Dispear
Damian Marley Lyrics

Lord! Dispear, huh!
An exclamation calling for the end of despair

Shaka Zulu, Bobo Shanti, Nyabinghi man a Mau Mau Warrior, dispear, eh
Referencing powerful African warriors who fought against oppression, calling for the end of despair

Fear and desperation no depression can't tarry ya, dispear, hey
Fear and desperation cannot keep you down, calling for the end of despair

Ayatollah, Idi Amin, Mennelek, man a Masai Warrior, dispear, eh
Referencing powerful historical figures, calling for the end of despair

Fear and desperation no depression can't tarry ya, this spear
Fear and desperation cannot keep you down, but this spear (referring to one's own power) can conquer despair

Like burning spirits and such and such before me
Referencing other fighters for freedom, who inspire the singer

Who all fought for the cause and, dispear, eh
Continuing to reference historical fighters for freedom, calling for the end of despair

Enforcing all the laws and
Referencing those who enforce oppressive laws

The master of the masses
Referring to those who hold power over the masses

One has power the other one lacks it
There is a power imbalance between those in power and those without it

Guns are power controlled by assets owned by financial forecasters
Those who control assets also control the power of guns

Who are the masters? They are the gangsters, they are the bankers
The real masters are those who control financial assets

The ones who tax us, the masses, they are us
Even though the masses are taxed, they are complicit in their own oppression

The sheep, the people, divided in classes
People are divided by class, leading to their own oppression

I go off like a shia bomb and all y'all see I'm on my War paint on my face, shit My nine mm on my waist, shit I'm a problem, shoot up your place shit Let a few go, then I get low blazing Haze again
The singer is ready to use violence against those in power

The masters, the wall street war chiefs The elitists groups, the masses They pray to Jesus saying he will see us through
Referencing those in power and the masses, both of whom have different beliefs and views on how to improve their situation

The masters are the aristocratic The masses ask if the most high is on his way here I'm trying to stay clear, my mind is my modern day spear
Continuing to address the disparity between those in power and the masses, with the artist using their mind as a weapon

Hey I say, dispear, huh!
Reiterating the call to end despair

Shaka Zulu, Bobo Shanti, Man a Gideon man a Mau Mau Warrior, dispear, eh
Referencing powerful African warriors who fought against oppression, calling for the end of despair

Through the hands of time and cruel men it has slew more than a billion, dispear, eh
Pondering the many casualties of despair throughout history

It keep on suppressing the humble man's opinion
Despair continues to silence the opinions of those without power

This lead into Swiss cheese when the 5th squeeze Mislead the media misleads Scares you to the point where you miss sleep
The media misleads and instills fear in the masses, leading to despair

With that said this lead with this Ruger and that shooter Sub-machine gun ratta tat through you Copper tops, hollow points will do ya something bad our future
Referencing the use of guns to fight against those in power

Is Mislead three strikes There's no school when a teacher strikes This economy, this monopoly get no job just own your property
Referencing the many ways in which the system oppresses and prevents social mobility

Now it's back to what comes natural Must survive any how you have to Dispear, desperation but I have no fear when I hold this spear
The singer is ready to use violence to survive and conquer despair

Mek some bwoy know mi nah smile 'cause this spear nah mek friends Man a run racket man a run scheme man a run race man a run down Benz
The singer recognizes that violence is necessary in their struggle, and references those who uphold the system

Can't trust a she nor we nor eye inna contact lens Man a run from police and a run down wealth and dollars and nah mek sense
The singer feels a general distrust of others due to their circumstances with the police and wealth gap

So, rise up to my defense Hollow pointed is my preference Should have been deterred don't know what you heard Get referred by the wrong reference
The artist calls for others to join in their fight, and uses violent means to defend themselves

When this spear start dispense It a fly and a tear through fence Dismember your members and all of your limbs body bust inna nuff segments
The artist uses violent language to convey the power of their modern day spear

Well, man a run drugs man a run risk Man all a run out a time and ends Man a run up and down and a run fi dem life and a run down this month rent Nothin' nah gwan a yard and food deh a road then man hafi go touch pavement
The singer references the difficulties faced by those without money or power

Dispear was a tool that was used to enslave man and mek manservant Escape from despair and desperation becomes more urgent
Despair was used as a tool to keep people in bondage, and therefore it is important to escape it

Mankind needs to cleanse and wash out dem soul with spiritual detergent A distant army a distant relative controlling the circumference And any man move with no permission they're feeling the circumstance of
The artist calls for a spiritual cleansing of the soul, and references the power dynamics at play in society

Inner city youth dem rise it up disguised as AK-47, dispear, eh! And anytime them clap it up the whole city level, dispear
Referencing the violence that often arises from feelings of despair, calling for an end to it

They can't ignore me, no!
The artist will not be silenced or ignored in their struggle