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.
Made Of
Sizzla Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Step down it's true Babylon yea I and I govern the youth yuh know
Hand over yuh know, repatriation nah bother play like yuh deaf now
What does Black people made of made of
African tradition I tell you straight off straight off
So long that they had take us
Inna this western hemisphere and couldn't break us Pharaoh
Truths and rights I tell you straight off straight off
So long that they had take us
But now Black people better wake up, oy
CHORUS
Burn Nya burn down Babylon place
Inna them high and low place
Wickedness me deh go chase
Oh burn Nya burn down Babylon place
Them ah interrogate,
Wha me herb fi keep space
Just now they come to realize it, somehow they had want to criticise
Black people get the worst yet them doh have no rights
Them ah do the dutty work yet you shove aside
Yo me start to burn them turf day and night
Rastaman nah nurse no pharecies nor scribes
Shouldn't dis the warriors pon tha east side
Watch them ____ eh that shell like ah rice
Me nah like them profile neither them voice
Cut all them style them only lef you one choice
This is the hour where the wicked get smite
Pharaoh could ah train all him greatest knight
When the Bobo man pass through everything get right
Rasta them ah spite, say them blow us dynamite, oy
CHORUS
Burn Nya burn down Babylon place
Inna them high and low place
Wickedness me deh go chase
Burn Nya burn down Vatican place
Them ah interrogate,
Wha the marijuana keep space
Burn Nya burn down Babylon place
Inna them high and low place
Wickedness me ah go chase
Burn Nya burn down Babylon place
Whoa oh ey
From in the beginning me ah bun them yah fire
Pharaoh him ah galong like ah him clever
Them come tek the people out of Africa
Oh yes I and I still remember
Rastafari say, say free every prisoner
Me put on me stone, me put on me rifle,
Me put on me dagger, put on me robe,
Me put on me turban, me lace up me sandals
Lick down the judge me go lick down the jury
And lick down the lawyer,
Lick down the governor general
Lick down the prime minister
Lick down the politician
Lick down the police
Lick down the soldier
So many years Black people dem dey ah
Babylon wash yuh schackles and chains asunder
CHORUS
Burn Nya burn down Babylon place
Inna them high and low place
Wickedness Black man ah chase
Burn Nya burn down Vatican place
Them false fictitious and fake, hey
Burn Nya burn down Babylon place
Inna them high and low place
Wickedness me deh go chase
Cuz burn Nya burn down Babylon place
Yo dem challenge inna me face, now
When before Black people wake up wake up
Vatican concrete city break up break up
So long that they had take us
Inna this western hemisphere and couldn't break us, oy
Them run the east them run the north them say them run the south
Say you can't test them anytime ah shoot out
Mister wicked rage, say him ah run the rout
Say him will buss up yuh head and him will __
Oy you no see say wicked, youths dem waa dead out
And ah leave the Black woman dem whe well waa spread out
Dem nah produce no life, well me see say that ah joke
Don't make them come near not even your house
Don't make them touch your things neither...
The lyrics of Sizzla's song "Made Of" are highly political, with its insinuations of government corruption and oppression towards Black people. It is a call to action to the Black community to wake up and fight for their rights, and also to the government to step down and hand over power to the Black community. The song asserts that Black people are made of African tradition, which has kept them strong and resilient even in the face of Western oppression. It also points out that Black people have been mistreated for too long, and it is time for them to stand up and fight back.
The song's chorus repeatedly calls for the burning down of Babylon, which is a metaphor for the oppressive systems and structures that have kept Black people down for centuries. The lyrics also mention the Vatican, which represents the religious authorities that have played their part in the oppression of Black people. The song urges the Black community to be militant and fearless, to reject the false promises of politicians and to take matters into their own hands. The lyrics are a rallying cry for Black people to reclaim their power and resist their oppressors.
Line by Line Meaning
Yea we say to all government this is repatriation yea
We demand repatriation and we are addressing all governments
Step down it's true Babylon yea I and I govern the youth yuh know
Babylon, it's time to step down - we, the Rastafarians, are the true authorities guiding and educating the youths
Hand over yuh know, repatriation nah bother play like yuh deaf now
Hand over what we demand, repatriation is non-negotiable and we won't tolerate any deafness to our requests
What does Black people made of made of
What are Black people made of?
African tradition I tell you straight off straight off
Black people are made of African tradition, and I'm telling you the truth straight up
So long that they had take us
Black people have been enslaved for so long
Inna this western hemisphere and couldn't break us Pharaoh
Even when taken to the western hemisphere, Pharaoh couldn't break us
Truths and rights I tell you straight off straight off
Black people are also made of truths and rights, and I'm telling you this straight up
But now Black people better wake up, oy
Black people need to wake up now
Burn Nya burn down Babylon place
We demand the destruction of Babylon
Inna them high and low place
We want Babylon to be destroyed everywhere, from the highest to the lowest places
Wickedness me deh go chase
We will pursue wickedness until it's gone
Them ah interrogate,
Wha me herb fi keep space
They are interrogating us about our herbs
Just now they come to realize it, somehow they had want to criticise
They are just realizing now, and they want to criticize us
Black people get the worst yet them doh have no rights
Black people are treated poorly and don't have any rights
Them ah do the dutty work yet you shove aside
They make us do all the dirty work and still disrespect us
Yo me start to burn them turf day and night
We will start to burn their land day and night
Rastaman nah nurse no pharecies nor scribes
We Rastafarians do not support the Pharisees nor the scribes
Shouldn't dis the warriors pon tha east side
They shouldn't disrespect the warriors from the east
Watch them ____ eh that shell like ah rice
We're keeping an eye on them like the shell on rice
Me nah like them profile neither them voice
We don't like their profile nor their voice
Cut all them style them only lef you one choice
We will cut all their style and they will only have one choice left
This is the hour where the wicked get smite
This is the hour where the wicked will be punished
Pharaoh could ah train all him greatest knight
Even Pharaoh's greatest knight couldn't beat us
When the Bobo man pass through everything get right
When the Bobo man arrives, everything will be alright
Rasta them ah spite, say them blow us dynamite, oy
They want to harm us, and they say they will blow us up with dynamite
Burn Nya burn down Vatican place
We also demand the destruction of the Vatican
Them false fictitious and fake, hey
They are fake and fictitious
From in the beginning me ah bun them yah fire
We have been burning them from the beginning
Pharaoh him ah galong like ah him clever
Pharaoh is acting like he's clever
Them come tek the people out of Africa
They took people out of Africa
Oh yes I and I still remember
We still remember that
Rastafari say, say free every prisoner
We Rastafarians demand the freedom of every prisoner
Me put on me stone, me put on me rifle,
Me put on me dagger, put on me robe,
Me put on me turban, me lace up me sandals
I am preparing myself for battle
Lick down the judge me go lick down the jury
And lick down the lawyer,
Lick down the governor general
Lick down the prime minister
Lick down the politician
Lick down the police
Lick down the soldier
We want to get rid of all the authorities and their protectors
Babylon wash yuh schackles and chains asunder
Babylon, break free from your shackles and chains
Them run the east them run the north them say them run the south
They say they run the east, the north, and the south
Say you can't test them anytime ah shoot out
They say they are untouchable and will shoot anyone who dares to challenge them
Mister wicked rage, say him ah run the rout
Wicked people are ruling and they say they're invincible
Say him will buss up yuh head and him will __
They say they will harm and hurt us
Oy you no see say wicked, youths dem waa dead out
Wicked people want to eliminate the youth
And ah leave the Black woman dem whe well waa spread out
While ignoring and taking advantage of Black women
Dem nah produce no life, well me see say that ah joke
They are not producing anything of value in life
Don't make them come near not even your house
Don't let them come near you or your house
Don't make them touch your things neither...
Don't let them touch your belongings
Chorus
Reiterating the demand to burn down Babylon and the Vatican
Contributed by Abigail F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
MeDallion Motion Pictures
This song, in particular, has taught me of Afrikan culture heritage and where black people came from and where we are today. Education is in the lyrics his writing is all about reality. Salute Sizzla for his clarity and honesty.
What does Black people made of made of
African tradition I tell you straight off straight off
So long that they had take us
Inna this western hemisphere and couldn't break us
So long that they had take us
But now Black people better wake up.
Black people get the worst yet them doh have no rights Them ah do the dutty work yet you shove aside
MURDA DA GB
This is one of the best songs I've ever heard in my life time..
G Honders
One of my favorites of all time fi real!
Victor Porter
I cry damn near every time I listen to this song too much emotion to contain. That's one of the reasons he's so good you can hear the passion and conviction in his voice.
Ray Hanson
Agreed 💯🔥💯🔥💯
J S
I agree
Collins Martius
i have been loving this album since it came out and am still loving it.
lex steele
I PLAY THIS SONG AT LEAST 15 TIMES A DAY.. REALITY , ROOTS AND CULTURE...BE BLESSED EVERYONE.
guidance4eva
Glad you all like the song. Hopefully everyone understand the message being told.
Fedrick Ford
guidance4eva equal rights no more first and second class CITIZENS
Ernesto Villa
Blk people been asleep it’s time to realize who we really are 12 tribes!!