Sizzla Kalonji (real name Miguel Orlando Collins) is a Jamaican reggae musi… Read Full Bio ↴Sizzla Kalonji (real name Miguel Orlando Collins) is a Jamaican reggae musician. He was born on 17 April 1976, in St Mary, Jamaica, of devout Rastafari parents and raised in August Town. He is unusually prolific, even by Jamaican standards. Sizzla has worked with such artists as Mobb Deep.

Sizzla, along with reggae recording artists such as Capleton, Buju Banton, and Anthony B, are credited with leading a movement toward a re-embracement of Rastafarian values in contemporary reggae music by recording material which is concerned primarily with spirituality, social consciousness, explores common themes, such as Babylon's corrupting influence, the disenfranchisement of ghetto youth, oppression of the black nation and Sizzla's abiding faith in Jah and resistance against perceived agents of oppression. Sizzla has over 40 full completed albums sold in record stores to date, the most popular which have been "Black Woman & Child" and "Da Real Thing" on the Digital B label, "Praise Ye Jah" on Xterminator, and "Rise to the Occasion" on Greensleeves.

Recently, however, he has come under fire for the homophobic content of many of his lyrics, and the advocacy of violence against gays.

A Wah Dat
Sizzla Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sizzla
A Wah Dat?

Intro:
Hail to the High owner of Iration and his Imperial Majesty
Emperor Haile Selassie I
I'm from a place where there's only love
Where the sun comes home every morning

Be upright black people and love Jah words
In praises I and I chant with the rising
Get away, step away, from the sinking sand please do no wrong
Never you disobey, yow, I say repatriation
The again

Chorus:
Then a wah dat the whole a them a go on with ?
Who that the bugger them go par with ?
Them go bow and go stoop themselves low
Rasta man a trod it up, it's like them never know.
Wah that the whole a them a go on with ?
Who that the bugger them go par with ?
Them go bow and go stoop themselves low
Rasta man a trod it up, it's like them just a know.

Verse 1:
In a them yah time a them blind
Them no see say that a Rasta Far I time
See say that a bad company nah go join
Nuff a them skin teeth, no pay them any mind
Look a who far tree nuff run go climb
See say that a another man them a grind
Black woman your love, isn?t in vain
Ahh tell them soul and mind
Babylon your life totally different from mine
Cause I a the lion and you are the swine
Babylon you come like dirty cloths on line
This here youth love the nation can?t sell me out fi two pence nor coin

Chorus

Verse 2:
Well never show your enemies your face
Cause they will bring the wicked man into your place
Talk bout them humble, them nah hold no faith
Hear rastafari salvation grace
This a no the tooth, this a no the paste
This a no the boot, this a no the lace
This a no the glasses way you got on your face
Fire I a bun, so tell the wicked man make haste
Tell them black up the belt, I come and take your place
Blessed with hen light for men to rise and create
Oh false pretender burn you down cause you dah fake
You think of the beauty from your face

Bridge:
I'm from a place where there's only love
Where the sun comes home every morning
Be upright black people and love Jah words
In praises I and I chant with the rising
Get away, step away, from the sinking sand please do no wrong
Never you disobey, yow, I say repatriation

Verse 3:
Hail Ethiopia black earth is the
Who is the creator they still ask ______
Emperor Selassie I shall set them free
Babylon no play game now a _______
Babylon you come like old dog and flees
Power from afar I can see
Emperor Selassie I shall bless every black star mmmm ______

Chorus
Then a wah that the whole a them a go on with ?
Who that the bugger them go par with ?
Them go bow and go stoop themselves low
Mama Africa a dash them out, it's like them never know.

Outré:

I'm from a place where there's only love
Where the sun comes home every morning

Overall Meaning

Sizzla's song "A Wah Dat?" is a call to action for his fellow Rastafarians to stay true to their beliefs and not be influenced by the negative actions of others. The song begins with a tribute to Emperor Haile Selassie I, whom Rastafarians view as a spiritual leader. Sizzla then describes his home as a place of love and encourages his listeners to follow the path of righteousness.

The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "A Wah Dat?" which can be translated to mean "What's going on?" Sizzla is questioning the negative behavior of others and calling them out for their lack of integrity. He emphasizes that Rastafarians must stay true to their principles and not be swayed by those who do not share their beliefs.

The verses of the song continue this theme, as Sizzla describes those who are blind to the truth and follow others blindly, as well as those who pretend to be humble but lack true faith. He warns against showing one's enemies their weaknesses and encourages his listeners to be strong and steadfast in their beliefs.

Line by Line Meaning

Hail to the High owner of Iration and his Imperial Majesty
Introductory homage to Emperor Haile Selassie I, who is revered in Rastafarianism

I'm from a place where there's only love
The singer comes from a place where love and unity rule

Where the sun comes home every morning
A metaphor for a place where life is abundant and thriving

Be upright black people and love Jah words
Rastafarians should live righteously and follow the teachings of Jah (God)

In praises I and I chant with the rising
The singer praises Jah through his music

Get away, step away, from the sinking sand please do no wrong
People should avoid negative influences and immoral behavior

Never you disobey, yow, I say repatriation
The singer encourages repatriation to Africa and urges listeners to stay true to their roots

Then a wah dat the whole a them a go on with ?
What is the nonsense that everyone is involved in?

Who that the bugger them go par with ?
Who are they hanging out with that's leading them astray?

Them go bow and go stoop themselves low
They are lowering themselves to bad company and negative influences

Rasta man a trod it up, it's like them never know.
The singer uses 'Rasta man a trod it up' phrase to denote that the Rastafarian community is progressing while others are regressing in bad company

In a them yah time a them blind
The current generations are blind to what's really important

Them no see say that a Rasta Far I time
They fail to recognize the importance of Rastafarian beliefs

See say that a bad company nah go join
The singer warns against joining negative company

Nuff a them skin teeth, no pay them any mind
Many people just put on a fake smile (skin teeth) and should not be trusted

Look a who far tree nuff run go climb
People are trying to be something they're not, trying to climb a tree they don't belong in

See say that a another man them a grind
People are busy competing against each other instead of working together

Black woman your love, isn?t in vain
Black women's love is valuable and should be appreciated

Ahh tell them soul and mind
The singer urges listeners to understand this deeply and not just superficially

Babylon your life totally different from mine
The singer rejects the oppressive system of Babylon (colonialism and capitalism)

Cause I a the lion and you are the swine
The singer identifies with the strength and power of a lion, while Babylon represents the 'pigs'

Babylon you come like dirty cloths on line
The oppressive system of Babylon is like dirty clothes hanging on a line, tainting everything else around it

This here youth love the nation can?t sell me out fi two pence nor coin
The singer is committed to his community and will not sell out for any amount of money

Well never show your enemies your face
Don't give your enemies the opportunity to harm or plot against you

Cause they will bring the wicked man into your place
If you show your enemies your vulnerabilities, they will take advantage of them, leading you to trouble

Talk bout them humble, them nah hold no faith
People who claim to be humble often have no true faith or righteousness

Hear rastafari salvation grace
Believing in Rastafarianism leads to spiritual salvation and grace

This a no the tooth, this a no the paste
What the singer is preaching is not a superficial or insignificant idea

This a no the boot, this a no the lace
What the singer is preaching is not a temporary or fleeting concept

This a no the glasses way you got on your face
What the singer is preaching is not a material thing; it cannot be seen with the eyes

Fire I a bun, so tell the wicked man make haste
The singer calls upon the power of Jah to punish the wicked

Tell them black up the belt, I come and take your place
The singer tells the wicked to prepare for his coming to take their place

Blessed with hen light for men to rise and create
The singer is blessed with the power of Hen (God) to inspire others to rise up and create meaningful things

Oh false pretender burn you down cause you dah fake
The singer warns against fake people pretending to be something they're not

You think of the beauty from your face
You are concerned more with superficial beauty and image than with true righteousness

Hail Ethiopia black earth is the
Homage to Ethiopia, the spiritual home of Rastafarians

Who is the creator they still ask ______
Despite the presence of Jah in Rastafarianism, people still question who the true creator of the world is

Emperor Selassie I shall set them free
Rastafarians believe that Emperor Selassie I will bring about spiritual and physical liberation for black people

Babylon no play game now a _______
Babylon is not to be underestimated as it poses a serious threat to the oppressed people

Babylon you come like old dog and flees
Babylon is compared to an old, diseased dog spreading harmful influences

Power from afar I can see
The singer has a spiritual sight that enables him to see beyond what's visible

Emperor Selassie I shall bless every black star mmmm ______
The singer believes that Emperor Selassie I will bless every black person

Mama Africa a dash them out, it's like them never know.
Africa will reject those who have turned their backs on their roots, as they have lost their way

Outro: I'm from a place where there's only love Where the sun comes home every morning
Reiteration of the love and harmonious community from which the singer comes from

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network
Written by: DONALD DENNIS, MIGUEL COLLINS, LOWELL DUNBAR, MIGEL ORLANDO COLLINS, PHILIP BURRELL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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