Burial
Tosh Peter Lyrics
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Them want I
Be com'a them funeral
Them claim say
Them claim say
Them are the general
Them want I
Be com'a them funeral
Them claim say
Them claim say
Them are the general
What a big disgrace
The way you rob up the place
Rob everthing you can find
Yes you did
And you'll even rob from the blind
You must see want I fe
Com'a com'a funeral
And I no, no go
No one burial
Yet you want I
Com'a com'a funeral
Make your friend come claim say
You are the genie
Now we know the truth
Yes we do
Find you wearing the boot
Of taking people's business on your head, yeah
So might as well you be dead
Them want I
Them want I
Be com'a them funeral
Them claim say
Them claim say
Them are the general
Them want I
Them want I
Be com'a them funeral
Them claim say
Them claim say
Them are the general
Let the dead bury the dead now
And who is to be fed, be fed
I ain't got no time to waste on you, no, no
I'm a livin' man, I got work to do
Right now
This man and that man
Yes they are the same man
You taught us this just as well
That the rich man heaven is the poor man's hell
You must see want I fe com'a com'a funeral
Natty no go, no one burial
Yet you want I
Com'a com'a funeral
Make your friend come claim say
You are the genie
Them want I
Them want I
Be com'a them funeral
Them claim say
Them claim say
Tosh Peter's song 'Burial' is a protest to the corrupt system in Jamaica. In the song, the artist fights against those who call themselves “the generals” and who consider themselves to be above the law. They rob, steal and kill but when they die, they want Tosh Peter to attend their funeral and pay respect to them. The artist refuses to do so, saying that he has work to do and that he won't waste his time on them. The lyrics ask the oppressors to let the dead bury the dead, indicating that they should leave the past behind and focus on changing their ways. Tosh Peter's song is considered a revolutionary anthem and a call to action against the corrupt system.
The song was released in 1977 on the album “Equal Rights”, which was produced by Bob Marley. It is considered one of the most politically charged songs of Tosh Peter's career. The track features a reggae beat that perfectly matches the powerful and uncompromising lyrics. The use of Jamaican patois in the lyrics adds an authentic touch to the song, making it a cultural and historical artifact of Jamaica's music and political landscape.
Line by Line Meaning
Them want I
They desire my presence
Them want I
They desire my presence
Be com'a them funeral
To attend their funeral
Them claim say
They are asserting that
Them claim say
They are asserting that
Them are the general
They have the highest authority
What a big disgrace
What a shameful act
The way you rob up the place
The manner in which you steal everything
Rob everthing you can find
You steal everything that is available
Yes you did
You certainly did
And you'll even rob from the blind
You would even rob from those who can't see
You must see want I fe
You must understand what I desire
Com'a com'a funeral
To attend a funeral
And I no, no go
But I refuse to go
No one burial
I won't bury anyone
Yet you want I
Still, they want me
Com'a com'a funeral
To attend a funeral
Make your friend come claim say
Have your friend assert that
You are the genie
You are the one with power and authority
Now we know the truth
Now we are aware of what truly happened
Yes we do
We are certain of it
Find you wearing the boot
We discovered that you are guilty
Of taking people's business on your head, yeah
Of stealing from people
So might as well you be dead
You might as well be dead
Let the dead bury the dead now
Let those who have passed on deal with the dead
And who is to be fed, be fed
And those who are hungry should be fed
I ain't got no time to waste on you, no, no
I don't have any time to waste on you
I'm a livin' man, I got work to do
I am alive and need to focus on my responsibilities
Right now
Immediately
This man and that man
These men and those men
Yes they are the same man
In essence, they are identical
You taught us this just as well
You taught us this fact before
That the rich man heaven is the poor man's hell
That what is desirable for the rich is unattainable for the poor
You must see want I fe com'a com'a funeral
You must understand what I desire to do
Natty no go, no one burial
I won't attend burials
Yet you want I
Still, they want me
Com'a com'a funeral
To attend a funeral
Make your friend come claim say
Have your friend assert that
You are the genie
You are the one with power and authority
Them want I
They desire my presence
Them want I
They desire my presence
Be com'a them funeral
To attend their funeral
Them claim say
They are asserting that
Them claim say
They are asserting that
Them are the general
They have the highest authority
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: PETER TOSH, NEVILLE LIVINGSTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind