Mr. Robinson & Lock Joint
Mighty Sparrow Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Port of Spain got sewerage scheme
Well it′s now here clean
Port of Spain got sewerage scheme
Well it's now here clean
Lock Joint are picking up all the waste
From your place and that′s the case
I think it's a job of class,
The only dirty place now is the Labasse
Let me tell you...

I believe in sanitation (it is a good thing)
But Mr Robinson and Lock Joint (pulling and tugging)
You see, you got to buy food, you got to eat good
Before Lock Joint get something
But the taxman so fierce, the food getting scarce
Them pipe go live on wind

The big, big pipes that does carry plenty load
Down Mucurapo road
Well, the only impression that I got
St. James people does eat a lot
Diego Martin ain't making fun
With some good size one, just like in town
But Belmont and Laventille
Have the smallest switch pipe I ever see

Whey you talking?

The people they got in Belmont (also Laventille)
Can′t supply Lock Joint with nothing (in a quantity)
You see, they got to buy food, they got to eat good
Before Lock Joint get something
But the taxman so fierce, the food getting scarce
Them pipe going to live on wind

All through the city is big hole
Motor car lost control
Man, you bumping up like your riding on a camel
Dust block up your nostril
In New York you know about instant coffee
Instant tea for when you′re in a hurry
But in town here the case is blood
Every instant you inhale it's instant mud

Have you ever seen a cowboy (lassoing cattle?)
Kerchief round he nose through the dust (that was strong people)
If you ain′t sneezing, it's then you stifling
You fighting to stay healthy
Lock Joint is good for us but please keep down the dust
Them pipes going to stay empty

Dungaree and khaki is the thing
That is all people wearing
Executives and men who out on strike
Toute moune dress alike
When the wind blow for miles around
All through town, every building brown
You working hard to get it complete
But to know if it working we got to eat

Whey you talking?

I believe in sanitation (it is a good thing)
Mr Robinson and Lock Joint (pulling and tugging)
You got to buy food, you got to eat good
Before Lock Joint get something
But the taxman so fierce, the food getting scarce
Them pipe going to live on wind

Overall Meaning

The song "Mr. Robinson & Lock Joint" by Mighty Sparrow is a commentary on the Port of Spain's newly implemented sewerage system. The song begins by celebrating the arrival of the sewerage scheme to clean up the city, with Lock Joint being praised for their job of picking up all the waste. The only "dirty place" now is Labasse, meaning that the city is now generally clean and sanitary. However, the song shifts to criticism of the system when Mighty Sparrow begins to talk about the struggles that Lock Joint and Mr. Robinson face with the taxation system and scarce food supplies. The pipes that were meant to be filled with waste are now empty, living on the wind because the food is scarce, and the taxman is fierce.


Mighty Sparrow then goes on to talk about the dust, which has made life difficult for the people of Port of Spain. The dust is everywhere, covering the streets and buildings with brown. The workers are working hard to complete the sewerage system, but the song concludes with the idea that to know if the system is definitely working, the people need to eat.


Overall, the song is a commentary on the challenges that come with modernizing a city's sanitation system. It illustrates the issues faced by the workers and the government's taxation system, as well as the impact on the daily lives of the people.


Line by Line Meaning

Port of Spain got sewerage scheme
The city now has a new infrastructure for waste management.


Well it's now here clean
The streets are now clean and waste is being managed well.


Lock Joint are picking up all the waste
Lock Joint is responsible for collecting waste in the area.


From your place and that's the case
Lock Joint collects waste from each and every house in the vicinity.


I think it's a job of class,
Lock Joint's work is commendable.


The only dirty place now is the Labasse
The only place with some waste left is the vicinity of the Labasse.


I believe in sanitation (it is a good thing)
I support the idea of good waste management practices.


But Mr Robinson and Lock Joint (pulling and tugging)
Lock Joint is struggling to collect waste due to tax issues and the shortage of food.


You see, you got to buy food, you got to eat good
People need to have enough food and resources to prioritize waste management.


Before Lock Joint get something
People need to make sure they have enough food before contributing waste for Lock Joint to collect.


But the taxman so fierce, the food getting scarce
The high taxes are making it difficult for people to afford food.


Them pipe go live on wind
Waste cannot be collected if people do not have enough food to produce it.


The big, big pipes that does carry plenty load
The pipes can handle lots of waste.


Down Mucurapo road
The pipes are installed along Mucurapo road.


Well, the only impression that I got
My observation of the area is that


St. James people does eat a lot
People in St. James consume a lot of food.


Diego Martin ain't making fun
The people in Diego Martin take waste management seriously.


With some good size one, just like in town
Diego Martin faces the same waste management challenges as the city.


But Belmont and Laventille
The people in Belmont and Laventille


Have the smallest switch pipe I ever see
Have very little waste to dispose of.


The people they got in Belmont (also Laventille)
The people in Belmont and Laventille


Can't supply Lock Joint with nothing (in a quantity)
Cannot contribute enough waste for Lock Joint to collect.


All through the city is big hole
There are many construction sites in the city.


Motor car lost control
The roads are chaotic and difficult to drive in due to construction work.


Man, you bumping up like your riding on a camel
Vehicles are facing bumpy rides due to uneven and unsurfaced roads.


Dust block up your nostril
The construction work is causing excessive dust in the area.


In New York you know about instant coffee
Instant beverages are popular in New York.


Instant tea for when you're in a hurry
Instant tea is a quick and popular beverage choice.


But in town here the case is blood
However, in this town, waste is a bigger problem than the need for instant beverages.


Every instant you inhale it's instant mud
The excessive dust in the area results in breathing in solid particles of dirt.


Have you ever seen a cowboy (lassoing cattle?)
Have you ever seen a cowboy catching cattle with a lasso?


Kerchief round he nose through the dust (that was strong people)
Cowboys wore handkerchiefs on their noses to protect themselves from the strong dust.


If you ain't sneezing, it's then you stifling
The dust is so strong that it can cause one to either sneeze or stifle.


You fighting to stay healthy
People are trying to stay healthy despite the unhygienic conditions.


Lock Joint is good for us but please keep down the dust
Lock Joint is good for the area, but there needs to be a solution to minimize dust during construction work.


Them pipes going to stay empty
Unless people produce enough waste, the pipes will have nothing to collect.


Dungaree and khaki is the thing
People are wearing mostly dungarees and khaki clothing.


That is all people wearing
The dress code is simple and limited to work clothing.


Executives and men who out on strike
Even executives and strikers follow the dress code.


Toute moune dress alike
Everyone dresses similarly.


When the wind blow for miles around
When the wind blows for a long distance


All through town, every building brown
All buildings in town are covered with brown dust.


You working hard to get it complete
Efforts are being made to complete the construction work.


But to know if it working we got to eat
The success of the waste management system can be determined by the cleanliness of the food we eat.




Writer(s): Slinger Francisco

Contributed by Allison A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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