CALYPSO HISTORY MONTH # 25 Sparrow vs Melody Kaiso war is now a big thing annually when the talented and courageous calypsonians meet in Extempo battle every Carnival. However war in kaiso is much more than santimanitay. From earliest times calypsonians have enjoyed taking a dig at each other – Executor versus Houdini in the 1930’s as example. Yet no war was more prolonged than that of two of Calypso’s greatest - the Calypso King himself, the Mighty Sparrow and the legendary Lord Melody, the Boo Boo Man. From the end of the 1950’s to the mid 1960’s they recorded entire calypsoes attacking each other in song with the two most popular – Melody’s hurtful ‘Belmont Jackass’ and Sparrow’s biting ‘Madam Dracula’. The lyrics reflect a bitterness that was not really present in their personal relationships and when Melody died of cancer in 1988, Sparrow wrote the final epitaph paying tribute to his long time friend in ‘Play one for Melo’. Here is a sample of their Kaiso war. Melody ‘Belmont Jackass’ 1960 Man, you marry a tramp and you cable me to come And the day of the wedding she loaded with rum – stale rum And the ring you presented was made out of brass That is how Ah know your lousy wedding couldn’t last Sparrow when your wife walking People say she shaking She should wear a corset for the goods she carrying She should wear a harness, she face like a mask That is why meh boys does call she ‘Belmont Jackass’ Well the clothes that she wear on her gracious wedding night It was ramfle like hell and full of rat bite With a short little dress all the men could see And she drinking rum and water and watching at me Well your wife is your wife Ah cyah tell you what to do But it occur to me she didn’t love you Because the thing that she tell me that you try to do It eh have a next Grenadian with nasty habits like you youtu.be/zA2cSkY9PEM Sparrow ‘Madam Dracula’ 1961 You went to St. Thomas, Melody you pick up your bride You went in the chapel, she was by your side After you done married you feeling Ok Tell your wife to listen carefully to what people say When they see your madam walking Middle of the street People does stand up and watch down at she crooked feet People say she husband so spectacular So everybody does call she ‘Madam Dracula’ You went to St. Thomas, you carry Cristo Cristo say your wedding was a pappyshow With so much ole nigger and so much of bum All you had to eat was roti and all you had to drink was rum Then you bring the Yankee woman back to Trinidad But none of your friends doh like she, she too old and hard People say she husband nose perpendicular So everybody does call she Madame Dracula The day that you married to this ole maid Well even the preacher and all was afraid Yuh shirt out yuh trousers, yuh jacket so short Like when you appearing for thiefing fowl in the police court That’s why people ent go have no respect for your wife And Ah feel if she eh leave you she wasting she life Is I wha’ say she husband nose perpendicular And me self wha’ call she ‘Madam Dracula’ youtu.be/McmImzUMz0g Melody ‘Sparrow ugly Too ’1958 The men shout ‘Bring Sparrow!’ The women shout out ‘No’ Mr. Boogola going to England So they wanted two Calypsonians Farewell party to talk about When a woman jump up and shout Sparrow could sing but he is ugly too Cristo is nice but his songs are few When Melody sing you could feel to your heel Sparrow walk like a girl And his hair always press and curl Sparrow ‘Reply to Melody’ 1958 What is wrong with Lord Melody And his reply to me ? It’s just a reply he jump and relate I think the fella testing meh faith Because Ah sung about Dear Sparrow and the baby He singing about Dear Lord Melody Well anything I do you following me Behave your ugly self Melody Do what you want but doh get me sore Provocation is against the law Ah married you went and you married too But your wife eh have eyes of blue We have a little child you have one too Anything I do this monkey does do And another thing I notice with you You never never wear socks with your shoe In fact you doh wear no underclothes You hate that like poison everyone knows You won’t try some toothpaste once in a while To whiten your teeth and brighten your smile So when you say you have nice girls that eh true Is only Gateway Elaine and them for you youtu.be/HY5yfz9kQrg Melody ‘Sparrow Sister’ 1959 ‘Leh me go’ she bawl Shame on you Melody after all’ Ah coulda commit murder With this thiefing woman from Grenada Afterwards I get to know She was the sister of the Sparrow This time she carry way meh sleeping gown Meh false teeth gone Meh inhaler cyah be found Sparrow, tell yuh sister hog mouth Elaine She go thief again She go thief again Sparrow ‘Simpson’ 1959 It eh to say Ah ent have a sense of humour But Ah doh like the latest rumour People all about Have it to say how Sparrow kick out He was is some kind of collision Poor soul, and he dead, dead and gone Every half an’ hour somebody ringing up Until they get the news they doh intend to stop Guess who ? Yes I knew Sparrow a very nice fellow Whenever we met he always said hello Guess who ? It was Simpson, the funeral agency man With the coffin in he hand Simpson, the funeral agency man Oh yes, he wukking in the junction For the funeral they hire All Stars But for the wake was that scamp Cyril Diaz Biscuit and coffee set They ready to fete The only disappoint is I eh dead yet I know you really thought the news was on the level But the man who start this rumour is as wicked as the devil Guess who? Yes is all a joke to him, he laughing he eh care With he nose like a funnel and he mouth touching he ear Guess who? It was Melody, the ugliest calypsonian With he face like a sauce pan Melody the ugliest calypsonian So ugly and mauvelang youtu.be/Q5dxRLbBjgU Melody ‘Corbeau Flying High ‘ 1959 Sparrow married a woman from New York Ah glad! Boys Ah couldn’t talk According to what the papers say He got a contract with RCA And with that he fell in love of course So the wedding took place in St. Thomas The papers declare Sparrow found his sugar pie Corbeau riding high She leave him and go away with tear drops in his eyes Corbeau riding high He thought people wouldn’t know Though he marry her she leave him and go He search the whole world looking for his sugar plum Corbeau fly back down youtu.be/1j4LXtVHXWQ Melody ‘Cowboy Sparrow’ 1959 Sparrow you shouldn’t use a gun You coulda fight him man to man and done You was in love with the man wife And so the man pull out a knife If he had done the same to you Is the same blasted thing you woulda do Attention! Listen everyone Beware! Sparrow have a gun Shooting like Bill Buckaroo in the town Beware! Sparrow have a gun The son of a catarrh nose Grenadian Beware! Sparrow have a gun youtu.be/EYp5quy4-ww Sparrow ‘Cowboy Melo’ 1960 Have you seen Lord Melody? The police are making inquiries Please if you see the Boo Boo man Get in touch with the nearest police station Ah hear he have a big maintenance case Causing a sensation in the place Ah cow in the country Make a baby just like Melody Ah didn’t believe so Ah start to laugh Ah say you lie Mr.Devignes But Ah couldn’t deny when Ah see the calf It was Melo in print youtu.be/TxnjI8ivCRU Melody ‘Hungry Barbers’ 1960 The barbers didn’t have condition at all Them hungry barbers cayh play football They cyah play cricket, they cyah play draf (draughts) So we give them four and we start to laugh They score two goal Because Sparrow play like a blooming college girl Stupid clown Every time he run he falling down He had a fair chance at the goalie The fool misskick entirely Trip a man, fall down and sprain he waist And as he get up he cuff the man in he face youtu.be/EA6UnZsIWa8 Melody ‘Melody help me out’ 1960 St.Lucian women near kill me But boy Ah full up meh belly Ah had a hundred women under the sun And Ah get them to love me one by one Sparrow had about twenty two You know Ah take them and make them love me too And in the night time when Sparrow feeling cold He going to wake me and ask me ‘Melody lend me a girl’ Ah mamaguy him and say I eh lending none He say Melody help me out ‘Ah go take the cokie eye one’ Ah never see more disaster Sparrow had a girl name Thelma Thelma had a life time sore throat Smelling higher than any ram goat And Sparrow love this woman like goat love grass With she face everything like the La Basse No wonder why they say he dead He contracted the catarrh form the woman head Sparrow ‘Keep the city clean’ 1960 Ah hear they have a new campaign Cleaning Port of Spain I know they should really clean up Town But they start so wrong They only put a few dustbin on dem lamp post To collect fruit skin But if they doh want no rubbish in sight See me and I think I will put them right They should hold Marabunta Jean And then hold Picky Head Eileen And then hold Sticking mouth Doreen If they want to keep the city clean Big eye Jane and big eye Merle Spotty foot Pearl Broad zip mouth and one breast Angela Stinking toe Shiela A!A! Ah forget to call Melo name youtu.be/-FqIbchRvAY Sparrow ‘Melody lie’ 1961 Melody too smart and conniving You must never never believe him Look he borrow some money from me To send for his girl in BG She buy clothes to full a basket Now to pay me back he say they pick he pocket But he lie Ah want meh money by tomorrow Doh think you have more brain than Sparrow, Melo No pickpocket would ever try to pick a next pickpocket pocket Walk about the city and find out Melo name in people mouth Borrow money from everybody And that is including me To pay back Melo wouldn’t pay To find him home he never they Meet home somewhere down the street Is to hear how he brokes, so long he eh eat Melody ‘Sparrow / Melody Race Horse’ 1962 They got a horse name Sparrow, one name Melody These horses is very good but the best of the two is me Santa Rosa meeting we line up in the grass As they flag the tape she cock up she tail Ah couldn’t pass Sparrow is the she and I is the he We coming down publicly People spend their currency This woman humbugging me Ah cyah win a race in the place If she eh have she tail in meh face Ah go out she light Ah go cut off she tail with a blooming bite youtu.be/jFkR1YbLIts Sparrow ‘Fowl Thief ‘ 1962 Lord Melody, the biggest fowl thief in this country What is wrong with this Boo Boo man He cannot control he mouth and he hand Everyday he eating chicken And everybody chicken missing Cokioko! Cokioko! Lord Melody Ah chicken go crow down in your belly The poultry farm set up two extra burglar alarm Watchman on guard silent as a grave yard The watchman fall asleep about dawn When he wake up two thousand chicken gone Two days after that hear he big alarm Melo buy a brand new Station Wagon Melody ‘Desperadoes’ 1967 Sparrow is the Calypso queen of the world and not the king Ah hear he does bribe all them steelband to win You got to pay your way For your tune to play You should realise Is Desperadoes whey give you the prize Desperadoes made a mistake The tune that they play was wrong Why did they leave out Conqueror? Or King Fighter, the hot boy in town How could they leave out Kitchener? Another genius, I doh know But they looking for money They accepting bribery Ah wasn’t they Sparrow pay. Sparrow ‘Play one for Melo’ 1989 This Carnival We going to have big confusion Big bachannal Cause our favourite calypsonian Lord Melody decide he couldn’t wait no longer So suddenly Decide to succumb to cancer All who wish him well All who sent him to hell Put your hearts together lets remember Mel On the radio - play one for Melo On your TV show - play one for Melo Doh forget he name - play one for Melo Melody of Boo Boo Man fame- play one for Melo Lord Melody gone- play one for Melo But his name must live on- play one for Melo Ah Just love to hear ‘Jonah, you take a bake here’ Cristo who call Melody couldn’t refuse at all Meh pardner Mel Known to be a lil mischievous Others may tell Tales of him being very devious Melo was tears but still there was love between us He had ideas that made him unique, ingenious Tops when came to art He sang form his heart But as a person Melody was very smart Elcock will you please - play one for Melo Let him rest in peace- play one for Melo Just a little prayer - play one for Melo To let him know that you care - play one for Melo He was a legendary act - play one for Melo No one can deny that fact- play one for Melo Ah just love to hear ‘The weatherman lying’ Cristo who call Melody couldn’t refuse at all youtu.be/7jt9x-rOILE youtu.be/xHkoYHqlkfY Next: The return of Kitchener...The Road.....
Posted on: Sat, 25 Oct 2014 10:07:05 +0000
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