Small Island Pride- Federation With Lyrics

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2. Federation (Small Island Pride, 1956, from Dance Calypso!, Cook LP 1180)
The question of a West Indian Federation was mooted on several occasions during the islands' colonial history. The one attempt at uniting the Commenwealth colonies under a federation failed a mere three years after it was officially started in 1958. Here the calypsonian, a non-Trinidadian, has his lady show how easy it is to federate, using the social to parody the political.

Chorus:
Lillian, change your plan/Next year is Federation There'll be no discrimination/Between a Trinidadian and a Grenadian.

Well, It have a Grenadian living next to me/Ifyou know how
Them natives does tourture she (repeat)
Every time they in for a confusion/They does bawl, "Small
Island, go back to your land"
But the Grenadian sit down and she draft a plan/To stop them
From all this tormentation
Every time they shout, "Smalley, find your land!"/She does
jump up with this lavway* like a mad woman. Chorus

The Trinidadian turn to yhr Gernadian/And said, " Girl, can you
Explain me what's Federation?"

The Grenadian said, "Girl, Federation/is a combination of generation.
Because my mother was a Barbadian/She married my
father, a Trinidadian.
I make two children, one for a chinee man/And they say the
next one is a st. Lucian
Try your best and contact the generation/And the answer to
That is Federation." Chorus

The Trinidadian: "Hish, you stupid woman/Every night I does
Bounce up Federation
Monday night I went out with a Chinee man/Tuesday night,
Girl, I slept with an italian
Wednesday and Thursday I dine with two Martiniquan/Friday
Night I get a cuff from a Yankee man
Saturday morning I was in the hospital van/Fighting hard to
Deliver Federation." Chorus

The Grenadian jump up and she bounce she hand/She said,
"Girl, is we bored 'nout Federation
We the bajan mix with the Grenadian/Them St. Lucian tie up
With the Antiguan"
She said, "That Captain Cipriani# rehearse this to me/That T.
Albert Marryshow# does fight for we
So don't mind them just-come politician/They don't know one
Damn thing about Federation."

Lillian, change your plan/Try your best and hold down your man
When they sign this Federation/I going to leave you like Moses
On the promise land. Chorus

Dance-typ calypso; # Trinidadian and Grenadian politicians

(Lyric Information from Smithsonian Folkways)