Fitzgerald Henry (13 January 1921 – 14 March 2007), better known as The Mig… Read Full Bio ↴Fitzgerald Henry (13 January 1921 – 14 March 2007), better known as The Mighty Terror, was a Trinidadian calypsonian.

He was born Fitzgerald Cornelius Henry in Anguilla Village, Arouca, Trinidad. He studied trumpet as a child and also sang in church and school choirs. His career started in 1947, and following the success of his "Negroes Know Thyself" he debuted at the Calypso Palace Tent in 1948. He joined the Young Brigade Tent in 1949, where he continued playing until leaving Trinidad in 1953. In 1950 he his first 78 release was "Changing of the Indian Song".

During his time in Trinidad he recorded first for Sa Gomes (1951), for Christopher (1952) and took part in the Dial sessions in 1953. He was one of the first major calypsonians to have records released on Emil Shallit's UK-based Melodisc Records, in 1950.
In 1953, he took a job as a fireman on a ship and arrived in England later that year, going first to London. In his own words:
"I jump in a taxi and I say, Do you know of a gentleman called Lord Kitchener? I figure he popular and a taxi driver should know. He tell me he dead long time ago. Not that one (I said). This one is a calypsonian from the West Indies, Trinidad."
Popular or not, the taxi driver had not heard of Lord Kitchener so took him to a West Indian club where he was given the phone number of guitarist Fitzroy Coleman. Terror moved in with the Colemans and within a month he was regularly singing in the clubs and had won a contract to sing a jingle for the BBC.

He continued recording for Melodisc in 1954 (scoring a hit with "Chinese Children", and following it up with other releases for the label, including "The Emperor of Africa," "Chopping Wood" and "Chinee Children Call Me Daddy") and took part in the Nixa sessions in 1958 (these tracks being released by Pye Records). With the significant commercial success of 1957's "Life in London" and "I'll Walk a Million Miles", he was named "Calypso King of Great Britain" at a charity concert organised by Claudia Jones after attacks on the West London black community, which was a prelude to the now famous Notting Hill Carnival.
The time between 1958 and 1964 was spent touring, first with Lord Kitchener and later with the Bert McLean Trio.

Terror returned to Trinidad in 1965 and won the Calypso King crown in 1966. In April 1966, he represented Trinidad at the Festival of Negro Arts in Dakar, Senegal.

In 1985 his home country awarded him the Silver Hummingbird Medal for services to Calypso music.

The Mighty Terror performed in Trinidad into his old age.

In later life he became ill with cancer of the throat, and after an appeal by his wife Gloria, Pan Trinbago and the National Carnival Commission (NCC) agreed to foot the bill for Nursing Home care once he left hospital. Patrick Arnold of Pan Trinbago said, "We felt a responsibility to spare him the ignominy of an existence that would rob him of his dignity and decided to do something about it," while Kenny Da Silva of the NCC added, "You can’t leave somebody like Terror to chance and to the vagaries of a life in an infirm condition in the winter of his years."

The Mighty Terror died aged 86 on 14 March 2007 as a result of throat cancer.

Like most Calypso, the Mighty Terror's songs tell a story. Many of them contain a lot of innuendo and some surprisingly explicit themes for the time they were released. Examples of a number of his themes follow:

"TV Calypso" - about buying his very first TV after being continually nagged by his wife and daughter.
"Patricia Gone With Millicent" - about his wife leaving him for a violent lesbian relationship.
"Kitch Cavalcade" - a tribute to Lord Kitchener.
"Calypso War" A tirade against "fake" calypsonians from Jamaica.
"Heading North" - about the racial discrimination in the Southern States of the U.S. at the time.
"Brownskin Gal" and "Jamaica Girl" - about the behaviour of American soldiers towards local girls in the Caribbean.
"Women Police in England" - about his efforts to get arrested by the "lovely blondy" policewoman he saw (inspired by Spoiler's "Women Police in Trinidad").

Chinese Children Call Me Daddy
Mighty Terror Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Since I small I living with women
And all I could get from them is false children
Some with blue eyes and some like Chinee
Any kind of child my girl make, she stick me
But I waiting on her patiently
Is about ten months now she ent kiss me
And you know the boldfaced woman does tell me
Any kind of child that born in my house, I'm the Daddy

I'm so ashamed I don't tell nobody
(Chinese children calling me Daddy)
You know my mother does want to beat me when
(Chinese children calling me Daddy)
But look I black like jet and she just like Tar Baby... still
(Chinese children calling me Daddy)
Well is left, right, in front and behind me
(Chinese children calling me Daddy)

One day I told Imelda
I don't want to be no child owner
If is anything, I must be the father
And don't always use me as Zappa
'Cause when you go romancing with Chong Lee
The results don't bring it back to me
Because I am too black and ugly
To have children with flat nose and their eyes are so chinkey

That's why I shame, I don't tell nobody
(Chinese children calling me Daddy)
You know my mother does want to beat me when
(Chinese children calling me Daddy)
For look I black like jet and she just like Tar Baby, still
(Chinese children calling me Daddy)
Well it is left, right, in front and behind me
(Chinese children calling me Daddy)

Well, I can't take no child with they eye so chinkey
Myself and my girl black, we ent no Chinee
So it is very plain that you can see
Some Chinese putting milk in the coffee
For when I plant corn, I reaping tannia
Well not me, I done with Imelda
I know when a negro clash with a negro
They can't make no other kind a child but a Congo

That's why I shame, I don't tell nobody
(Chinese children calling me Daddy)
You know my mother does want to beat me when
(Chinese children calling me Daddy)
For look I black like jet and she just like Tar Baby, still
(Chinese children calling me Daddy)

Well it is left, right, in front and behind me
(Chinese children calling me Daddy)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Mighty Terror's song "Chinese Children Call Me Daddy" tell the story of a man who has been deceived by his partner and has unknowingly fathered children who have features of Chinese descent. He expresses his frustration and embarrassment at being labeled as the father of these children, considering that he is black and his partner is not Chinese. Throughout the song, he discusses his relationship with Imelda, the mother of the children, and how he has come to the realization that he can no longer be involved with her after discovering the truth about the children's ancestry. The lyrics touch on themes of trust, deception, and racial identity in a humorous and satirical manner.

One interesting fact about the song is that it was released in 1954, during a time when interracial relationships were heavily stigmatized in many parts of the world. The lyrics reflect the discomfort and shame that many people felt about such relationships during this era. Another interesting fact is that the song was a hit in Trinidad and Tobago, where Mighty Terror was from, and helped to establish him as a prominent calypsonian. Additionally, the song was later covered by British rock band The Kinks and became a popular cover in the ska and reggae genres.

Line by Line Meaning

Since I small I living with women
From a young age, Mighty Terror has been living with women

And all I could get from them is false children
Despite being with these women, he only gets false children

Some with blue eyes and some like Chinee
These false children have different features, some with blue eyes and some resembling Chinese people

Any kind of child my girl make, she stick me
Regardless of the child's features, Mighty Terror is always stuck with being the father

But I waiting on her patiently
Despite the situation, Mighty Terror is patiently waiting for the truth to come out

Is about ten months now she ent kiss me
It's been almost a year since his girlfriend has kissed him

And you know the boldfaced woman does tell me
The girlfriend is bold enough to tell Mighty Terror that any child born in the house belongs to him

Any kind of child that born in my house, I'm the Daddy
No matter what kind of child is born, Mighty Terror is considered the father

I'm so ashamed I don't tell nobody
Mighty Terror is ashamed and keeps his situation a secret

(Chinese children calling me Daddy)
This line is repeated and is a chorus throughout the song representing Mighty Terror's shame of being labeled as the father of Chinese children

You know my mother does want to beat me when
Mighty Terror's mother wants to beat him when she hears about his situation

But look I black like jet and she just like Tar Baby... still
Mighty Terror's girlfriend has light skin while he is black, which makes the situation even more shameful for him

Well is left, right, in front and behind me
The shame is all around him, from every direction

One day I told Imelda
At some point, Mighty Terror spoke to his girlfriend Imelda

I don't want to be no child owner
Mighty Terror expresses that he does not want to be responsible for false children

If is anything, I must be the father
If there is going to be any child, Mighty Terror wants to truly be the father

And don't always use me as Zappa
Mighty Terror does not want to be used as a backup option for fatherhood

'Cause when you go romancing with Chong Lee
Mighty Terror's girlfriend Imelda is possibly seeing someone else named Chong Lee

The results don't bring it back to me
The children she has with this person do not belong to Mighty Terror

Because I am too black and ugly
Mighty Terror thinks that his looks could not produce children with the features his false children have

To have children with flat nose and their eyes are so chinkey
Mighty Terror believes that his and Imelda's features could not produce children with Chinese features

Well, I can't take no child with they eye so chinkey
Mighty Terror cannot accept children with Chinese features

Myself and my girl black, we ent no Chinee
Mighty Terror and his girlfriend are both black and not Chinese

So it is very plain that you can see
It is clear to see that these false children do not belong to them

Some Chinese putting milk in the coffee
Mighty Terror is convinced that these children belong to Chinese people who have relations with his girlfriend

For when I plant corn, I reaping tannia
Mighty Terror implies that if he plants corn, he expects to get corn and not tannia, just like how he expects his offspring to resemble him and his girlfriend

Well not me, I done with Imelda
Mighty Terror has ended the relationship with Imelda

I know when a negro clash with a negro
Mighty Terror knows that when two black people are together, they will produce black children

They can't make no other kind a child but a Congo
They cannot produce children with Chinese features like the false children he has had to take responsibility for

Contributed by Tristan E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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