Thank You for Hearing Me: The Definitive Sinéad O'Connor Discography

“Marcus Garvey”

Composed by Winston Rodney

3 versions

3:28

Throw Down Your Arms album
Throw Down Your Arms” single
Marcus Garvey” promo single

3:29 dub version

Throw Down Your Arms album

1:59 demo

Throw Down Your Arms album

Lyrics

(Source: AllReggaeLyrics.com: Marcus Garvey)

Marcus Garvey words come to pass,
Marcus Garvey words come to pass,
Can't get Ain't got no food to eat,
Can't get Ain't got no money to spend, wo-oh-oh.
Can't get Ain't got no food to eat, mm-mm-mm,
Can't get Ain't got no money to spend, wo-oh-oh.
Come, little one and let me do what I can do for you
And you and you alone.
Come, little one, come, wo-oh-oh,
Let me do what I can do , mm-mm-mm,
For you and you alone, wo-oh-oh.
He who knows the right thing
And do it not
Know the right and do he it not ,
Shall be spanked with many stripes.
Weeping and wailing and moaning,
You've got yourself to blame, I tell you.
Do right, do right, do right, do right, do right, do right,
Do right, do right, do right, do right, do right, do right, a-right, a-right .
I beg you, wo-oh-oh,
Tell you to do right, wo-oh-oh ooh-ooh ,
Beg you to do right, wo-oh-oh.
Where is Bagawire? He's nowhere around,
He can't be found,
First betrayer who gave away Marcus Garvey.
Son of St. Ann Satan , first prophesy.
Catch them, Garvey, wo-oh-oh oh-oh ,
Hold them Marcus, hold them, mm-mm-mm,
Prophecy fulfilled, wo-oh-oh.
Catch them, Garvey, catch them, mm-mm-mm,
Hold them Marcus, hold them, wo-oh-oh,
Marcus Garvey, Marcus, mm-mm-mm.
Mm-mm-mm, hold them, Marcus, hold them.
Prophecy fulfilled.

Notes

Marcus Garvey words:

Marcus Garvey's words

Bagawire:

Or Bag-o-wire. Reportedly Marcus Garvey's chauffeur, who betrayed Garvey and then vanished.

St. Ann:

The Kingston parish from which Marcus Garvey (and Burning Spear) came from. It's easy to hear this as "Satan," which is obviously how Sinéad heard it. Note that it refers to either Marcus Garvey or to Bagawire, depending on how it's interpreted.

Musicians

Dalton Brownie backing vocal
Robbie Shakespeare backing vocal
Source: Throw Down Your Arms

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