Rain for so. A-hah, hah.
Rain, rain. Wet rain.
Tampo. Tampi-tam. Tampo-tampi tam.
Jump yuh jump, dance yuh dance,
is bacanal time, ta ta-tah tah.
Tammpo. Tampi-tam. Tampo-tampi tampi-tam.
Jump in the mud and break away.
Shake yuh hip so, and make a sway.
Tamm-po. Tampi-tam. Tampo-tampi tampi-tam.
A-hah-hah. Rain. Rain. Wet rain. Look m’bottle and spoon.
Diggi-diggi diggi-diggi. Ha hah. That’s the beat of the bamboo.
Rain, rain. You reach. Ahh, I drink you as you fall. And watch the river. Is river come down.
Eh, eh. What is that? That? In the water. There. Look like… Ahh. Ahh. Papa. Is a breadfruit. Ah-hah. Just a breadfruit in the muddy water. I seeing things. Ah-hah. Y’jackass. River wash down more than you expect. Dark, like smooth skin. Brown skin girl. She look like Ruby. Ah! Lightening. Rain ain stopping now. And the thunder. Ruby woulda laugh. Ruby was always laughing. And she had a laugh, papa. Make y’blood boil up and slow down, all at the same time. Hah. First time I see her I start humming a melody in m’head.
-Ruby, Ruby y’so sweet.
Like a mango I want to eat.
Ruby girl
Ruby girl, y’so sweet,
Corner ah Belmont Circular Road. Hah.
Girl you sweet like mango julie…
Ruby, Ruby…
In a mas camp. Making costume. Hah. She laugh when I sing it. And I sing it again. And that was that. Everything was me and Ruby after that.
-Ruby, girl, you so sweet.
I going to pick you right off the tree.
Was she tell me to sing it in the tent. And DeLeon take the lyrics. Change Ruby to Dorothy and make a big hit with it. Hah. Tampo-tampi tam.
-Dorothy girl you so sweet.
He used to use m’lyrics all the time.
-Dorothy girl you so sweet,
Like a ripe mango to eat.
And when Mikey put a horn and Stello put a rhythm. Dah-dah dah, dahh. Oh yes. Almost get road-march. My tune. Even if was DeLeon sing it. And me and Ruby… Ahh, papa, me and Ruby.
Ooh! Lightening again. Rain serious. Best check the gully. Bacannal in San Fernando. M’next big hit. Was Farrell sing it. And me and Ruby… Ahh, we dance jouvert to that.
-Pay the workers a fair price
Or partner prepare to lose you life.
Pay the workers a fair price
Or prepare to lose y’life
I say, Oil field bring the black gold
But wages freeze like it cold
Them days, papa. The next year DeLeon sing, Mr dog and Madame cat. Everybody was singing it.
-Mr Dog chase Madame Cat,
But the winner was Mistress Rat.
That was road march material too. Me and Ruby jump Tuesday mas that year. And they play it whole day. Ahhh. Papa, them was the high days. We was dreamers. Hope m’bed still dry. Was going and make it big. Hope the gully work. Not looking good. Take kaiso to the USA. Ruby in diamonds and fur coat. Ah Papa. I was the fool in the rain. Ahh. And m’bed still get wet.