Gyasi Went Home
Bedouin Soundclash Lyrics

The song "Gyasi Went Home" by Bedouin Soundclash is a powerful commentary on colonialism and its effects on the Caribbean. The lyrics open with a question, "Where do you come from boy, could you come anywhere?" which sets the tone for the rest of the song, highlighting a sense of displacement and lack of belonging that many individuals in postcolonial societies experience. The reference to water flowing free to the sea symbolizes the natural beauty and richness of the Caribbean, while also alluding to the exploitation of its resources by imperial powers.

The next verse alludes to the arrival of the British explorer Sir Walter Raleigh in the Caribbean, and the gold he found, which serves as a reference to the plundering of Caribbean resources by colonial powers. The reference to a woman giving up all her pearls, "The ocean rolling, rolled them from the new world," speaks to the theme of exploitation and the fact that the riches of the Caribbean were taken by force.

In the following verse, the references to the hill coolie and the transatlantic slave refer to the diverse groups of people who were brought to the Caribbean to work on sugarcane plantations, and who faced unimaginable suffering under colonialism. The lyrics suggest that despite this adversity, there also came a day when they "broke free of their chains." Finally, the lyrics come full circle with a reference to Gyasi, potentially a fictional character or symbolic figure, who returns home to find that "tempers run hot like Caribbean sun." This last line portrays the harsh realities of post-colonial life in the region, where political instability, violence, and inequality continue to be pressing issues.