He was born in San Fernando, Trinidad. He became active in calypso in the mid-1930s, and was considered a country bumpkin by his contemporaries, because of his humble beginning. It was Grant's tailor who gave him his moniker by commenting, "I tell you, Rupert, you should call yourself Lord Invader so when you go up to the city you be invadin' the capital." With a new name, in 1937 he went to the capital city of Port of Spain and began his career in earnest.
He competed in many calypso competitions (including the very first Calypso King competition) and recorded for RCA Bluebird. Lured by Decca Records, he travelled to New York City in 1941 with other calypsonians such as Roaring Lion and Atilla the Hun to make records and promote calypso music. He wrote many calypsos; his most famous lyrics, "Rum and Coca-Cola", were plagiarised by Morey Amsterdam and became a hit for the Andrews Sisters. Invader travelled to New York and sued, eventually winning compensation, although the final settlement allowed Amsterdam to retain his copyright. Ironically, In the early 1940s, radio stations in the USA would not play his own version on the grounds of its using the copyrighted name, Coca-Cola, and its references to prostitution and alcohol. He stayed in New York for a few years because of the lengthy court case. During his tenure in New York City, he became a fixture in the local calypso scene and recorded many tracks for Moses Asch. Eventually, he won his court case, but would not see his settlement check for seven years, so he returned to Trinidad in the meantime. He opened a calypso club there and penned and recorded many original songs.
He is often credited with writing "Zombie Jamboree", although the song was actually written by Lord Intruder (Winston O'Conner), who released it on the B-side of his 1953 single "Disaster with Police". It was covered by Conrad Eugene Mauge Jr, who recorded it in 1959 and was also often credited for writing it. The confusion probably stems from the introduction of the version by the Kingston Trio, which mentions "Lord Invader and his Twelve Penetrators". At long last, Invader collected his money from his court case, and began to tour the U.S., later expanding to Britain and Europe. In the last half of 1958, he returned to New York City and continued recording for Moses Asch. He would continue to return to his homeland for business and pleasure, although by now he had, with Wilmoth Houdini, made himself one of America's most successful calypsonians. On 15 October 1961, Lord Invader died at a Brooklyn, New York hospital.
The following discs give a good idea of his work:
Calypso in New York (Smithsonian Folkways 40454), released in 2000, is a collection of Invader's recordings across his whole career.
Calypso at Midnight and Calypso After Midnight come from a live recording organized by Alan Lomax in New York in 1946.
Calypso War, Kings of Calypso, and Trojan Calypso boxed set all feature the same set of songs recorded in the United Kingdom in the 1950s.
Folkways Records also have a number of CDs that Invader recorded in the late 1950s in New York, including, Calypso (1955), Calypso Travels, and There's a Brown Boy in the Ring and Other Children's Calypso Songs (1959).
In 1961, Invader released an atypical LP, West Indian Folk Songs for Children (Caedmon Records).
My Intention is War
Lord Invader Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What am I to do?
My mother dead and my father disown me
What am I to do?
Now I livinβ² in this world, I ain't got nobody
Not a brother, sister nor cousin family
But is war and rebellion when I meet calypsonian
My intention is war!
This insolent booby, delirious mule
Audacious slum monger, youβ²re out of rule
Your abnormal expression worth no while here,
And descend at once Pretender, and stop your sneering
You gabblous squabbler, illiterate ape
Now you are in a terrible scrape
And you resemble Manuel Gogo, a foul thief from Tobago
My intention is war!
In Lord Invader's song "My Intention is War," the lyrics tell the story of a man who has lost his mother and been disowned by his father, leaving him alone in the world without family or friends. The sense of abandonment and isolation is palpable as the singer declares his intention to go to war and rebellion. Through his lyrics, Lord Invader draws attention to the plight of the marginalized and the disenfranchised, those who have been cast aside by society and left to fend for themselves.
The second half of the song takes a different turn, as the singer addresses someone he calls an insolent booby and other insulting names. He berates this person, telling them to descend and stop their sneering. The insults culminate in a comparison to a foul thief from Tobago. The reason for the sudden shift in tone is not clear, but it adds an interesting layer of complexity to the song, hinting at interpersonal conflict and unresolved tensions.
Line by Line Meaning
Yes, my mother dead and my father disown me
My mother has passed away and my father has rejected me
What am I to do?
I am lost and unsure of what to do
Now I livinβ² in this world, I ain't got nobody
I am alone in this world with no one by my side
Not a brother, sister nor cousin family
I have no siblings or other family members
But is war and rebellion when I meet calypsonian
When I encounter a calypsonian, I am filled with the desire for war and rebellion
My intention is war!
I am determined to start a war and fight for what I believe in
This insolent booby, delirious mule
You are an arrogant fool and a raving lunatic
Audacious slum monger, youβ²re out of rule
You are a bold person who disregards the norms and laws of society
Your abnormal expression worth no while here,
Your abnormal behavior has no place in this society
And descend at once Pretender, and stop your sneering
You should leave immediately and stop your mocking behavior
You gabblous squabbler, illiterate ape
You are a chatterbox who likes to argue and an uneducated fool
Now you are in a terrible scrape
You are in a difficult situation
And you resemble Manuel Gogo, a foul thief from Tobago
You look and act like a notorious thief from Tobago named Manuel Gogo
Writer(s): Rupert Grant
Contributed by Juliana O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@MrQwerty88
Complete lyrics:
Lord Invader:
Yes, my mother dead and my father disown me / What am I to do? / My mother died and my father disown me / What am I to do? / I am livin' in this world, I ain't got nobody / Not a brother, sister, nor cousin, family / War and rebellion when I meet calypsonian / My intention is war.
Dictator, you insolent boobie, delirious mule / Audacious slum monger, you're out of rule / Your abnormal expressions worth no while in hearing / Descend at once, Dictator, and stop your sneering / You gabilous squabbler, illiterate ape / Now you are in a terrible scrape / Dictator, you resemble Manuel Gogo / A fowl thief from Tobago / My intention is war.
Mighty Dictator:
Now Lord Invader, why you pick on me? / Remember that I was near your family / Take it from me in calypso / Remember me once in San Fernando / Now believe I can give you the score / Remember, you were sleeping on the floor / I used to mash your head / Going to sleep on my bed / My intention is war.
Invader:
Now calypso singing is such a technical thing / It was not made for one and every to sing / How by the heavens can this songster win? / Except by necromancy, that is a sin / My head is like a book that is well compact / My tongue is like a gun that never yet snap / And I'm sorry, Dictator, / If he molest with Invader / My intention is war.
Dictator:
Now Lord Invader, fighting makes no sense / Why not say something of eloquence? / Talk about the boys playing the music / And with that, please do not do any trick / Remember that I am a Lord / And on the bass, we have Mr. Ford / The Duke Of Iron of calypso / The master playing the piano.
Invader:
Now Dictator, what a boobie / You're a calypsonian [ain't?] / To sing this verse I give you satisfaction / Hear the gentleman there, he's sitting up there / Sitting there, without any fear / Rhyme a verse extemporaneously / As to prove your singing ability / And if you give me satisfaction / You're known as the champion / My intention is war.
Dictator:
To sing on the gentleman, I'll take the choice / He's my friend, his name is Lawrence / He's a very great guitar player / And you can take this tip from the Dictator / On him I have to make no attack / He's sitting there all dressed in black / And I'll tell you why, he's a chap / He's wearing a red tie / My intention is war.
Invader:
I think we goin' out.
Now Mighty Dictator, put your hands in mine / That verse that you sung is well, superfine / You know that I know you in Trinidad / And you are king in singing calypso ballad.
Dictator:
Now Invader, you too are really great / And my statement no one can adjudicate / Put your hand in mine / Let our friendship remain sublime.
Invader:
War, war, war, war, war -- la da day, la da doy / La da day, la da day, la da doy.
@MrQwerty88
Complete lyrics:
Lord Invader:
Yes, my mother dead and my father disown me / What am I to do? / My mother died and my father disown me / What am I to do? / I am livin' in this world, I ain't got nobody / Not a brother, sister, nor cousin, family / War and rebellion when I meet calypsonian / My intention is war.
Dictator, you insolent boobie, delirious mule / Audacious slum monger, you're out of rule / Your abnormal expressions worth no while in hearing / Descend at once, Dictator, and stop your sneering / You gabilous squabbler, illiterate ape / Now you are in a terrible scrape / Dictator, you resemble Manuel Gogo / A fowl thief from Tobago / My intention is war.
Mighty Dictator:
Now Lord Invader, why you pick on me? / Remember that I was near your family / Take it from me in calypso / Remember me once in San Fernando / Now believe I can give you the score / Remember, you were sleeping on the floor / I used to mash your head / Going to sleep on my bed / My intention is war.
Invader:
Now calypso singing is such a technical thing / It was not made for one and every to sing / How by the heavens can this songster win? / Except by necromancy, that is a sin / My head is like a book that is well compact / My tongue is like a gun that never yet snap / And I'm sorry, Dictator, / If he molest with Invader / My intention is war.
Dictator:
Now Lord Invader, fighting makes no sense / Why not say something of eloquence? / Talk about the boys playing the music / And with that, please do not do any trick / Remember that I am a Lord / And on the bass, we have Mr. Ford / The Duke Of Iron of calypso / The master playing the piano.
Invader:
Now Dictator, what a boobie / You're a calypsonian [ain't?] / To sing this verse I give you satisfaction / Hear the gentleman there, he's sitting up there / Sitting there, without any fear / Rhyme a verse extemporaneously / As to prove your singing ability / And if you give me satisfaction / You're known as the champion / My intention is war.
Dictator:
To sing on the gentleman, I'll take the choice / He's my friend, his name is Lawrence / He's a very great guitar player / And you can take this tip from the Dictator / On him I have to make no attack / He's sitting there all dressed in black / And I'll tell you why, he's a chap / He's wearing a red tie / My intention is war.
Invader:
I think we goin' out.
Now Mighty Dictator, put your hands in mine / That verse that you sung is well, superfine / You know that I know you in Trinidad / And you are king in singing calypso ballad.
Dictator:
Now Invader, you too are really great / And my statement no one can adjudicate / Put your hand in mine / Let our friendship remain sublime.
Invader:
War, war, war, war, war -- la da day, la da doy / La da day, la da day, la da doy.
@MrSomethingElse
Best Diss Track Ever, Hands Down....
@ramsaran1234
This is classic extempo ππππππππππ
@joehiggs100
marvellous, thanks..
@thecrowquillnightowls8874
3:06. Awesome
@iyioku
K'anyi solu gbaa egwu, "Calypso". Long live the people of the tribe of Biafra.
@ruialexandrelopesdealmeida9770
what meen taht??
Yeah breddah all the time Does the tribe of Biafra come from the region of southern Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon?
@cristianverga6502
capolavoro
@TheSpaceJanitor
amazing
@colincabe9657
BARS