Now dis one...is a special dedication,
To all deh man dem inna riker's island,
Cocoa tea and nardo rankin', mon.
Now cocoa tea, come sing out!
The first time the youth, come a new york,
Them tell the youth, you must'nt skylark,
Learn a trade or go to school,
And don't you turn yourself in a fool.
Well now him gone, a riker's island,
He never wan' go a riker's island.
Co-co-come now!
Me me me, no no like, riker's island. come now!
Me me me, no no like, riker's island. come now!
Me me me, no no like, riker's island.
Nuff mon, been to riker's island, know for deh first time,
Look 'pon dem snickers an' a seh dat a mine,
And a bwoy round and back and him a watch you behind,
But if a bwoy try a thing you know him a gone get blind,
An deh mon deh mean, rasta know dem no kind,
Me talkin' to deh youth know a pon deh front line,
But workin' nine-to-five an' everyting will be fine.
That's right!
Me me me, no no like, riker's island. come now!
Me me me, no no like, riker's island. yuh hear?
Me me me, no no like, riker's island. come now!
Me me me, no no like, riker's island. co-co-come now!
Now him gone, a riker's island,
He never want go a riker's island,
And now him gone, a riker's island.
The first place you go a me seh a deh precinct,
And little after dat, you gone a central booking,
An' a deh so dem do all o' deh fingerprinting,
Interrogatin', an' deh picture taking,
As you go through deh gate you look up in deh ceiling,
An a right deh so you get all of deh bad feeling,
And you start to ball, and you start deh cryin',
And a lickle after dat you know a pure suffering.
That's right!
Now him gone, a riker's island,
He never want go a riker's island,
Now him gone, a riker's island,
Mmmm, oy.
Come now!
Dem used to chuck it, from brooklyn to bronx,
And a gwarn like a big top ranks,
But nuff a him government response,
'cause him gone, a riker's island,
He never want go a riker's island.
Co-co-come now!
Queen's mon dem inna riker's island,
An' deh brooklyn mon dem inna riker's island,
An' deh, bronx mon dem inna riker's island,
An' deh, manhattan mon dem inna riker's island,
Now want you, listen me good, know and an' understand,
'ca tell dem mr. nardo na fight 'gainst no one.
But is a mix multitude dey in a riker's island, doa!
Beca' deh youth dem in a cell block one,
And inna c21 know you must understand,
And dey h.d.m. mon dem now come sing along,
You have deh puertorican, an' deh jamaican,
And deh barbajan, and deh columbian,
But we really never fi'get all deh, american.
That's right!
Me me me, no no like, riker's island. come now!
Me me me, no no like, riker's island. yuh hear?
Me me me, no no like, riker's island. come now!
Me me me, no no like, riker's island. co-co-come now!
The first time deh youth come a new york,
Dem used to tell him you don't skylark,
Learn a trade or go to school,
And don't you make no one take you for fool.
But now him gone, a riker's island,
Yes him gone, a riker's island.
Dey used to chuck it from brooklyn to bronx,
And a gwarn like dem most top ranks,
But 'nuff a him government response,
Yes him gone a riker's island.
Come now!
Me me me, no no like, riker's island. come now!
Me me me, no no like, riker's island. yuh hear?
Me me me, no no like, riker's island. come now!
Me me me, no no like, riker's island. co-co-come now!
Me seh the first place you go a me seh a deh precinct,
An' little after dat you gonna central booking,
An' a deh so dem do all deh fingerprinting,
Deh interogating, and deh picture taking.
As you go through the gate you look up at in deh ceiling,
And a right away you get all of deh bad feeling,
And a so you really know say your life is flashing,
A so me know seh your sentence begin,
All a de youth dem now keep listening.
[fade]
