OH BABYLON

OH BABYLON

I

Oh Babylon You must repent for all the crimes that you have committed against my people.

JAH people are on the rise once again, never to be enslaved no more.

The kingdom of Jah is at hand. The writing is on the wall.

Babylon you must fall

SO JAH SHE.

II

You removed the landmarks

Of I and I fathers to divide and rule I and I. But through the POWER OF BLACK UNITY. You have to draw back. I and I are on the attack

SO JAH SEH

III

Run Babylon

Return to your country!

These are the days of the repatriated. Run whilst you still can. Go back to Babylon.

RUN BABYLON, RUN RUN

Leave Africa for African at home and abroad.

For Marcus

Garvey

words come to pass. And she who laugh last, laugh best.

SO JAH SEH.

IV

For over 500 years your ancestors plundered and murdered we gentle AFRICANS, BROUGHT US TO THE WEST IN CHAINS AND SOLD US LIKE HUMAN CARGO. WORKED US TO THE BONE FROM SUNRISE TO SUNSET.

But now the time of REPARATION has come. For RASTAFARIANS demand equal rights and justice.

COMPENSATE the descendants of the slaves…for slavery is wrong, as even your own clergymen have said..

AND

If SLAVERYIS WRONG THE WICKED MUST PAY.

SO JAH SHE.

V

Oh Babylon

Woe to you who’s conscience has been hardened by GREED. You stole our FATHERLAND, OUR GOLD AND OUR SILVER. AND WASTED OUR MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN.

You taught us that God is Love…that we should obey our masters, and them that have rule over us.

BUT I and I have no master but EMPEROR HAILE SELLASSIE I…

WHO WAS NOT AFRAID TO TELL THE CHILDREN THE TRUTH.

"THAT UNTIL THE IGNOBLE AND UNHAPPY REGIME THAT HOLDS I AND I BROTHERS IN SUBHUMAN BONDAGE IN ANGOLA, IN MOZAMBIQUE AND SOUTH AFRICA HAS BEEN TOPPLED AND TOTALLY DOWNSTOYED EVERYWHERE IS

WAR AND RUMOURS OF WAR.

But no bombs and guns will stop

WE AFRICANS,

WE AFRO-AMERICANS, WE BLACK BRITONS

WE WEST INDIANS,

WE RASTAFRIANS.

This is JUDGEMENT TIME

WE are more than sand on the seashore, WE are more than number

WE are a mighty race with respect and dignity

GO AWAY

With your white God that smiled a crocked smile as you brutalised the very soul of innocent BLACK PEOPLE.

GO AWAY

With your WHITE GOD

THAT chuckled with demonic glee as you exterminated

THE RED INDIAN

THE MAYA

THE AZTEC

THE ARAWAKS

THE CARIBS

FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH.

But that river of blood now runs to your front door…

SO JAH SEH.

VI

Oh Babylon,

did you believe that you would continue to kill the prophets and that I and I would stand aside and look for all ages like you killed the prophets of old.

Well, I want you to know the spirits of

MARCUS GARVEY,

MARTIN LUTHER KING,

MALCOLM X,

BOB MARLEY

WALTER RODNEY

STEVE BIKO are all alive in NELSON MANDELA for agitating for the rights of I and I people was cast into prison for twenty-seven years.

BUT the table is turned.

JAH PEOPLE are on the rise once again.

JAH PEOPLE have seen the light.

WE will stand by our own

NO RACISM

NO APARTHEID

NO RACIAL LIBERATION will hinder the forward march towards

TOTAL LIBERATION

For we have ways and means.

YOU PUT STUMBLING BLOCKS IN OUR WAY.

But these we will turn to stepping stones, if it be that we have to step on the heads of your children; to reach to your necks, whose head we will sever with

the cutlass of truth…and toss your body to the wild beast.

VII

Yes Babylon

I hate you with a perfect hatred for all the crimes committed against I and I people.

You instil in I and I people a state of fear.

A fear for losing our life.

But we cannot die.

The struggle is our lives.

What I and I cannot achieve in our lifetime I and I children will at last achieve.

For the Big Sound from the Little rock will keep the fire burning…

For as long as the rainbow exists will remind I and I of I-tiopia I and I eternal heritage.

For the very colour of I and I skin: beautiful black reminds I and I of I and I purpose for living.

To see that I and I people are set free…

From all forms of MENTAL, PHYSICAL AND ECONOMIC SLAVERY.

AND ALL FORMS OF FALSE FREEDOM.

NOW

That APARTHEID has fallen

DO YOU WANT MORE?

Yes we want all of AFRICA to be free!

AFRICA is I and I birthright.

JAH gave this continent to us…and you Babylon took it away.

SO JAH SHE

VIII

Fire and Brimstone

For Babylon and all Bagga Wire.

The lake of perpetual fire has already been prepared for the devils and his angels, and such as would be so bold to stand in the way of advancing liberation forces.

Now Africa…weep not.

Rest your weary head on my shoulders. I and I will never forsake you.

Even if it means that:

I too

Will be assassinated for fighting form my rights,

Even if it means that I too

Will be imprisoned for stirring up the racial pride

Of a people long under the hands of oppression.

Even though I and I know that these few words of this solemn poem can do little harm to the enemy of our race.

But it shall water the seeds of the revolution.

SO JAH SEH