From his website:
If you know reggae music, you know Clinton 'Basie' Fearon. Clinton Fearon is counted among Jamaica's most talented musicians by peers and professionals in the Reggae music industry. His infectious bass riffs, guitar licks, percussion accents and powerful vocals make Bassie a living legend amongst reggae musicians and fans.
As a youth, Bassie went to Kingston to eventually become the well-known bassist, vocalist and lyricist for The Gladiators as well as a house musician for Coxsonne Dodd’s Studio One and Lee “Scratch” Perry’s Black Ark Studio. Fearon recorded many of Perry's best known songs, including Roast Fish and Cornbread which features one of Fearon's most famous bass lines. He also composed some everlasting basslines for Yabby You, Jimmy Riley, Max Romeo, Junior Byles and many many others.
Poor Nana
Clinton Fearon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hey. poor nana
She pray every day, work with no pay
She pray every day, to find a better way
She pray every day, pray with passion, yeah
She pray every day, this is what she say
She say stop the insanity
She say stop the insanity
Too many empty souls
Together we'll stand
Divided we'll fall
Why can't we understand that
Life is for one and all
Let's chase the devil away
From our doorstep
Chase him far away
Far, far, far, far away
Hey. poor nana
Hey. poor nana
She pray every day, work with no pay
She pray every day, to find a better way
She pray every day, pray with passion, yeah
She pray every day, this is what she say
She say stop the insanity
Wants gone out of control
She say stop the insanity
Too many empty souls
Together we'll stand
Divided we'll fall
Why can't we understand that
Life is for one and all
Let's chase the devil away
From our doorstep
Chase him far away
Far, far, far, far away
The lyrics of Clinton Fearon's "Poor Nana" bring to light the struggles and hardships of the titular character, who works tirelessly with no pay and prays every day for a better life. Nana's prayers are passionate, as she desperately seeks a way out of her situation. She pleads for the insanity and emptiness that have taken over society to stop, and for people to come together to understand that life is for everyone. Fearon explores the theme of unity and the power of collective action when he urges listeners to "chase the devil away" and stand together to overcome the challenges that plague them.
The song's message speaks to the broader issues of social and economic injustice, exploitation, and the inequitable distribution of wealth and resources, which affect people's lives around the world. Through the character of Nana, Fearon highlights the courage, resilience, and determination of those who struggle to make ends meet and the need for a collective effort to address the root causes of these problems.
In summary, "Poor Nana" is more than just a song about a struggling woman, as its lyrics speak to the larger issues of societal injustice, the power of prayer, and the need for unity.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey. poor nana
Greetings to that poor lady
She pray every day, work with no pay
Every day she prays for a way out of this life where she's constantly working without getting paid
She pray every day, to find a better way
She prays every day to find a better and more fulfilling path in life
She pray every day, pray with passion, yeah
She prays passionately every day, with pure intentions and earnest hopes
She pray every day, this is what she say
While she prays every day, she speaks these words
She say stop the insanity
She asks to stop the madness and irrationality
Wants gone out of control
Desires have gotten out of hand and become uncontrollable
She say stop the insanity
Again, she asks for an end to the madness
Too many empty souls
There are too many people with unfulfilled lives and devoid of true purpose
Together we'll stand
We must unite and stand together
Divided we'll fall
If we remain divided, then we will fail
Why can't we understand that
Why is it so difficult for us to grasp the idea that
Life is for one and all
Life is for everyone, regardless of who they are or where they came from
Let's chase the devil away
We should not give in to temptation and instead, try to overcome it
From our doorstep
From our lives and daily routine
Chase him far away
We should strive to remove the devil as far away from us as possible
Far, far, far, far away
We must chase him as far as we can, many times, until we succeed
Hey. poor nana
Again, greetings to that poor lady
Hey. poor nana
And one more time, greetings to that unfortunate woman
Writer(s): Clinton Fearon
Contributed by Jayce E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@mollypolly7
This song is pure GOLD!!! So emotional, so deep, almost gives me tears! Makes u sing along and feel good!
Clinton u are a living legend! I hope u come to Australia soon!
@Jucciverce
I love Clinton's music!
@phumudzonematswerani4001
Mee too
@arkadireizis9608
Jah bless the modern king of reggae
@charlottewalker6854
My mum of 77 was homeless because of mold in her rental, now my mum has a home , mold free
@ngolinyirenda6421
Downtown Los Angeles.
@TomClech-eo8ec
Premiere fois que je l ecoute aussi mais il est vrai que pour certains artistes c est difficile d etre entendu
@tiagooliveira3482
Satisfação total! !! Muito obrigado meu Deus!!!! Reggae music de verdade! !!!
@robertollanosdeavila1339
beautifull!! it's chilling, the message is so emotional!
@ClintonFearonOfficial
Roberto Llanos de Ávila bless up