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| South America: Guyana | |
|---|---|
| The Weed Song The Weed Song | |
Original text | |
One day ah met an old woman selling An ah wanted something to eat I say I was going to put a Bit in she way But I tek back when I meet. I thought she had bananas, oranges, or pears But was nothing that I need For when I ask the old woman What she was selling She said she was selling weed. She had she coat tie up over she waist And was stepping along with grace She had on a pair of old clogs on her feet And was wiggling down the street. Just then she start to name The different kinds of weeds And I really was more than glad But I can’t remember all that she call But these were a few she had Man Piaba, Woman Piaba, Tantan Fall- Back and Lemon Grass Minnie Root, Gully Root, Granny- Back Bone, Bitter Tally, Lime leaf, and Toro, Collie Bitters, Carilla Bush, Flat ‘o the Earth, and Iron Weed Sweet Broom, Fowl Tongue, Wild Daisy, Sweet Sage, And even Toyo. She had Cat mint, Chinee Mint, Soldier Rod, Pasture Lana And Cowfoot Bush Milk weed, Brick Weed, Bird vine, Ants Bush Bishop Cap and Rock balsam Surinam Bitters, Wild green tea Sweet finger and worm bush Zeb Grass, Para Grass, Carrion Crow Bush Sweet Bitters and also Tisane She had Cassava Mumma, Coocoo Piaba, Jacob’s Ladder, and Piti Guano, Finger Bush, Job’s Tear, Piti Payi, Jumbie Basel and White Cleary, Bile Bush, Wild cane, Duck Weed, Aniseed Wara Bitters, and Wild Grey Root, She even had down to a certain bush Wha Bajans does call “Puss in Boots” Oh when I hear how much bush she had I left dumb till I couldn’t even talk. She started to call from Camp Street Corner, An never stop till she reach Orange Walk. The Woman had me so surprise That I didn’t know what to do That a girl came and gi me a cuff in mi eye And I did’t even know was who. Sweet Broom, Sweet Sage And Lemon Grass I hear dem good fo makin’ tea. An wen I hear Zeb Grass and Wild Daisy Dem good to cool the body The woman tongue was even listed And she was calling out all the time She even had a lil Kamwa eye And the other that left was blind. She had Tanka Bitters, Pomgranum bark, Conga cane, Bay leaf, Young Bizzi- Bizzi Young grape vine, Back pain Stinging nettle, Sofamo bush And Broad leaf time Myamar Seed and evergreen leaf Bitter fence bitters jus like gall Saskadoole quashi bitters And Ana Fulor Snake bitters but dat ain’t all She had Bitter Guma, Putagee Bumbo, Conga Lana,and Twelve O’clock Broom, Sasparilla, Wild Sumatu, Soursop Leaf and Hafabit Weed, Yoruba Leaf, Sweet Pinpota Bush, White Fleary and Christmas Bush Scotch and Sand Bitters And even Monkey Ladder And all the rest you may need She had Cuza Moma basel Marie Sukuya cure and detura Tudor bush, black sage And Mahongany Mee Fenelwood and Office bush Breadnut Leaf, Jumbie bubbie And Stinkin Toe Old Maid bush, Cow Jumper And Wild Mango She had Fat Bush, Elder Bush, Black Pepper Bush, French Toya, Cure for all, And Capadulla, Tamarind Leaf, Money Bush, Soldier Pusley, Pumpkin Blossom And even Devil Dua Neem and Congo Pump, Pingalor, Physic Nut And Lily Root In fact the only bush That she didn't got Was bush in the everyday suite! | |
English Translation | |
One day ah met an old woman selling An ah wanted something to eat I say I was going to put a Bit in she way But I tek back when I meet. I thought she had bananas, oranges, or pears But was nothing that I need For when I ask the old woman What she was selling She said she was selling weed. She had she coat tie up over she waist And was stepping along with grace She had on a pair of old clogs on her feet And was wiggling down the street. Just then she start to name The different kinds of weeds And I really was more than glad But I can’t remember all that she call But these were a few she had Man Piaba, Woman Piaba, Tantan Fall- Back and Lemon Grass Minnie Root, Gully Root, Granny- Back Bone, Bitter Tally, Lime leaf, and Toro, Collie Bitters, Carilla Bush, Flat ‘o the Earth, and Iron Weed Sweet Broom, Fowl Tongue, Wild Daisy, Sweet Sage, And even Toyo. She had Cat mint, Chinee Mint, Soldier Rod, Pasture Lana And Cowfoot Bush Milk weed, Brick Weed, Bird vine, Ants Bush Bishop Cap and Rock balsam Surinam Bitters, Wild green tea Sweet finger and worm bush Zeb Grass, Para Grass, Carrion Crow Bush Sweet Bitters and also Tisane She had Cassava Mumma, Coocoo Piaba, Jacob’s Ladder, and Piti Guano, Finger Bush, Job’s Tear, Piti Payi, Jumbie Basel and White Cleary, Bile Bush, Wild cane, Duck Weed, Aniseed Wara Bitters, and Wild Grey Root, She even had down to a certain bush Wha Bajans does call “Puss in Boots” Oh when I hear how much bush she had I left dumb till I couldn’t even talk. She started to call from Camp Street Corner, An never stop till she reach Orange Walk. The Woman had me so surprise That I didn’t know what to do That a girl came and gi me a cuff in mi eye And I did’t even know was who. Sweet Broom, Sweet Sage And Lemon Grass I hear dem good fo makin’ tea. An wen I hear Zeb Grass and Wild Daisy Dem good to cool the body The woman tongue was even listed And she was calling out all the time She even had a lil Kamwa eye And the other that left was blind. She had Tanka Bitters, Pomgranum bark, Conga cane, Bay leaf, Young Bizzi- Bizzi Young grape vine, Back pain Stinging nettle, Sofamo bush And Broad leaf time Myamar Seed and evergreen leaf Bitter fence bitters jus like gall Saskadoole quashi bitters And Ana Fulor Snake bitters but dat ain’t all She had Bitter Guma, Putagee Bumbo, Conga Lana,and Twelve O’clock Broom, Sasparilla, Wild Sumatu, Soursop Leaf and Hafabit Weed, Yoruba Leaf, Sweet Pinpota Bush, White Fleary and Christmas Bush Scotch and Sand Bitters And even Monkey Ladder And all the rest you may need She had Cuza Moma basel Marie Sukuya cure and detura Tudor bush, black sage And Mahongany Mee Fenelwood and Office bush Breadnut Leaf, Jumbie bubbie And Stinkin Toe Old Maid bush, Cow Jumper And Wild Mango She had Fat Bush, Elder Bush, Black Pepper Bush, French Toya, Cure for all, And Capadulla, Tamarind Leaf, Money Bush, Soldier Pusley, Pumpkin Blossom And even Devil Dua Neem and Congo Pump, Pingalor, Physic Nut And Lily Root In fact the only bush That she didn't got Was bush in the everyday suite! Credits Song: Old Time Guyanese Shanto Song from the 1930's Singer/songwriter: Bill Rogers Text transcription: Jessica Collins (ed. M.S.) Animation: Courtesy of Remember Our Music | |
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