Tom Drunk
Ky-Mani Marley Lyrics

Let me tell you of a story
Ky-Mani Marley is about to narrate a story.

'Bout a creature I once knew
Ky-Mani is introducing a character who he once knew.

Had a wife that was a teacher
The character's spouse was a teacher.

And the daughter was it too
Their daughter was also a teacher.

He was loved among his neighbors
The character was beloved by his neighbors.

For the wonders works he's done
The character was admired for the great things he had accomplished.

For the building of the new church
One of the good deeds was the construction of a new church.

And the work for rodness funds
Another of the character's positive actions was work for rodness funds.

But things change and times got rough
The character's fortunes took a turn for the worse.

And his wife is acting strange
The character's wife started to behave in an unusual way.

And the friends Tom once knew so well
The character's friends started to act differently and distanced themselves from him.

Just don't seems the same
Their behavior was no longer recognizable as the same as it once was.

Now Tom drunk
Tom is currently intoxicated.

But Tom's no fool
Despite being drunk, Tom is still intelligent and capable.

Just keep it cool, Tom
Ky-Mani is advising Tom to remain calm.

And stick to the root
This line is likely a reference to Tom's Rastafarian faith and it is suggested that Tom should hold onto the values that he believes in.

Now instead of getting better
Tom's situation did not improve and continued to decline.

Things started to get worse
The character's circumstances deteriorated further.

When they dropped off from the ministry
The character was removed from a religious position they held.

And burnt down Tom's new church
The new church that Tom had built was burned down.

After all the things that Tom had done
Tom's past positive contributions were disregarded.

It seems like no one care
No one appeared to appreciate Tom's good deeds.

Now Tom is sitting all alone
The character is now alone, without support.

Shedding lonely tears
Tom is crying due to his loneliness and the situation he finds himself in.

To much stress, can't bare the pressure
The character is suffering from too much stress and cannot handle the pressure.

So he sips the Devil's water
Tom begins drinking alcohol to cope with his problems - this 'Devil's water' may refer to either illicit alcoholic beverages or simply the negative effects of drinking excessively.

Reach at home, he rapes his wife
Tom rapes his wife when he gets home which is a heinous crime.

Then he turns and beats his daughter
Tom turns on his daughter and physically assaults her.

Can't believe
This part is unclear and may be part of the following line.

[Incomprehensible]
Unfortunately, this line is indecipherable and we cannot provide a meaningful interpretation of it.

Then he slowly caught the hammer
Tom picked up a hammer, presumably to use as a weapon.

Put the fist into his hand
Tom clenched his fist, preparing to fight or defend himself.

Then he bowed and said the prayer
Tom may have asked for forgiveness or surrendered to a higher power's will by saying a prayer.

Tom is gone, Tom is gone
Tom is either dead or has disappeared.

And lost his crew now
This likely refers to Tom losing the support and respect of his friends and family.

His soul is in the deepest blue
Tom is deeply depressed and emotionally disturbed.

And played a fool
Tom made foolish decisions that led to his demise.

He lost his crew now
Tom's friends and family no longer support or help him.

Tom drunk
Tom's intoxicated state is again mentioned.

And lost his crew now
Tom's sense of isolation and loneliness is reiterated.

His soul is in the deepest blue
This line is repeated, emphasizing the severity of Tom's depression and distress.