Uploaded by IsDePanInMe
SHORTCUT SOCIETY
By Mighty Chalkdust (2001)
When I was a little fellow, and mih mother send me to the shop
For me to hurry home quickly, you know, she would tell me take the shortcut
But when I grew up I felt real sad, I found mihself in a funny spot
Cause I notice throughout Trinidad, all man and woman taking shortcut
To get a passport, everybody taking a shortcut
They don't want to line up, they refuse to stand up
To get a US visa, they telling you plainly
Chalkie, do you know somebody? I got plenty money
And to get a diplomatic passport they going through a shortcut
Just hug up Mister Panday and kiss his tender spot
And you don't need no real election to rule the people
The shortcut is possible, just lie down and sleep with the Devil.
We living in Shortcut Country,
Trinidad is a shortcut society... Ah lie?
When I was a little fellow, taking shortcut was the Golden Rule
We had a special shortcut to follow to take us quickly from home to school
To get a job later on was sorrow, if Daddy didn't know Mister ----
I would be a vagrant all now so, if wasn't for shortcut, boy, I dead
Women used to dolls up their hair to go out on a jig
Now is shortcut hairdressing, they just dash on a wig
Children ent learning tables again like those of yesteryear
They have a shortcut teacher, he name calculator
And the shortest way to be a UNC senator
Forget Panday and stay in little Jack Horner's corner
And if you can't get Duprey to give you 2.5 million election dollars
The shortcut, fellahs, is to burn down Police Headquarters.
We living in Shortcut Country, you see,
Trinidad is a shortcut society.
When I was a little fellow and about to make mih shortcut
Mih grandmother used to warn me, you know, not all shortcut does full up your pot
So when Robinson ban them seven losers, he reminded me 'bout mih grandmother
'Cause Robbie told those seven losers plainly, there's no shortcut to democracy
But still, if you want to get kicked out of NAR and UNC
De shortcut is easy, tell the police they duncey
And if you want to throw 'way money like if it ent exist
There's a shortcut to do this, call a man pseudo racist
And vagrants say the shortest way to get more charity
Is to beg for money in a UNC jersey
And mih partner, Gypsy, jump on a helicopter from the Savannah
He now join the Ministry, he looking for shortcuts already.
We living in Shortcut Country, yes,
Trinidad is a shortcut society.
When I was a little fellow, mih neighbour name Compere Robert
He taking shortcut all where he go till we used to call him Shortcut Robert
Well, Shortcut Robert does remind me of Ramesh Maharaj, the AG
For Ramesh try a shortcut to cut down Robbie
And use a shortcut to hang Dole Chadee...Ah lie?
But still, if you want to get rid of NAR and UNC
The shortcut is easy, tell the police they duncey
Young men ent taking out girls again for dinner exclusively
The shortcut too easy - a breast and thigh from KFC
And Shadow wait thirty years to be the top soca ------
Now Bunji Garlin where he lost, he want to try shortcut
And when I see this beautiful car here, and I can't even afford one
I make a shortcut and make dis kaiso for competition...You see?
We living in Shortcut Country, you see,
Trinidad is a shortcut society... Ah lie?
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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A Note From The Gull
Someday I want to spend some time thinking about emigration as the final "shortcut." It is a difficult subject, especially because there are hundreds of reasons why people feel moved to leave and I would have to put myself under the dissecting knife as well. Some of us left our homeland reluctantly and find ourselves continually asking the question, "Could I have done better for my country by staying?" Is our asking this question a symptom of some misplaced, messianic streak? It is an important question. Having decided that it would be easier [safer] to leapfrog over Trinbago's growth pains into enjoying the fruits of various host countries' more stable environments, we've been leaving in droves for decades and very often among us are the ones who benefited the most from the education system, scholarships and opportunities in our own country.
This observation is absolutely not intended to accuse, or make light of the experiences of, departees who left and are still leaving because of threats of injury or because they are so completely traumatised by actual horrendous injuries suffered in our homeland. For them, staying would be like a shortcut to death. And it is not meant to question any individual's right to go to wherever s/he need to go to to develop her or his talents or live her or his life in peace and safety. It is just a question that not many people want to discuss, neither the ones who leave nor the ones who choose, or have no choice but, to stay.
This observation is absolutely not intended to accuse, or make light of the experiences of, departees who left and are still leaving because of threats of injury or because they are so completely traumatised by actual horrendous injuries suffered in our homeland. For them, staying would be like a shortcut to death. And it is not meant to question any individual's right to go to wherever s/he need to go to to develop her or his talents or live her or his life in peace and safety. It is just a question that not many people want to discuss, neither the ones who leave nor the ones who choose, or have no choice but, to stay.
Thank you, Mighty Chalkdust, for staying.
"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
