Since the turn of the century, calypso performers had given themselves unique sobriquets. Among the best-known artists of the 1930s were Lord Executor, Atilla the Hun, the Roaring Lion and the Growling Tiger. Such names expressed the calypsonians' sense of grandeur and the forcefulness with which they competed in song.
Seven Skeletons Found in the Yard
Lord Executor Lyrics
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Always happen at the Christmas time
Hideous discoveries and monstrous crime
Always happen at the Christmas time
For the old year murders and the tragedy
For the New Year serious calamity
What shocked Trinidad
Those seven skeletons that the workmen found in that yard
What marred the Christmas festivity
Was a New Year double catastrophe
When a man and a woman on the ground was found
With bloodstains upon the ground
The husband was arrested but they were too late
For the poison he drunk sent him to the gate
That shocked Trinidad
Those seven skeletons that the workmen found in that yard
In Saint James the population went wild
When in the savannah they found a child
The hair was auburn and complexion pink
Which placed the watchman in a mood to think
"How can a mother despise and scorn
A little angel that she has born?"
That was more sad
Than the seven skeletons that the workmen found in that yard
A lorry was speeding to Port of Spain
When it knocked down the cyclist into the drain
It was going as fast as the lightning flash
When the cyclist received the lash
The mother cried out in sorrows and pain
I am not going to see my boy-child again
That is more sad
Than the seven skeletons that the workmen found in that yard
While the workmen they were digging the ground
They ( ? ) all human beings they found
Feet together and head east and west
Number five was a watchman among the rest
Number six had the hands and the feet on the chest
And number seven (something "serious guest"?)
That shocked Trinidad
Those seven skeletons that the workmen found in that yard
Lord Executor's song Seven Skeletons Found in the Yard is a somber reflection on the tragedies that occurred around the Christmas and New Year season in Trinidad. The song begins with the assertion that hideous discoveries and monstrous crime always happen at this time of year. This sets the tone for the rest of the song, which lists four specific incidents that are more sad and shocking than the titular discovery of seven skeletons buried in a yard.
The first incident mentioned is the discovery of a man and woman lying on the ground with bloodstains around them. The husband is later found to have committed suicide by drinking poison. The second incident is the discovery of a pink-complexioned child in the savannah, suggesting that the child had been abandoned by its mother. The third incident is the death of a cyclist who was hit by a lorry that was speeding to Port of Spain. Finally, the song returns to the discovery of the seven skeletons, described in detail with their feet together, heads facing opposite directions, and in one case, hands and feet crossed over the chest.
The lyrics of Seven Skeletons Found in the Yard offer a poignant commentary on the human cost of violent crime, abandonment, and accidents. The image of seven skeletons buried together underlines the sense of tragedy and loss that pervades the song, while the specific incidents mentioned serve to reinforce this message. The song has a mournful tone throughout, reflecting the effects of these events on the people of Trinidad.
Line by Line Meaning
Hideous discoveries and monstrous crime
Terrible findings and horrific criminal acts
Always happen at the Christmas time
Occur during the holiday season
For the old year murders and the tragedy
For the murders and tragedies of the past year
For the New Year serious calamity
For the disastrous events of the upcoming year
What shocked Trinidad
What caused surprise and horror in Trinidad
Those seven skeletons that the workmen found in that yard
The seven human skeletons that were discovered by workers in a yard
What marred the Christmas festivity
What ruined the holiday celebration
Was a New Year double catastrophe
Was two disastrous events happening in quick succession
When a man and a woman on the ground was found
When a man and woman were discovered on the ground
With bloodstains upon the ground
With marks of blood on the ground
The husband was arrested but they were too late
The husband was taken into custody but it was too late
For the poison he drunk sent him to the gate
Because the poison he drank killed him
In Saint James the population went wild
The people in Saint James reacted with intense emotion
When in the savannah they found a child
When a child was discovered in the savannah
The hair was auburn and complexion pink
The child had reddish-brown hair and fair skin
Which placed the watchman in a mood to think
Which caused the watchman to reflect
"How can a mother despise and scorn
"Why would a mother hate and reject
A little angel that she has born?"
Her own innocent child?"
That was more sad
That was even more distressing
Than the seven skeletons that the workmen found in that yard
Than the discovery of the seven skeletons in the yard
A lorry was speeding to Port of Spain
A truck was driving quickly to Port of Spain
When it knocked down the cyclist into the drain
When it hit and killed a cyclist who fell into a drain
It was going as fast as the lightning flash
It was moving as quickly as a bolt of lightning
When the cyclist received the lash
When the cyclist was hit
The mother cried out in sorrows and pain
The mother cried out in grief and agony
I am not going to see my boy-child again
I will never see my son again
That is more sad
That is even more heartbreaking
While the workmen they were digging the ground
While the workers were excavating the earth
They ( ? ) all human beings they found
They found human remains
Feet together and head east and west
With feet next to each other and heads pointed in opposite directions
Number five was a watchman among the rest
One of the remains was a watchman
Number six had the hands and the feet on the chest
Another body had their hands and feet positioned on their chest
And number seven (something "serious guest"?)
And the seventh body was (unclear as to the meaning)
That shocked Trinidad
That caused surprise and horror in Trinidad
Those seven skeletons that the workmen found in that yard
The seven human skeletons that were discovered by workers in a yard
Contributed by Brody G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.