Belly of de beast (1996)

From the book "Propa Propaganda" (1996) by Benjamin Zephaniah.

Belly of de Beast

Don’t want go a jail, Don’t want go a jail
Cause everytime me gu dea, dem never give me bail

In hell places like dat
Yu find no justice fe de Blacks
One time dem beat me almost kill me
An dem abuse me locks,
De Social Worker tell me
Bout me rights to a phone
But when de devils got me number
Devils raided me mudder’s home.

Don’t want go a jail, Don’t want go a jail
Cause everytime me gu dea, dem never give me bail

Dem stop me jogging one fine day
As I got healthy on de green,
De Officer waz saying tings dat I would call obscene,
Once more I am in de van
Wid a beating to de station
Dat is what dem call helping investigations.

Dis is not de Jail House Rock
Dis is not de Jail House Rock
Yes dis is not

When dying in jail
You get pure unfit food fe eat
An Rasta minded vegan humans
Never get a treat,
Dem pack de place wid Blacks

There’s a lack of common sense
An most Black people in dea
Is very innocent,

I think some politician man .................................Should gu a jail
Some policeman ..................................................Should gu a jail
Some slave driver ................................................Should gu a jail
An Margaret Thatcher (in my humble opinion) ..Should gu a jail

In state-owned homes like dat
Dere is no justice fe de Whites
In weird places like dat
Dem juss ignore yu human rights,
It really kinda lonely 
An yu never get no peace
Dat is what de Rastas call
De belly of de beast.

Don’t want go a jail, Don’t want go a jail
Cause everytime me gu dea, dem never give me bail

Tax inspectors ..........................................May like a stay in jail
Big city hustlers .......................................May like a stay in jail
Gun manufacturers ...................................May like a stay in jail
An de one John Major (it is alleged) ........May like a stay in jail

Dis is not de Jail House Rock
Dis is not de answer
Elvis
Dis is not.







"Belly of de Beast" is also a song from an album  also named "Belly of de Beast", also released in 1996, on the Ariwa record label. You can listen to the song here.



Also check out these poems by Benjamin Zephaniah: