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Welcome to Jamrock
Damian Marley Lyrics


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Out in the streets, they call it murder

Welcome to Jamrock, camp where the thugs dem camp at
Two pound ah weed inna van back
It inna your hand bag, your knapsack, it inna your backpack
The smell ah give your girlfriend contact

Some boy nuh know dis, dem only come around like tourist
On the beach with a few club sodas
Bedtime stories, and pose like dem name Chuck Norris



And don't know the real hardcore

'Cause Sandals ah nuh back too the thugs
Dem will do whe dem got to and won't think twice to shot you
Don't make dem spot you, unless you carry guns a lot too
A bare tuff tings come at you

When Trench Town man stop laugh and block off traffic
Then dem wheel and pop off and dem start clap it
With the pin file dung an it ah beat rapid
Police come inna jeep and dem can't stop it

Some say them ah playboy, ah playboy rabbit
Funny man ah get dropped like a bad habit
So nuh bodah pose tuff if you don't have it
Rastafari stands alone

Welcome to Jamrock, welcome to Jamrock
Out in the streets, they call it murder

Welcome to Jam down, poor people ah dead at random
Political violence, can't done, pure ghost and phantom
The youth dem get blind by stardom
Now the kings of kings ah call

Old man to Pickney, so wave unnuh hand if you with me
To see the sufferation sick me
Dem suit no fit me, to win election dem trick we
Then dem don't do nuttin' at all

Come on let's face it, a ghetto education's basic
And most ah de youths them waste it
And when dem waste it, that's when dem take the guns replace it
Then dem don't stand a chance at all

And that's why ah nuff little youth have up some fat 'matic
With the extra magazine inna dem back pocket
And ah a bleach a night time inna some black jacket
All who nah lock glocks, ah dem a lock rocket

They will full you up ah current like ah shock socket
Dem a run ah road back which part the cops block it
And from now till a mornin' nuh stop clock it
If dem run outta rounds ah bruck back ratchet

Welcome to Jamrock
(Southside, Northside)
Welcome to Jamrock
(East Coast, West Coast, huh, yo)

Welcome to Jamrock
(Cornwall, Middlesex and Surrey, yah)
Hey, welcome to Jamrock
Out in the streets, they call it murder

Jamaica, Jamaica, Jamaica, Jamaica, now
Jamaica, Jamaica, yo, Jamaica, Jamaica
Welcome to Jamrock, welcome to Jamrock

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Damian Marley's "Welcome to Jamrock" are a commentary on the harsh realities of life in Jamaica, specifically in the streets of Kingston, where the murder rate is high and drug trafficking is rampant. The opening line "Out in the streets, they call it murder" sets the tone for the rest of the song, which describes the poverty, violence, and political corruption that plague the country.


Marley paints a vivid picture of the drug trade in Jamaica, referencing the two pound of weed in the van and how it can be found in handbags, knapsacks, and backpacks. He warns that those who are not familiar with the real hardcore will regret playing tough and not being prepared. The lyrics suggest how dangerous the streets are and how one can quickly become a victim of violence if caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.


Further, the song depicts how politics plays a significant role in the suffering of the poor. Corruption within the government means that people who are impoverished will remain that way regardless of promises made during election time. Marley criticizes the education system, claiming that it is failing the youth and leading them to waste their lives and take up arms. Overall, "Welcome to Jamrock" is a bleak indictment of Jamaica's complex, systemic issues that contribute to the violence and suffering of its people.


Line by Line Meaning

Out in the streets, they call it murder
Violence and murder has become a norm on the streets of Jamrock for which the people have a special name.


Welcome to Jamrock, camp where the thugs dem camp at
Jamrock is dominated by criminals who have a special camp where they spend most of their time.


Two pound ah weed inna van back
There is a large amount of weed being transported in the back of the van.


It inna your hand bag, your knapsack, it inna your backpack
Everyone is carrying weed, including women in their handbags, knapsacks, and backpacks.


The smell ah give your girlfriend contact
The scent of weed is so strong that it can affect someone who is just in close proximity.


Some boy nuh know dis, dem only come around like tourist
Some people pretend to understand the situation in Jamrock but in reality they have no idea.


On the beach with a few club sodas
Some people come to Jamrock to relax on the beach and have drinks.


Bedtime stories, and pose like dem name Chuck Norris
Some tourists like to tell stories and act tough like Chuck Norris, but they are unaware of the real danger.


And don't know the real hardcore
These people are not aware of the true hardcore nature of Jamrock.


'Cause Sandals ah nuh back too the thugs
The luxury resort of Sandals is not safe from the thugs.


Dem will do whe dem got to and won't think twice to shot you
The criminals will do whatever they need to and won't hesitate to shoot you.


Don't make dem spot you, unless you carry guns a lot too
It's best not to attract the attention of the thugs, unless you are carrying a gun too.


A bare tuff tings come at you
A lot of tough situations can arise in Jamrock.


When Trench Town man stop laugh and block off traffic
When the Trench Town gangsters stop laughing and start blocking traffic, it's not a good sign.


Then dem wheel and pop off and dem start clap it
They will then start shooting their guns.


With the pin file dung an it ah beat rapid
With the sound of the gunfire, everyone scatters quickly.


Police come inna jeep and dem can't stop it
Even the police are powerless against the violence.


Some say them ah playboy, ah playboy rabbit
Some tourists are so foolish that they are considered playboys or rabbits who are easy targets.


Funny man ah get dropped like a bad habit
If you act foolishly in Jamrock, you will be dropped quickly.


So nuh bodah pose tuff if you don't have it
Don't try to act tough if you don't have the skills to back it up.


Rastafari stands alone
In Jamrock, Rastafari is the true independent religion.


Welcome to Jamrock, welcome to Jamrock
A sarcastic welcome to Jamrock, where everything is far from welcoming.


Welcome to Jam down, poor people ah dead at random
The true reality of Jamrock is that poor people are dying randomly due to the violence.


Political violence, can't done, pure ghost and phantom
The root of the violence in Jamrock lies in political tensions and it's like a ghost that can never be erased.


The youth dem get blind by stardom
Young people in Jamrock are getting blinded by the glamour and fame of criminals.


Now the kings of kings ah call
This is a time when the true kings of Jamrock must come together.


Old man to Pickney, so wave unnuh hand if you with me
From the old man to the young child, everyone who cares about Jamrock must come together.


To see the sufferation sick me
The suffering of the people in Jamrock is deeply affecting the artist.


Dem suit no fit me, to win election dem trick we
The politicians in Jamrock are not representing the common people and they are being tricked with false promises.


Then dem don't do nuttin' at all
Once the politicians are elected, they do nothing but abuse the power they have.


Come on let's face it, a ghetto education's basic
The education that the people of Jamrock receive is very basic and limited.


And most ah de youths them waste it
Most young people waste the little education they get.


And when dem waste it, that's when dem take the guns replace it
When these young people waste their education, they turn to guns for a sense of purpose.


Then dem don't stand a chance at all
Once the young people start using guns, their lives will never be the same again.


And that's why ah nuff little youth have up some fat 'matic
This is why many young people carry large firearms.


With the extra magazine inna dem back pocket
They are always prepared with extra ammo.


And ah a bleach a night time inna some black jacket
They wear black jackets to camouflage themselves at night.


All who nah lock glocks, ah dem a lock rocket
Those who don't carry guns are left vulnerable to those who do.


They will full you up ah current like ah shock socket
The violence in Jamrock will shock you like an electrical current.


Dem a run ah road back which part the cops block it
They are running on the road where the cops have blocked it.


And from now till a mornin' nuh stop clock it
The violence will continue all night until morning.


If dem run outta rounds ah bruck back ratchet
If they run out of bullets, they will use a sharp tool to attack.


Welcome to Jamrock
Once again, sarcastic welcome to Jamrock.


(Southside, Northside)
The violence is everywhere in Jamrock, whether it's in the north or the south.


(East Coast, West Coast, huh, yo)
The violence is also prevalent regardless of whether it's in the east or the west.


Welcome to Jamrock
Sarcastic welcome to Jamrock again.


(Cornwall, Middlesex and Surrey, yah)
The singer is not distinguishing between different areas of Jamrock because the violence is widespread.


Hey, welcome to Jamrock
Sarcastic welcome to Jamrock once again.


Out in the streets, they call it murder
Repetition of the opening line, which reminds the listener of the stark reality of Jamrock.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Damian Robert Nesta Marley, Ini Kamoze, Stephen Marley

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

Serigne Mbacke Thiam

damian marley serigne mbacke @gmail.com 1525

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