Engine Room
David Rudder Lyrics

Hear the tenors rolling... people on the floor
The sound of the tenors rolling and people dancing on the floor is heard.

Hear the guitar pan grumble... and the crowd in a uproar
The sound of the grumbling guitar pan is heard as the crowd gets excited.

All of a sudden every just up and chill.
Suddenly, everything freezes and becomes silent.

...everything just gone to a standstill
Everything has stopped and become still.

The crowd start to cuss... hear them... what wrong with the band
The crowd becomes angry and starts to curse, wondering what is wrong with the band.

It was the ramp with the iron gone and
The ramp was the problem, with the iron missing.

Fall because the vibration buss way the welding
The vibration caused the welding to fail and the iron to fall.

When the iron fall... it humble the pan
The falling iron damages and humbles the pan.

And everything start to crawl everything start to fall
Everything starts to move slowly and fall apart.

As the dream was plainly seen
The dream becomes clear and obvious.

The engine room... is down there where does cause the bacchanal
The engine room is where the excitement and partying takes place.

The pan is the body but the rhythm is heart of the thing
The pan is important, but it's the rhythm that drives the music.

The engine room... that is the soul of Carnival
The engine room is the soul of the Carnival.

Corey did damn well say if your iron good you is King... you hear
Corey said that if your iron is good, you are a champion.

Check your grandmother... talking to she neighbour next door
Think about your grandmother talking to her neighbor next door.

If the times didn't change up... all now we woulda still be in big war
If times didn't change, we would still be at war.

That is the same woman who put out your
That is the same woman who kicked out your

Mother because she was in love with this pan man
Mother because she was in love with a steelpan player.

She used to open the church door... just to pray on meh head
She used to open the church door just to pray for me.

Now she boasting to the neighbour next door
Now she is bragging to her neighbor next door.

"Oh my granddaughter beats for a steel band"
She is proud that her granddaughter plays in a steel band.

If it wasn't for you girl... your Daddy woulda be so dread
If it wasn't for you girl, your father would be in trouble.

But when you see I in my pain ah does have to think again
But when you see me in pain, I have to rethink things.

An take it out on the steel
And take it out on the steelpan.

The engine room...is down there way does ease my frustration
The engine room is where I go to release my frustration.

Nearly every old pan man could tell
Almost every old steelpan player knows.

You that his in-laws were outlaws... yes
That his in-laws were troublesome.

The engine room ...is the healing of de nation
The engine room is where the nation finds healing.

Sometimes I does just pelt lash at de
Sometimes I just hit the steelpan in frustration.

Bloody thing just because... yuh know...
Just because, you know.

Down in the engine... is only iron in my head
In the engine room, there is only iron in my mind.

Them scratcher men scratching...
The scratcher players are scratching the steelpan with their fingernails.

They have the drummer itching to be well bred
The scratcher players are causing the drummer to want to be well-behaved.

The conga man eye close...
The conga player has his eyes closed.

He pelting blows... I sorry for the drum skin
He is hitting the drums hard, and I worry about the drum skin's well-being.

Me and all ain't backward... my iron up by my ears
I am not unsophisticated; my ears are attuned to the music.

Two three cowbell man... the bell in they hand and a tassa man pumping
A few cowbell players, with bells in their hands, and a tassa player pumping the rhythm.

Well you can't ask for more... well maybe a next round of beers
You can't ask for more, except perhaps another round of drinks.

And we could go all day...
And we could play all day.

As the band play... and de people feeling sweet
As the band plays, people feel happy and joyful.

The engine room... Lord... it could go on forever
The engine room could continue forever without getting tiring.

See them jump and prance... give themselves a chance in de heat... yes
See them jump and dance, and enjoy themselves in the heat.

The engine room ...it could never die... never
The engine room will never die.

Because is nine months my mother make me check out she heartbeat
Because my mother listened to my heartbeat for nine months before I was born.

So I want ah hard rhythm section... so I could groove up de nation
So I want a strong rhythm section to move the entire nation with the music.

We gonna let them know... they could never stop de drum
We will show them that they will never be able to stop the drums from playing.

When people feeling deduction... and they show they reaction
When people are passionate and show their reaction.

Down in the rhythm have something to show them where they coming from
In the rhythm section, there is something that shows them where they come from.

Hear my side... Corey on my pan... Licker, Bess and Snail
Listen to my side, Corey is playing steelpan with me, and so are Licker, Bess, and Snail.

Somebody go and call Francis Wickham... tell him we ready to wail
Someone, please call Francis Wickham and tell him we are ready to play loudly and passionately.

Bobby Mohammed with he bell...
Bobby Mohammed is playing the bell.

Lyber raising hell... the short rasta from Nutones
Lyber is playing and raising hell, and he is a short rasta from Nutones.

Them love to gallery... so I want them up on de ramp
They love to show off, so I want them on the ramp.

Go down Clarence Street...
Go down Clarence Street.

Get Pelham Goddard... and then bring back Ken Jones
Get Pelham Goddard and bring Ken Jones back with you.

Them can't get away... look... go and get them scamps
They can't get away, look, go and get them mischievous boys.

'Cause when you see we get together...
Because when you see us play together...

Brother... it go be cat piss and pepper
Brother, it will be exciting and lively.

The engine room ...is down there where does have the bacchanal
The engine room is where the celebration and partying takes place.

All the jamming, and the jamming,
All the musical improvisation and creativity.

And the jamming, and the jamming and the jam of Carnival
And the musical improvisation and creativity of Carnival.

The engine room... is down there where does start up everything
The engine room is where everything begins.

Them boy did damn well say if your iron good you
Those guys knew that if your steelpan was good, you...

Is King... jam it...(Rudder chants to the end)
Were a king. Jam it...