From an early age, he showed a grand interest in music and he learned to play the harmonica, guitar and clarinet. As a clarinet player, he started the group “Miserable” with other Limonese calypsonians. This was in the 1950s.
In the 60s, he began to write calypsos and until now, he has written over a hundred songs of great quality and cultural relevance for Limonese people.
Walter Ferguson, also known as Gavitt, was always present in calypso challenges held in different points of the Caribbean coast. From the town of Bluefields, Nicaragua to Bocas del Toro in Panama, calypsonians would move by boat, horse, train or truck to compete in improvisation contests and Mr. Ferguson´s fame travelled along with other big names as Panama´s Lord Cobra, or Limonese singers Papa Tun and Shanti.
More recently, Walter Ferguson used to record his music in audiocassettes to sell the tourists in Cahuita. Each tape was unique, an original, personal concert for each person who requested a souvenir.
Mr. Ferguson has received several recognitions, such as the Popular Culture Award given by the Ministry of Culture, the ACAM Award, and the Ancora Prize by La Nación newspaper.
His songs honestly reflect the idiosyncrasy of the Afro Costa Rican community and a part of the country´s culture most ignored by the State of Costa Rica. Mr. Ferguson jokes about the calypsonian´s naïve spirit, often misunderstood and persecuted, taken advantage of by glamour girls who call him “sugar candy” or bullied by policemen, and portrays Afro Costa Rican life with simplicity and creativity. His work has been interpreted by other Costa Rican artists like Manuel Monestel and band Cantoamérica since the 1980s, which has made his work known in other areas of the country and abroad.
72 Weeds
Walter Ferguson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Many little villages and villagers all around
The funiest thing about them,
Is the name they call things by
I would like you all to sit and listen while I try
One day I met an old lady she was selling
And I wanted something to eat
But I took back when we meet
She had a basket full of different weeds
And was bawling out all the time
Can't remember all that she had
But these were few she had
She had the Man Piaba, Woman Piaba
Tom Tom, Calabash, Lemon Grass
Mini Root, Gullie Root, Racam Tu Ry
Madan Fate and Duppy Baty
Yes the woman nust have been gifted
She was bawling out all the time
But she even had a certain bush for bathing
The Bagie Call, the Puss in Boot
Sweet Broon, Sweet Bagion
Lemon Grass is very good for making tea
When you hear of the famous Guaku Bush
It is very good to cool your body
I say the woman must have been gifted
She was bawling out all the time
For she even say Night Shade is good
When you have the troubled mind
Then she had the Cut up the Pupa
Feel up the Muma, Jacob Bladder
Aligator Weed and Poor Man Friend
Donkey, Zarzaparrilla, Irish Potato
Consumption Bush, many Gold Fever Grass
Granny Cratch cratch and the greatest Revival Weed
John Charles, Evinize, Rice Weed, Duck Weed
The Belly Fuller and the Good Old Weed
Then she had the Cock Bush, Elder Bush
Black Pepper Bush, Lime Leaf, Pear Leaf, Sower Sap
Corn Scratch, Arraroot, Donkey Weed, Ram Goat
Dashalong Duppy, Fiddlestick
Woman Congoton, Vingava
And the Old Compelan Root, Ginger Weed
The only little weed that she never had
Was the wonderful Maconi weed
The lyrics to Walter Ferguson's song "72 Weeds" capture the essence of Caribbean life on the island, highlighting the diversity of its people and the unique way they view the world around them. The song begins by conveying the singer's observation that there are too many towns, villages, and villagers living in close proximity to one another, resulting in a sense of interconnectedness among the people. Ferguson's description of the towns as "funny" is indicative of the strange and quirky names that villages in the region are known for using.
The song then goes on to describe a chance encounter that the singer has with an old lady selling produce. In this scene, the woman has a basket full of weeds that are unfamiliar to the singer, and he is taken aback by her willingness to sell them as food. However, as the woman enthusiastically lists off the different names for each weed, the singer realizes that these weeds are more than just plants; they are a part of the local culture and traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation.
Through this encounter, the song highlights the resourcefulness and ingenuity of the islanders, who make the most of whatever resources are available to them. It also demonstrates a deep connection to nature and the environment, as evidenced by the woman's knowledge of the medicinal and other practical uses for each weed. Overall, the song represents a celebration of Caribbean life, culture, and the unique way that people view the world around them.
Line by Line Meaning
In this little island, there are too many towns
The island has an abundance of towns, which may seem a bit overwhelming.
Many little villages and villagers all around
There are a lot of villages and people across the island.
The funiest thing about them,
The peculiar thing about them is that
Is the name they call things by
They have odd names for things on the island.
I would like you all to sit and listen while I try
I'll tell you the story of the old lady who sold weeds.
One day I met an old lady she was selling
I met an old lady who was selling something.
And I wanted something to eat
I was hungry and hoped she had fruit to sell.
Yes, I thought she had oranges, pears, bananas
I hoped she had typical fruits like oranges, pears, and bananas.
But I took back when we meet
I was taken aback by what she actually had.
She had a basket full of different weeds
Instead of fruit, she had a basket of various weeds.
And was bawling out all the time
She was shouting about the things she had for sale.
Can't remember all that she had
I couldn't remember everything she had for sale.
But these were few she had
These are just a few of the things she had for sale.
She had the Man Piaba, Woman Piaba
These are two types of weeds she had for sale.
Tom Tom, Calabash, Lemon Grass
These are three other types of weeds she had for sale.
Mini Root, Gullie Root, Racam Tu Ry
These are three more types of weeds she had for sale.
Madan Fate and Duppy Baty
These are two additional types of weeds she had for sale.
Yes the woman nust have been gifted
The old lady seemed to have a gift for knowing about different weeds.
But she even had a certain bush for bathing
She even had a type of weed for bathing.
The Bagie Call, the Puss in Boot
These are two types of weed for bathing.
Sweet Broon, Sweet Bagion
These are two other types of weed for bathing.
Lemon Grass is very good for making tea
Lemon Grass is a weed that's great for tea-making.
When you hear of the famous Guaku Bush
The Guaku Bush is widely known and popular.
It is very good to cool your body
The Guaku Bush is believed to have cooling properties.
For she even say Night Shade is good
She even sold Night Shade, which she claimed was beneficial.
When you have the troubled mind
This is what the Night Shade is good for.
Then she had the Cut up the Pupa
Cut up the Pupa is another type of weed she had for sale.
Feel up the Muma, Jacob Bladder
These are two more types of weed she had for sale.
Aligator Weed and Poor Man Friend
These are two other types of weed she had for sale.
Donkey, Zarzaparrilla, Irish Potato
These are three more types of weed she had for sale.
Consumption Bush, many Gold Fever Grass
These are two additional types of weed she had for sale.
Granny Cratch cratch and the greatest Revival Weed
These are two more additional types of weed she had for sale.
John Charles, Evinize, Rice Weed, Duck Weed
These are four more types of weed she had for sale.
The Belly Fuller and the Good Old Weed
These are two types of weed she had for sale.
Then she had the Cock Bush, Elder Bush
These are two other types of weed she had for sale.
Black Pepper Bush, Lime Leaf, Pear Leaf, Sower Sap
These are four more types of weed she had for sale.
Corn Scratch, Arraroot, Donkey Weed, Ram Goat
These are four other types of weed she had for sale.
Dashalong Duppy, Fiddlestick
These are two additional types of weed she had for sale.
Woman Congoton, Vingava
These are two other types of weed she had for sale.
And the Old Compelan Root, Ginger Weed
These are two more types of weed she had for sale.
The only little weed that she never had
Out of the many types of weed, there was only one she didn't have.
Was the wonderful Maconi weed
This is the particular weed she didn't have for sale.
Writer(s): jamaica, tradicional
Contributed by Kylie Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.