What Consciousness? [Song]

Uploaded by IsDePanInMe
WHAT CONSCIOUSNESS?
By Black Stalin

People keep telling me over and over
Black people are now conscious of their colour
But I may be blind, boy, without a doubt
But where's this consciousness they talking about?
The ignorant black man of yesterday
Is the same foolish black man I see today
Wearing afro and dashiki gown, that is fine
But changing your clothes doesn't change your mind

For a black man may tell a black woman, Morning
She may not answer, so the man start cussing
It may be your aunt, sister or your mammy
But the first thing he tell she is she black and ugly
Have you seen a white or a Chinee man
On any corner in town heckling his woman?
If they call that consciousness, you let them know
That they still got a very long way to go.

......... so I talking plain
The things my people down here making me shame
Now they claim they want to regain old inheritance
But how they going about it got we in a monkey pants
African man and woman are really proud people
They proud in almost anything they do
But what it is going here, I now understand
They only mimicking the true African.

They say, doh call them negro, call dem African
So a man plait he hair and walk out like woman
And a woman, she put on an African dress
But raise she headtie and see that she hair still press
Now the dress is African identity
But the press hair is European mentality
If they call that consciousness, you let them know
That they still got a very long way to go.

To get a job, a man go through so much pain
But the first pay he gets, he goes and buy a chain
Now the chain 'round the neck of that Trinidadian
Reminds him of the days in the plantation
And a woman, she would take cash money in hand
Walk in a jewellery store and buy a slave band
If they call that consciousness, you let them know
They still have a very long way to go.

Respect your colour that is all good too
And it should be uphold anywhere you go
Adore your women, doh care what they be
Then and only then will other people respect she
I say, learn your history and spread it around
For knowing your history is what makes you strong
For you know that to be called an African
........ must be called a man

Then go out and find yourself a religion
A religion that is truly African
And another thing I see we need down here bad
Is an African Center in Trinidad
To learn a language like Vye[?] or like Swahili
So black people could converse independently
When these things are done, then I'll turn and say
That my people have really come a long way

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

Thank you, Black Stalin.

"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