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From Omowale Pan-African Library, posted by Dwayne Wong (Omowale)

Massa Day Done, a calypso on American power abroad

Dwayne posted this calypso by The Mighty Gabby to his channel. He does not speak in it. Watch it on his channel, where the comments are.

“Massa Day Done” is a calypso by The Mighty Gabby. The song runs through a chain of American actions around the world.

It opens with the Mayflower, the Six Nations, the killing of the buffalo and the spread of disease, then the bombing of Grenada. It names Saddam, Gaddafi and Noriega, the war in Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh, the invasion of Nicaragua, the hold on Cuba, and the treatment of O.J. Simpson. It says every Black man who stands straight and strong is shot down, naming Martin Luther King and Muhammad Ali. It says Trinidad was tricked into signing an agreement, which it calls a recolonization, when Bill Clinton came.

The refrain answers each verse: “Massa Day Done.”

Transcript

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Transcribed by We Them Media from the audio Dwayne posted, with his permission. Speaker letters mark turns, as the model separated them.

These are the speakers’ own words. We have not checked their claims.

0:21AThey sell the Mayflower to the secret Indian plane. They submit the Six Nations, these old teas really went insane. Move all them European cities to the people’s country as they please. Kill out all the Indian buffalo while spreading disease, disaster, and woe. But tell them no more, no more. It is time to settle the score. The sun have the night on the run. Massa Day Done, massa day done, massa day done. Better let Mary come for me. She is too much of a believer. Massa Day Done, massa day done. America, ma sœur d’ascenseur. Massa Day Done. They drop their bombs like flies all over spicy Grenada.

1:42AQuiet Saddam Gaddafi and lock up Noriega. They try the trick in Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh nearly killed poor Uncle Sam. They then invade Nicaragua and put their big foot down on Cuba. But tell them no more, no more. It is time to The devil is good, he’s unhappy, night won’t be rent. Massa Day Done, massa day done, massa day done. You tell her Mary come for me, she don’t own the Caribbean Sea. Massa Day Done, massa day done, America must own your son. Massa Day Done. They get and treat poor O.J. Simpson as they like. We know he win the war, but they certainly win the fight.

3:01AThey did the same to Martin Luther King, Muhammad Ali. Every black man who stands straight and strong, America make sure she shot him down. Pants are brown, they’re lovely. In the jail, an unfair incarceration snatches freedom from an innocent man. Even though Massa Day Done, Massa Day Done, Massa Day Done. You tell America for me, she is too much of a bully. Massa Day Done. Somebody tell them go and try that boy going after to see if he could be a first-class pocket ship rider. They know already Trini get tricked. They get the boys to sign the thing quick. They write your recolonization right in the palm of the Yankee hand when Bill Clinton came.

4:30AOh, he signed but with plenty alterations. To let America stand. Massa Day Done, massa day done, massa day done. Merci à l’American family qui donne au nom du Caribbean Sea. Massa Day Done, massa day done. America, ma sonne à stand. In plenty and in time of need. In this fell land. Masade, ma, ma, masade, masade, ma, ma, masade, masade, masade, masade, masade, masade, masade. Da. Masade da.

That was the whole recording.

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