Sparrow's roots are in Gran Roi, a rural fishing village in Grenada. He was born to a poor working class family. They migrated to his adopted homeland, Trinidad, when he was just one year old. He attended the New Town Boys School where he was selected to sing in the boys. choir of St. Patrick's Catholic Church. This was his initial involvement in music. The harmonics of the Gregorian Chants and the Plainsongs of the church that were embedded in him would later affect the depth and intensity of his compositions. His vocal abilities also reflect his childhood role as the head choirboy who sang baritone and tenor in Latin in the church.
Other influences included listening to American street quartets, pop tunes by Nat King Cole and Frankie Laine, Sarah Vaughn, Billy Eckstein, Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald with their jazz contributions, and the early calypsoes of Lord Melody, Lord Kitchener, Lord Christo, Lord Invader (of Rum and Coca Cola fame) and the Mighty Spoiler, to name a few.
At the tender age of 20, Sparrow emerged, as the leading Calypsonian with his record-breaking hit, Jean and Dinah. (Yankees Gone, 1956 covered by Harry Belafonte). Throughout the years he managed to showcase his diversity each year with the release of at least one album dating from the catchy Jean and Dinah. in 1956 to Carnival Boycott (1957, a song responsible for the many changes and improvement for mass men, calypsonians and steelband men). This song was eventually responsible for the formation of the Carnival Development Committee. An organization to assist calypsonians, steelband men and mas men. This committee was fully endorsed by the Founding Father of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. Eric Eustace Williams.
In 1958 he became the only calypsonian to have had a triple win, in the same year, in the Road March Competition. The calypsoes were P.A.Y.E. (Pay As You Earn, a song that enabled the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago, to understand the importance of paying taxes). Russian Satellite (a song reflecting on the act of cruelty to animals) and Theresa (a number where, for the first time in his career, he utilized other languages). In an unprecedented move, he was awarded a cash prize by the Carnival Development Committee, for winning the Road March Competition that year.
In 1959 he released Federation, (a song that reflected his disappointment over the breaking up of the proposed Caribbean Federation). In 1960 his career continued to soar with the melodious May May and Leave the damn Doctor, Royal Jail and Ten to one is Murder followed in 1961. In 1962 he presented us with Sparrow Come Back Home and Model Nation. Dan is the Man in the Van came in 1963 and the Village Ram in 1964.
In 1965 we experienced Congo Man. In that same year Sparrow proved himself a balladeer with his remake of Arthur Prysock's original, Only A Fool Breaks His Own Heart accompanied by Byron Lee and the Dragonaires. This rendition won him a Gold Record in Holland. He also recorded Frank Sinatra's My Way and Lucho Gatica's "El Reloj".
In 1966, He won the Road March Competition again with Melda and 1967 he advised the youth on the importance of Education. Mr. Walker was his hit in 1968, he won the Road March Competition again in 1969 with Sa Sa Yea and in 1970 he appealed to the people of this world to Love one Another and Lend A Hand. These songs appealed to the country for unity "Unity somehow if Trinidad ever needed you is now".
In 1971 Good Citizen followed and in 1972 he won the Calypso Monarch and Road March Competitions with Drunk and Disorderly. No Kind of Man at all was released in 1973 and We Pass That Stage (a strong social commentary in 1974. In 1975 he gave us a psychological analysis, showing where the rich is envious of the poor with Neurosis of the Rich. The Mayor of Detroit, Coleman Young, also presented him with the keys to the city.
In 1976 we got the humorous Salt Fish, and in 1977 he lead the Caribbean with a tribute to Hasley Crawford, the Olympic Gold Medallist. In the same year, during FESTAC, in Nigeria, Sparrow received the honorary title of Chief of the Yorubas, (which is Chief Omo Wale of Ikoyi).
In 1978 he paid tribute to Penny Commissiong (the first black Miss Universe) with The First Black Miss Universe, and chided Idi Amin Dada, tyrant in Africa. Kerry Packer (a song about the cricket revolution) followed in 1979 and in 1980 the Shah of Iran (Wanted Dead or Alive ). This number was covered by the popular American group, Manhattan Transfer.
Sparrow continued to climb the ladder of success while becoming the most popular caypsonian of all time. He demonstrated year after year, with his social commentaries that the calypsonian is really the eyes and ears of the people. In 1981 he registered his social/political Commentaries. We Like It So and his first chutney contribution Sexy Marajhin another liguistic inclusion. In 1982 he gave us Human Rights and in 1983 another powerful, State of the Union address Capitalism Gone Mad. He added another Road March title to his record in 1984 with Doh Back Back and in 1985 he demonstrated to the youth in the business that he can step up to another level when necessary with Soca Pressure.
Around this same time, Mayor Ed Koch of New York proclaimed March 18th, The Mighty Sparrow Day. He dealt with another evil of society in 1986 advising the vulnerable that Coke Is Not It. In 1987 he thrilled the world with another classic, the humorous Lying Excuses. He made another appearance in Nigeria, this time as Chief Omo Wale of Ikoyi, during his National Tour of Afirca and upon his return he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree, Doctor of Letters, from the University of the West Indies. Hence, the reason for Dr. Bird his chronicling of the event at the University of the West Indies, (using humor again as he always does She had a headache and this Dr. Bird performed a myomectamy on her) in 1988.
Manjhay, and Dutch Romance (which gave us a touch of French and Dutch languages) in 1989. In 1990 he gave us Let the Music Play and was inducted into the SUNSHINE Awards Calypso and Steelband Music Hall of Fame on June 24th. That same day the Brooklyn Borough President, Howard Golder proclaimed the day The Mighty Sparrow Day. Another strong social commentary, We Could Make It Easy If We Try and Precious a dedication to his daughter followed in 1991.
Sparrow continued to define the true meaning of "The Calypso King of the World. In 1992 with Both of Them, Crown Heights Justice and Man will Survive. All making a big impact in the Caribbean and the United States.
In 1993 he sang Put On Your Dancing Shoes and More the Merrier and in 1994 told the youth on his heels that Age Is Just A Number and Salvation, underscoring his roots as a choirboy in the church. In 1995 he gave us a course in history where once again he kept the linguistic involvement Democracy In Haiti (Liberte) and a keen sense of observation with the social situation at home This Is Madness, ("Why have we cast aside intelligence and abandon common sense with unprecedented violence for which there is no known defense"). Incidentally these gems earned him third place in the Calypso Monarch Competition. He gave us OJ (the juice is loose) and the Royal Divorce in 1996 and an assortment of Soca Ballads in 1997.
This illustrious lyricist/composer/singer/comedian/entertainer is an 11 time Calypso Monarch. This includes winning the King of Kings Competition (where every monarch in the calypso world is invited to compete against the Mighty Sparrow, each time suffering total defeat at his hands) in Trinidad. He also won the Trinidad and Tobago's Carnival Road March Competition eight (8) times, second only to the Lord Kitchener, (his songs were selected and played most often by the bands in this category). Sparrow received many other University citations and awards from Governments and organizations too numerous to mention.
Now in 1998, The Mighty Sparrow, continues to rule the Calypso/Soca world with his voice, lyrics and melodies. He is demonstrating once more that he is the King. His new release, The Supreme Serenader is full of dance, humor and facts. The first track Paramaribo is not only a beautiful rendition of how he was captivated by the girls in Surinam but it also demonstrates the depth of his thoughts and his gratitude for a land of style and grace.
Santo Domingo is a track full of dance and proof positive that the King is truly global with his music. He will be embraced by the Latino communities around the world for this one. Racism is a very powerful social commentary, both lyrically and musically. In this song, Sparrow once again deals with an issue of international concern while at the same time reflecting on those who have been in the forefront of the struggle.
Willie Dead is a humorously and classically executed double entendre, so convincing that you will mourn for Willie. Another powerful and appealing social commentary is Raperman. The King assumes the role of messenger and protector of women and underscores his position with the following tracks, Born To Love, and Don't Give It Up.
The Mighty Sparrow has proved himself as the Quintessential Calypsonian, par excellence, with over seventy (70) albums to his credit. He is richly endowed with many gifts. He possesses an amazing ability not only to put into works and tempo the exploits of society, but to crown it all with showmanship and appeal. His great contribution to the artform and our lives has unraveled the mysteries of Caribbean life, leaving the professionally trained sociologist and economist befuddled.
A combination of talent, hard work and opportunity enabled Sparrow's ascendance to Calypso King of the World. He brought honor, glory and dignity to an indigenous art form that was once scorned upon by the elite of Caribbean society. He is one extraordinary entertainer who utilizes the medium he masters not just to entertain but also to edify, enlighten, and educate.
The King is currently preparing for the new millennium when he will re-enter the World Monarch and Road March Competitions for a cataclysmic encounter with his competitors.
Without doubt, as The Mighty Sparrow, The King of Kings, is the real Supreme Serenader.
Wanted Dead Or Alive
Mighty Sparrow Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The year, 1979
From Uganda to Nicaragua
It's bombs and bullets all the time
So they corrupt, so they vile
So it's coup after coup all the while
Human rights they violate
They thought they were so great
So in disgrace now they live in exile
Gairy is a wanted man
Idi Amin is a wanted man
Shah of Iran tried so hard to survive
He, too, is wanted dead or alive
Strikes, demonstrations & wars
Injustice is always the cause
Politicians turn too soon from
Poor people into tycoons
Corruption must bring harass
South African Vorster resign in disgrace
Muzurewa take away Ian Smith place
The Uganda devil was easily cat straddled
Beaten up and chased - what a waste.
Gairy is a wanted man
Patrick John is a wanted man
The Shah of Iran try so hard to survive
He too was wanted dead or alive.
The shah had a short time to live
Because the Ayatollah don't forgive
When you see church ruling state
With pure vengeance and hate
Situation must be explosive
General Somoza from Nicaragua
Thought it was easy with the Sandinistas
With the help of Venezuela, Panama and Cuba
They kick him straight to America.
Gairy is a wanted man
Bokassa is a wanted man
Ali Bhutto try so hard to survive
He too was wanted dead or alive.
Grenada mongoose was bad and so brave
They send the old bishop straight to the grave
After that well Gairy skip town
With the diary of the Obeah gong
No more people to enslave
Trinidad neighbors expected more mayhem
Anytime anything can happen to them
Eric Williams taking a backseat to avoid
Bacchanal
But everybody know he a fraidy cat
Gairy is a wanted mam
Park Chung Hee was a wanted man
Acheam Pong fight so hard to survive
He too was wanted dead or alive
The lyrics of Mighty Sparrow's song Wanted Dead Or Alive depict the state of turmoil and political unrest that prevailed in several countries during the year 1979. The song highlights the rule of tyrants and their eventual fall from power. The opening lines of the song emphasize that the era of tyrants is coming to an end, with the decline of their power. The song goes on to list the many countries where bombs and bullets are being used as means of achieving political objectives. The depiction of the brutality of these regimes is stark - they are corrupt, they violate human rights and they thought they were great. However, they are now living in exile, shamed and disgraced.
The song further lists the names of several tyrants who were infamous at that time - Gairy, Idi Amin, and Shah of Iran. Each of them is a "wanted man," either dead or alive. Strikes, demonstrations, and wars are a constant feature in these countries where the rule of law has broken down, and the politicians have become tycoons, thriving on corruption. The song suggests that the political situation will become volatile when the church starts to rule the state with pure vengeance and hate. The song concludes by listing more names of tyrants, and the fact that some of them fall from power while some continue to fight desperately to remain in power.
Line by Line Meaning
The rule of the tyrants decline
The tyrants are on the decline
The year, 1979
This is happening in the year 1979
From Uganda to Nicaragua
This is happening in Uganda and Nicaragua
It's bombs and bullets all the time
There is constant violence with bombs and bullets
So they corrupt, so they vile
The tyrants are corrupt and vile
So it's coup after coup all the while
There are constant coups taking place
Human rights they violate
The tyrants violate human rights
They thought they were so great
They believed they were great
So in disgrace now they live in exile
Now they live in exile, in disgrace
Gairy is a wanted man
Gairy is wanted
Idi Amin is a wanted man
Idi Amin is wanted
Shah of Iran tried so hard to survive
The Shah of Iran is trying hard to survive
He, too, is wanted dead or alive
He is wanted, dead or alive
Strikes, demonstrations & wars
There are strikes, demonstrations, and wars
Injustice is always the cause
Injustice is the cause of these events
Politicians turn too soon from Poor people into tycoons
Politicians become tycoons too quickly, leaving poor people behind
Corruption must bring harass
Corruption brings harassment
South African Vorster resign in disgrace
Vorster of South Africa resigns in disgrace
Muzurewa take away Ian Smith place
Muzurewa takes Ian Smith's place
The Uganda devil was easily cat straddled
The tyrant of Uganda was easily defeated
Beaten up and chased - what a waste.
The tyrant was beaten up and chased away
Patrick John is a wanted man
Patrick John is wanted
The shah had a short time to live
The Shah of Iran had a short time to live
Because the Ayatollah don't forgive
The Ayatollah does not forgive
When you see church ruling state
When the church rules the state
With pure vengeance and hate
With pure vengeance and hate
Situation must be explosive
The situation must be explosive
General Somoza from Nicaragua
General Somoza from Nicaragua
Thought it was easy with the Sandinistas
Thought it was easy with the Sandinistas
With the help of Venezuela, Panama, and Cuba
With the help of Venezuela, Panama, and Cuba
They kick him straight to America.
They kick him straight to America
Bokassa is a wanted man
Bokassa is wanted
Ali Bhutto try so hard to survive
Ali Bhutto is trying hard to survive
He too was wanted dead or alive.
He is wanted, dead or alive
Grenada mongoose was bad and so brave
The Grenada mongoose is bad and brave
They send the old bishop straight to the grave
They killed the old bishop
After that well Gairy skip town
After that, Gairy left town
With the diary of the Obeah gong
With the diary of the Obeah gong
No more people to enslave
There are no more people to enslave
Trinidad neighbors expected more mayhem
Trinidad's neighbors expected more trouble
Anytime anything can happen to them
Anything can happen to them at any time
Eric Williams taking a backseat to avoid Bacchanal
Eric Williams is trying to avoid trouble
But everybody know he a fraidy cat
Everyone knows he is a coward
Park Chung Hee was a wanted man
Park Chung Hee was wanted
Acheam Pong fight so hard to survive
Acheam Pong is fighting hard to survive
He too was wanted dead or alive
He is wanted, dead or alive
Contributed by Stella R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@mrmjb1960
Love this! This used to play on New York's FM Stations all the time!
@DIAMONDGIRL57
Yup!!! 👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽
@seanhoward1534
I haven't heard this song in over 40 years
Thank you.
Thank you you tube.
@laawaer7265
I clearly remember this song playing over the airwaves after the Grenada revolution,which took place on the March 13th ,1979.This is one song that I'll never forget.Hearing it still reminds me of the time period growing up in Grenada. I was 7 when the revolution happened and 12 by the time the Americans invaded on October 23,1983.Both events scared the life out of me!
@Trinavara
This song was also a big part of my childhood, basically teached me current affairs , especially what was going on in Grenada so close .
@ignaciopullum9891
Central America and the Caribbean was on fire during the time
@Jazzhog
Sparrow tells the story in epic form ! One of the greatest songs ever...
@ajstlucie6423
Timeless music will fit any age.
Hail Hail Sparrow!
@DJJAZZYREAVES
I REMEMBER HEARIN THIS ON WBLS BACK IN THE DAY!!!!!
@deniseandread
It's was on 1980