary school books prices lewd
Is highway robbery, the price of food
All hopes and dreams elude the poor man
But politicians still expect good work attitude.
Chorus:
Just imagine this, the cheapest coffin over three thousand
Not even dying today easy
Thousands of dollars for the undertakers
So you could get a spot in the cemetery
It hard here in Trinidad, oh lord, capitalism gone mad
The gladness that once we had is gone because capitalism gone mad!
You got to have heavy contact, know how to move up in society
To make any kind of impact in this country
You got to know how to gyp (2) the field
How to scheme and swindle properly
Perfect the art of wheel and deal in this country
I say, survival in this land isn't easy for no man
With unemployment and high inflation
Some of we go dead before the end of this recession.
Chorus:
Wey de hell is dis, a Mango Julie costing three fifty
Forty dollars for one watermelon
Half your salary for fish, meat and poultry
Time you buy greens all your money done.
It hard here in Trinidad, lord, have mercy, capitalism gone mad
It sad and getting more hard, put a hand, lord, capitalism gone mad!
Le calypso, comme toutes les musiques carnavalesques, porte en lui la critique sociale depuis ses origines. L'occasion de rappeler que Francisco Slinger, dit Mighty Sparrow, était un des chanteurs préférés de C.L.R. James.
(1) Filouterie
(2) Duper
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