Mak
[Verse 1 - Pidgin, low and deliberate]
My brother, I know where e pain.
My sister, I know wetin remain.
No cover am. No shame am.
But make yesterday no choose tomorrow for us.
[Verse 2 - Pidgin]
Dem leave mark for body, leave another one for mind.
Some we fit point with finger, some dey hide where eye no find.
But see us, we still dey here.
After everything wey break, we still born children,
still find reason laugh, still dance when drum call name.
So if your brother leg dey shake, lend am your shoulder.
We don carry enough stone. Make we no throw dem at each other.
[Pre-Chorus]
I no forget. I no ask you forget.
Memory get work to do.
I no go become wetin wound me,
just because the wound was true.
[Chorus]
Brother fall! Pick am up!
Sister call! Answer am!
One hand weak! Two hand strong!
We still here! Then carry on!
No make the pain we inherit be the pain we hand along!
Carry one! Carry one! Carry one another!
[Verse 3 - Haitian Creole]
Nou pote mak, men mak la pa chenn.
Nou sonje doule a, men nou pa viv pou rayi.
Si frè w tonbe, lonje men ba li.
Nou soti lwen, nou pote anpil.
Men kè ki te blese ka toujou chwazi renmen.
[Haitian crowd]
Leve l! Kenbe l!
[Instrumental Break - kompa and African percussion trading]
[Verse 4 - Jamaican Patois]
Mi know seh di road rough, mi know weh di old scar stay.
But if mi carry fire from yesterday, who get burn today?
Wi inherit nuff pain, wi nuh haffi inherit hate.
Love better reach deh first.
[Response]
Love better reach deh first!
[Chorus - bigger]
Brother fall! Pick him up!
Sister call! Answer her!
Neighbor hungry! Share your bread!
Old hate talk! Don't pass it ahead!
We remember! We remember!
But memory no be chain!
[Instrumental Break - full percussion, kora and balafon trading, kompa guitar and Jamaican guitar answering, soul drums entering for the final bars]
[Verse 5 - Southern Soul English]
My grandmama knew how to stretch one meal till everybody at the table ate.
They carried things they never told us. Some hurt don't know how to speak.
So don't tell me to forget it. I won't.
I can honor every mile behind me without walking backward home.
[Soul choir]
Walk on, child! Walk on!
[Historical Echo - sparse, foot stomps and handclaps, unaccompanied]
Carry me when my feet get tired.
I'll carry you when morning comes.
If I reach that river first, I'll turn around.
I won't cross alone.
[Silence]
Zsorayii, softly: We never got here alone.
[Verse 6 - French]
Nous portons les traces, mais elles ne sont pas nos chaines.
Je peux garder la memoire sans transmettre la haine.
Si mon frere tombe, je lui tends la main.
Nos blessures racontent hier. Nos gestes ecrivent demain.
[Bridge - Pidgin into English]
I call my brother. I call my sister.
Then I look across the fence and see another human being
wey pain don touch too.
Different face. Different prayer. Different tongue. Different story.
Same tears get salt.
So wetin I go do? Build another wall with the bricks they left us?
No. I know too much about walls.
If freedom taught me anything, it better teach me
not to become somebody else's cage.
[World Chorus - full force]
Brother fall! Pick him up!
Sister call! Answer her!
Stranger fall! Stranger no more!
Different skin! Same sun!
Different tongue! Hear that cry!
Who be your neighbor? Whoever stand beside!
[Final Verse - interweaving]
Pidgin: I no forget where I come from.
Haitian: Nou sonje, men nou chwazi renmen.
Jamaican: Old pain cyaan choose tomorrow.
French: La memoire n'est pas la haine.
Soul: Baby, leave that door open.
Zsorayii: For who?
Soul: Everybody.
[Final Chorus]
Pick up your brother! Pick him up!
Pick up your sister! Pick her up!
Love your neighbor! Love them loud!
We got scars! We still stand!
We know pain! So we know better!
Then show me! Love one another!
[Final Explosion - full ensemble]
From Lagos! Pick am up!
To Kingston! Pick am up!
Port-au-Prince! Pick am up!
From the South! Pick am up!
[Outro]
The mark tell where we been.
It don't tell where we have to go.
Carry one! Carry one! Carry one another!
Zsorayii: Neighbor!
All: I see you!
Comments