New Portrait of Trinidad [Song]

Uploaded by grjoseph
NEW PORTRAIT OF TRINIDAD
By Black Stalin (1972)

Now, people clap their hand, people felt so glad
When Sniper paint the Portrait of Trinidad
But look around today, your eyes may get sore
What Sniper said we have, it down here no more
When a man say we not what we used to be
Doh care how much it hurt, but one must agree
From 1965 to now we are no more great
Our country has vastly deteriorate.

No more are our students ranked among the best
No more are our scholars passing every test
But dropping out from school every day in this island
No money to continue their education
Our Pitch Lake is the greatest the world has seen
Yet roads here are the worst in the Caribbean
So don't bow down yuh head, brother, don't feel sad
I'm only painting a new portrait of Trinidad.

Regardless of of your colour, your class or race
Long ago down here you must find an equal place
We had our crime and our delinquent problem
But like any other country that we had then
Those days when on we people run dey mouth
Sniper ask them wey the hell dat they talking 'bout
But nowadays when they talk we can't say they lie
Our delinquent and crime problem has gone sky high
Every day you pick up your newspaper
You could read they hold some youth for marijuana
Shooting and tiefing is really disgusting
That I shame to admit that this thing happening
With revolution and race talk my country is filled
Today I live under a Sedition Bill
I'm only conscious of my place and not going mad
And painting over the portrait of Trinidad.

Foreigners who return and visit our island
Is shock at our present situation
This same man had invited his wife to come
To see Tobago and drink our local rum
Those were the days when doh care whether big or small
Whether rich or poor, we catered for one and all
But nowadays the thing change up entirely
Is you see about you and I see 'bout me
Now in Tobago them fishermen dying with grief
No more they taking tourist to Buccoo Reef
And if you ask them why, they go tell you flat
Is them big hotel owners controlling that
Even the Scarlet Ibis bird that they had around
On Buccoo Reef they start dying out one by one
I'm only conscious of my place and not going mad
And painting over the portrait of Trinidad.

Extra verse sung in another version:

By Sniper's portrait of this Country
Let your kids know how Trinbago used to be
It is their land too so you let them know
That you want here to come back just like long ago
And if you 'fraid to say, then tell them I say
In this task let no obstacle stand in their way
The struggle may be long, yes, it may be hard
But let's restore the old portrait of Trinidad.

Source: The lyrics posted on this blog are often transcribed directly from performances. Although it is my intention to faithfully transcribe I do not get all the words and I have a knack for hearing the wrong thing. Please feel free to correct me or to fill in the words that I miss by dropping me a message via e-mail. I'd be forever grateful. Thanks in advance!
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"Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.

Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.

Mweh ka allay!
Guanaguanare