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Lion And Donkey
Mighty Sparrow Lyrics


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Bo Lion and Donkey arguing
De two of dem, well who is really king
Bo Lion and Donkey arguing
Between de two of dem, who is really king, hmmm...
Well, de argument reach a height
De committee say, "Let dem fight!"
All but monkey backing lion
De whole animal kingdom in confusion.

Hear dey bawling...

(Beat de man, lion, buss he head!)
All them animals gone crazy
(Beat de man, lion, buss he head!)
Even de referee, he and all against donkey, he bawling
(Beat de man, lion, buss he head!)
A donkey is an ass and he have no brain
Lion bite away donkey tail and had de poor ass in pain.

Lion know donkey ain't easy
So he decide to fight carefully
But de way de crowd encouraging
He get brave and he start to swing, hmmm...
A left and a right to head... Woop too!
Upper cut, I say donkey dead
Donkey tumble down on de floor
Elephant, goat and tiger began to roar.

Hear they bawling...

(Lick him down, lion, lick him down!)
Take yuh paws and rip 'way he belly
(Lick him down, lion, lick him down!)
Only monkey crying for donkey
(Lick him down, lion, lick him down!)
This time, lion in a temper only sharing blows
Rip away all of donkey clothes
And had de whole ass exposed, hey!

Monkey bawl, "Hey man, ring de bell!"
Crapaud say, "For what? Go to hell!"
"Well, all right use de secret weapon
And teach a lesson to dis damn lion"
Referee Mr. Unicorn say, "It's a forgone conclusion
Time to ring de bell really pass
But a miracle couldn't save your partner ass"

(Knock him out, lion, knock him out!)
Donkey getting tired and backing
(Knock him out, lion, knock him out!)
Lion fouling but de referee ain't warning
(Knock him out, lion, knock him out!)
Lion take a stool and really knock him down
Dog and all start to laugh at this
Big naked ass on de ground.

Hear they singing...

In a clinch, donkey kiss lion
Calling him a macomere man
Lion get so vex he change up he style
No more bobbing and weaving, he fighting wild
When he had donkey at arm's length
He pelt a bolo with all his strength
Donkey weave and dat was de case
Lion spin, donkey grab him around he waist.

Hear de referee...

(Dat is foul, donkey, dat is foul)
Donkey tell de referee, "Yes, I know."
(Dat is foul, donkey, dat is foul)
"Ho-ho. Maybe, but dis is one fowl dat could crow!"
(Break, I say, donkey, break, I say)
Monkey say, "I don't know what is wrong wid you.
Why de hell you talking 'bout
Break, break, break...
And is dat he trying to do?"

Overall Meaning

The song "Lion and Donkey (Rematch)" by Mighty Sparrow is a humorous commentary on power struggles and conflicts that arise when two individuals fight for dominance. The song depicts a fight between a lion and a donkey, as they argue about who is the real king. Eventually, a committee decides to let them fight it out to determine the winner. However, the fight creates chaos and confusion among the animals in the kingdom. The lyrics describe the fight in detail, with the lion being portrayed as the stronger and more skilled fighter. However, at the end of the song, the donkey manages to get the last word in, sarcastically crowing like a rooster despite being defeated.


The song is a clever satire on the nature of power and the potentially destructive outcomes of conflicts over it. The lyrics are witty and entertaining, with a rhythmic and catchy melody that draws the listener in. The chorus is particularly memorable, as it repeats the animals' cries to "beat the man, lion, bust his head," creating a sense of tension and excitement in the listener. Overall, the song is a lighthearted and humorous reflection on the absurdity of power struggles and the importance of humility.


Line by Line Meaning

Bo Lion and Donkey arguing
Lion and Donkey are having an argument


De two of dem, well who is really king
They are arguing about who is the real king


Between de two of dem, who is really king, hmmm...
Both parties are questioning who is the true king


Well, de argument reach a height
The argument has escalated


De committee say, "Let dem fight!"
The committee decides to have them fight it out


All but monkey backing lion
Everyone except the monkey supports Lion


De whole animal kingdom in confusion.
The entire animal kingdom is in chaos


(Beat de man, lion, buss he head!)
The animals are encouraging Lion to beat Donkey up


All them animals gone crazy
The animals have lost their minds


(Beat de man, lion, buss he head!)
The animals are again encouraging Lion to beat up Donkey


Even de referee, he and all against donkey, he bawling
Even the referee is against Donkey, and he is crying out loud


(Beat de man, lion, buss he head!)
They continue to encourage Lion to beat up Donkey


A donkey is an ass and he have no brain
Someone insults Donkey by saying he is stupid


Lion bite away donkey tail and had de poor ass in pain.
Lion bites Donkey's tail, causing him to feel pain


Lion know donkey ain't easy
Lion knows that Donkey is not an easy opponent


So he decide to fight carefully
Lion decides to be cautious in his fighting strategy


But de way de crowd encouraging
However, the crowd is encouraging Lion to be more aggressive


He get brave and he start to swing, hmmm...
Lion gets brave and starts to fight more aggressively


A left and a right to head... Woop too!
Lion punches Donkey in the head


Upper cut, I say donkey dead
Lion delivers a final blow to Donkey, knocking him down


Donkey tumble down on de floor
Donkey falls to the ground


Elephant, goat and tiger began to roar.
Other animals start to cheer on Lion


(Lick him down, lion, lick him down!)
The animals are still encouraging Lion to beat up Donkey


Take yuh paws and rip 'way he belly
Someone commands Lion to hurt Donkey even more


(Lick him down, lion, lick him down!)
The animals continue to encourage Lion to beat up Donkey


This time, lion in a temper only sharing blows
Lion is angry and is only exchanging blows with Donkey


Rip away all of donkey clothes
Lion tears off Donkey's clothes


And had de whole ass exposed, hey!
Donkey is now naked for all to see


Monkey bawl, "Hey man, ring de bell!"
The monkey yells at the referee to stop the fight


Crapaud say, "For what? Go to hell!"
Someone else tells the monkey to shut up


"Well, all right use de secret weapon
The monkey suggests using a secret weapon


And teach a lesson to dis damn lion"
The monkey wants to teach the lion a lesson


Referee Mr. Unicorn say, "It's a forgone conclusion
The referee says that the outcome is already determined


Time to ring de bell really pass
It is too late to stop the fight


But a miracle couldn't save your partner ass"
Even a miracle couldn't save Donkey now


(Knock him out, lion, knock him out!)
The animals are again encouraging Lion to knock Donkey out


Donkey getting tired and backing
Donkey is tired and retreating


(Knock him out, lion, knock him out!)
The animals continue to encourage Lion to knock Donkey out


Lion take a stool and really knock him down
Lion uses a stool to knock Donkey down


Dog and all start to laugh at this
The other animals laugh at Donkey's misfortune


Big naked ass on de ground.
Donkey is lying naked on the ground


In a clinch, donkey kiss lion
Donkey kisses Lion in a headlock


Calling him a macomere man
Donkey insults Lion by calling him a womanizer


Lion get so vex he change up he style
Lion gets angry and changes his fighting style


No more bobbing and weaving, he fighting wild
Lion is no longer being cautious in his fighting style


When he had donkey at arm's length
Lion has Donkey within reach


He pelt a bolo with all his strength
Lion delivers a powerful punch to Donkey


Donkey weave and dat was de case
Donkey avoids the punch


Lion spin, donkey grab him around he waist.
Lion tries to spin, but Donkey grabs him around the waist


(Dat is foul, donkey, dat is foul)
The referee calls a foul on Donkey


Donkey tell de referee, "Yes, I know."
Donkey agrees with the referee


(Dat is foul, donkey, dat is foul)
The referee again calls a foul on Donkey


"Ho-ho. Maybe, but dis is one fowl dat could crow!"
Donkey defends his actions by making a pun


(Break, I say, donkey, break, I say)
The referee tells Donkey to break the hold


Monkey say, "I don't know what is wrong wid you.
The monkey questions Donkey's behavior


Why de hell you talking 'bout
The monkey doesn't understand why Donkey is talking


Break, break, break...
The referee continues to tell Donkey to break the hold


And is dat he trying to do?"
The monkey is confused about Donkey's actions




Contributed by Adeline J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@Kuanza247

I did a project on this song in 6th grade, that was 2012. Its now 2024 and here I am still!! 😊πŸ₯°πŸ₯°πŸ₯° GOLDEN SONG

@veronicakashaka3299

Wonderful, what a beautiful old time calypso. Thanks for up loading this.

@johnlaquis3310

My favorite Sparrow- masterpiece

@KIKKeepinItKool

Sparrow just gotta love him.M.from Barrbados

@nanpiggott4276

A classic love it, how could not give this a THUMBS UP. lol

@thomashassarath1799

. .,

@WOODSPHOTOGRAPHY

There is no other like the Mighty Sparrow. George from Sugar City - St Kitts

@lloydpeltier6684

No comment king sparrrow is boss with this tune education children go to school and learn well all the best to king sparrow.

@Hydrotoxic

chune boi chuuuuuuuune

@hindspeter3275

I like these cats.They really make the day.Peter Carlos Hinds.King of the Zulus.

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