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.
We Could Make It Easy If We Try
Mighty Sparrow Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Learn to live in peace together
Demonstrating we could make it
By doing the things we′ve been doing together so long
Things hard but we don't have to spoil one another reputation
Gone away, blabbing your mouth like you mad
The lies you tell, like you really hate Trinidad
After all these years united, politicians come with lies
Exciting people, dividing people with mischief and mamguay
But we could make it, we could make it, you and I
We could make it easy if we try
Side by side, we grow up
Sharing laughter, sharing tears
Through the good times, even the bad times
We come out and support one another all the way
Look how we celebrate the same religious and public holiday
Of course, we have disagreements that we must face
But that doesn′t mean politicians must bring up race
It's too much hate and racial tension
Too much politics of spite
Tell your leaders, preachers and teachers
That rhetoric have to die
'Cause we could make it we could make it, you and I
We could make it easy, easy if we try.
We had the same schooling
Basically we had same housing
We called other "Neighbour, neighbour!"
Racism never entered our hearts before
Now all of a sudden like both ah we fighting civil war
Where did you learn to treat me with such disregard?
Those who fan the flames of hatred
They themselves, they don′t know why
If you let them people succeed, they go put water in we eye
I say we could make it, we could make it, you and I
We could make it easy, if we try
Racism is poison
For the advocators, there′s no pardon
To have friends and neighbours become total strangers
And calling each other names to cause injury
We allowing them damn politicians to divide and rule, we
To abide politics of hate is suicide
When peaceful coexistence is tested and tried
You say you facing persecution?
"No freedom" you jump and cry
Now with Canadian immigration, deportation
Back home you have to die
And we could make it, we could make it, you and I
We could make it easy, if we try
We could make it, we could make it, you and I, baby
Afro, Indo-Trinidadian
We are one, there's no deny
Tell them I tell you, no Dougla have to bow their head and be shy
′Cause we could make it, we could make it, you and I
We could make it easy, if we try
The lyrics to Mighty Sparrow's "We Could Make It Easy If We Try" speak about unity and peaceful coexistence among the people of Trinidad and Tobago. He urges everyone to respect one another and learn to live in peace together. Despite the challenges and disagreements that may arise, Sparrow emphasizes that they should not let politicians bring up race, hate, and division. He emphasizes that they have come out and supported one another through the good times and the bad times, sharing laughter and tears. Sparrow highlights that racism is poison and that allowing politicians to divide and rule is suicide. He ends by saying that they are one people, regardless of their Afro or Indo background, and that they could make it easy if they try.
Line by Line Meaning
Respect one another
We should treat each other with respect.
Learn to live in peace together
We need to learn to coexist peacefully.
Demonstrating we could make it
We can show that we can succeed.
By doing the things we've been doing together so long
We can succeed by continuing to work together as we have been doing for a long time.
Things hard but we don't have to spoil one another reputation
We will face challenges, but we should not attack each other's reputations.
Gone away, blabbing your mouth like you mad
When people spread lies and hate, it destroys our ability to come together.
The lies you tell, like you really hate Trinidad
When people spread lies and hate, it can appear as though they don't love their own country.
After all these years united, politicians come with lies
Despite our history of unity, politicians sometimes use lies to divide us.
Exciting people, dividing people with mischief and mamaguay
Politicians try to excite and divide people with false information and deceitful tactics.
But we could make it, we could make it, you and I
Despite these challenges, we can still succeed if we work together.
Side by side, we grow up
We have grown up alongside each other.
Sharing laughter, sharing tears
We have shared good times and hard times together.
Through the good times, even the bad times
We have been there for each other during all times, good and bad.
We come out and support one another all the way
We support each other throughout all of our endeavors.
Look how we celebrate the same religious and public holiday
We share many of the same traditions and celebrate together.
Of course, we have disagreements that we must face
We have disputes that we need to deal with.
But that doesn't mean politicians must bring up race
We should not let politicians use race as a tool to divide us.
It's too much hate and racial tension
There is too much animosity and division based on race.
Too much politics of spite
There is too much political maneuvering based on spite.
Tell your leaders, preachers and teachers
We need to inform our leaders, religious figures, and educators.
That rhetoric have to die
We need to put an end to the harmful rhetoric that divides us.
We had the same schooling
We received the same education.
Basically we had same housing
We lived in similar housing situations.
We called other "Neighbour, neighbour!"
We referred to each other as 'Neighbor.'
Racism never entered our hearts before
We did not harbor any racism in the past.
Now all of a sudden like both ah we fighting civil war
We are now seemingly fighting each other like in a civil war.
Where did you learn to treat me with such disregard?
Why have you started to disrespect me?
And when did you learn Douglarisation is so bad?
When did you start believing that it's bad to have mixed heritage?
Those who fan the flames of hatred
Those who spread hate and division.
They themselves, they don't know why
They may not understand why they are spreading hate.
If you let them people succeed, they go put water in we eye
If we allow these people to succeed, they will cause us harm.
Racism is poison
Racism can be toxic and harmful.
For the advocators, there's no pardon
There is no excuse for advocating for racist beliefs.
To have friends and neighbours become total strangers
It's harmful when people who were once friends and neighbors become estranged from each other.
And calling each other names to cause injury
Name-calling and insults are hurtful and only cause further division.
We allowing them damn politicians to divide and rule, we
We are allowing politicians to divide and rule over us.
To abide politics of hate is suicide
Allowing hate to dominate our politics will lead to our downfall.
When peaceful coexistence is tested and tried
We have shown that peaceful coexistence is possible and we need to continue to strive for it.
You say you facing persecution?
Are you claiming to be persecuted?
"No freedom" you jump and cry
You are the one who is crying about a lack of freedom.
Now with Canadian immigration, deportation
With the possibility of being deported from Canada,
Back home you have to die
You may face death when you return home.
Afro, Indo-Trinidadian
Referring to people of African and Indian descent in Trinidad.
We are one, there's no deny
We are all one people.
Tell them I tell you, no Dougla have to bow their head and be shy
Mixed-race people do not have to feel ashamed or inferior.
'Cause we could make it, we could make it, you and I
Together, we can succeed.
We could make it easy, if we try
We can achieve success if we work towards it.
We could make it, we could make it, you and I, baby
We can achieve success together.
Writer(s): Slinger Francisco
Contributed by David V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@TheKingofAndrosica
A song America needs today!
@brooklyn6times
Respect, Peace, and Harmony! The Mighty Sparrow and his 1991 hit!
@ExodusPessoa
Great Song Great Message
@riyadhrafique8377
This is a song for every nation under dictatorship. A song where democracy is under siege. This is an a message for every politician- Prime Minister, President, Senator, Alderman- stop the foolishness. Dont only tell the public what they want to hear, and then on the the first day on the job, to the day you resign from office, you have your own agenda!!!!
@dextersaintjocke
There won't be another like Birdie again, the might sparrow is king
@milesty9451
Sorry to be so off topic but does anybody know a way to get back into an instagram account..?
I was stupid forgot my password. I would appreciate any tricks you can offer me!
@romeomarley456
@Miles Ty instablaster :)