Cape Coast To Ja
Culture Lyrics

In Jamaica we call it dungee
We, the people of Jamaica, have a different term for a dungeon.

But the British man him call it dungeon
However, the British call it dungeon instead.

That them sanction.
That is what they have decided.

If you saw what took place in Cape Coast dungeon (West Africa)
If you witnessed what happened in the Cape Coast dungeon in West Africa,

If you saw what took place down in the dungeon
If you only saw the disgraceful events that unfolded within that dungeon,

Man blood clot up thick. Down in this dungeon
The floor of the dungeon was so flooded with blood that it became thick.

Blackman blood turn up thick. Down in this dungeon
The blood of black men was so dense and abundant that it affected the consistency of the dungeon floor.

I can see the sign of torture down in this dungeon (I smell blood)
I can perceive unmistakable evidence of torture being employed in this dungeon (I can literally smell the blood).

You can smell the smell of stale blood down in the dungeon
The smell of old blood is so pervasive in the dungeon that it can be sniffed in the air.

Nowhere to turn, yet so much in there.
You are stuck here with nowhere to go, but there is a considerable amount of activity.

Nowhere to sit down. I must be standing (No chair in here)
There is nowhere to rest or sit, so I have no option but to stand (there are no chairs here).

Straight after that, the ship was anchor.
Immediately after that, the ship had dropped anchor.

They call to a shock away call 'man too fit'
They sent word to request for someone who is 'man enough' or strong.

And nowadays they dress it up a and they no call it benefit.
Nowadays, people attempt to prettify the practices of the past and refer to them as something positive. (And yet, I do not desire any such benefits).

Babylon dress it up a and they no call it benefit.
Likewise, the system tries to gloss over the atrocities committed in the past and rename them as something good. (But I want nothing to do with those supposed benefits).

(And me no want no benefit)
(And I do not wish to have any portion of those supposed benefits).

Give me equal rights and justice
Provide me with fairness and equal treatment.

Me no want no benefit
I don't want any advantages, I just want to be treated as an equal.

For it's the old strategy they use, down in the dungeon
The methods used in the dungeon have been used before and are familiar.

The same dirty old strategy they use down in the dungeon
They are using the same unsavory methods employed previously within the confines of the dungeon.

And as for the woman part of it
As for the role of women in this whole process,

If short like a one foot rule
If too short according to some arbitrary standard.

Nobody can stand up. All baby born under dat. (Ya a hear me man)
No woman is able to abide by these basic physical standards, and as a result, all children born to them have to confront these issues. (Do you understand what I'm telling you, my friend?)

Man, know yourself now
Man, understand yourself and your history.

They refuse to ask me my name upson the slave shp
The slavers on the ship failed to inquire about your name.

Their minds told them to call me nigger and that was the end of it (A who name so?)
In their minds, they already made the decision to call you a derogatory term and that was the end of the matter. (Who came up with that name anyway?)

There is no dignity. You don't know my name (You can't respect I)
There is no respect or dignity. You don't even know my name, and as such, you can't treat me as a human being deserving of respect.

It take more intelligency to find out my real name.
It takes more intelligence to take the trouble to learn and use my genuine name.

But if you see what went down, down in the dungeon
But if you showed concern about what transpired down there in the dungeon,

Even in the sea
Even during the voyage across the sea,

If you see what went on, on the slave ship
If you witnessed what occurred on board the slave ship,

Man get dead and beaten and them throw him overboard
People were beaten to death, and their bodies were thrown overboard.

Woman skin never get to deliver their nine month through
Many women, some of whom were pregnant, were exposed to life-threatening conditions and didn't get to complete the nine-month pregnancy period.

Children born under the agony of knife
The trauma and wounds inflicted on their mothers during childbirth were passed down to and borne by their children.

Father see children and cannot even own their wives
Fathers witness their children being taken from them, and, in some instances, are not even permitted to own their wives.

Equal rights and justice stand for all right in the dungeon
Fairness and equal treatment of all people is a paramount practice that should apply in even the most dire of situations, such as the dungeon.

And yet them rub it off and show me another something
However, they try to justify their reprehensible behavior while attempting to distract me by providing me with something else in return.

Yet them a polish it from my eyes, show me another something
They are trying to gloss over the past atrocities and distract me with new, supposedly positive things.

So Mr. Chin, how him want him titty
They are asking Mr. Chin about his desired breast milk.

Indian men want him Hindustani
Indian men are inquiring about their native language and culture.

But them beat our language from you and me
However, our native language and culture were taken away and repressed through excessive violence and oppression.

What a slavery! What happen to he, she, you and me
Slavery exerted a profound impact on all of us, regardless of gender or ethnicity.

They beat us in slavery
They used severe physical violence and anguish against us during slavery.

And want us to be quiet under captivity (It can't gwaan so- You mad?)
They expect us to remain quiet and obedient while we are still under captivity, but that is unacceptable. (This can't go on like this- are you crazy?)