The Slave - Mighty Sparrow

I’m a slave from a land so far

I was caught

And I was brought here from Africa

I’m a slave from a land so far

I was caught

And I was brought here from Africa

Well it was licks like fire

From de white slavemaster

Everyday I down on knees

Weeks and weeks before we cross de seas

To reach in de West Indies

And den they make me work

Oh yes ah work

Good lord no pay

Ah toil, ah toil

Ah toil, ah toil

So hard each day

I’m dying…

Yeah I’m crying…

Oh…

Oh Lord I wanna be free!

Many times ah wanted to run

But de English slavemaster

Standing dey wit de gun

Oh I know he going to shoot to kill

So ah stay, ah stay and ah pray

But ah planning still

I study night and day how to break away

Ah got to make a brilliant escape

But everytime ah tink 'bout de whip an' dem dogs

Meh body does start to shake

Because dey made me work

Oh yes ah work

Oh good lord no pay

And den ah toil, ah toil,

Ah toil, ah toil

So hard each day

I’m dying…

I’m crying…

Oh…

Oh Lord I wanna be free!

In my heart, there was much to say

Ah always hope de boss

Woulda listen to me some day

Although he knew

My request was small

It was de sting ah the whip there

To answer me when ah call

We had to chant and sing to express our feelings

To dat wicked and cruel man

That was the only medicine to make him listen

And is so calypso began

Oh when dey make you work

Oh Lord you work

Good lord no pay

And den you toil and toil

And toil and toil

So hard each day

I’m dying…

Yeah, oh Lord I’m crying…

Oh…

Oh Lord I wanna be free!

Times have changed in so many ways

Till one day somebody said

«Free de bloody slaves»

I was then put out on the street

Ah got no food, got no clothes

And no place to sleep

I had no education

And no particular ambition

This I cannot conceal

Forgot my native culture

Ah lived like a vulture

From de white boss ah had to steal

He made me work

Oh yes ah work

Oh Lord no pay

Yeah yeah yeah ah toil and toil

And toil and toil

So hard each day

I’m dying…

Oh I’m crying, oh dying…

Oh…

Oh Lord, Lord I wanna be free!