TOBAGIDAD’S IMMORTEL”S written by Sheldon Manoo (2000)

            Yeah we’re all

            Gonna live

            Forever

            Yeah and shine

            Like the moon

            And the sun

            When we dance, When we sing

            When we paint

            When we write, When we live

            When we play

            We place ourselves in the neon lights

            Along the journey of eternity

            So we’re all

            Gonna live

            For ever!

To those names that I could remember off hand

Whose physical life force has been drained and

Can no longer do art which awed the world

This is my tribute from the depth of my soul

La Belle Rosette, Mrs Beryl McBurnie

Can you come and dance within me

Aldwyn Roberts, The Grandmaster, Lord Kitchener

Come and sing your sweet, Pan In A Minor!

His worship, The Archbishop, Anthony Pantin

Pray for the nation, it’s God we’re all wanting

Emmanuel Thorne, the poet of stature

Lend me some lines to write in my scripture

John Isaccs can you help me flo’

Come and kick ah verse in Rapso

The First Lady of parang, Madam Daisy Voisin

Send your melodic voice to my ear

Now many gone but ah cyar recall all

Doh hold it against meh if many names eh call

So all who gone and left us their art

May we carry on tradition and play we part!

            Yeah we’re all

            Gonna live

            Forever

            Yeah and shine

            Like the moon

            And the sun

            When we dance, When we sing

            When we paint

            When we write, When we live

            When we play

            We place ourselves in the neon lights

            Along the journey of eternity

            So we’re all

            Gonna live

            For ever!

De work dey started let’s finish it

No matter how hard de oppressors hit

To Pat Bishop and Christopher Gray

Advocators of the art in every way

Leroi Clarke, Makemba Kunle, Allison Wells

Rubadiri Victor, Dean Arlen, keep de visual spell

Shastri Maharaj and all de rest who paint

Colour us salvation and all as saints

Shadow, Brother Resistance, Ella Andall, Stalin

The Patasars, the Blackmans, Madam Shirley King

Raymond Choo Kong, Learie Joseph, Cecelia Salazar

Ayana Dardaine, Robert Monro, Navid Lancaster

Poet Gavin Stewart, Andre Tanker, Machel & Xtatic

Paula-Carol-Gabrielle-Marylin-Weslynne-Cheryl with woman magic

Clive Zanda, Chalkdust, Crazy, Rikki Jai

Sundar Popo, The Lydians with voices so high

Malick Folk, Shiv Shafti, Len Boogsie Sharp

Jit Samaroo, Mavis John, David Singh and his harp

Calypso Rose, Singing Sandra, Drupatee Ramgooni

Claudia Pegus, Meiling, suit me up in style

Vanessa Inalsingh, David Rudder, Willy Cheng

De Mighty Trini, Wendy Fitzwilliam, all de sports men and women dem

            Yeah we’re all

            Gonna live

            Forever

            Yeah and shine

            Like the moon

            And the sun

            When we dance, When we sing

            When we paint

            When we write, When we live

            When we play

            We place ourselves in the neon lights

            Along the journey of eternity

            So we’re all

            Gonna live

            For ever!

Fitzroy Coleman can you teach me to play?

With such virtuosity any style any day

Sirs A.M. Clarke, F. Romily, poetic genius and pioneers

Talk the troubles of the people for the oppressors to hear

Eric Powder, Onika Virgil and Tobago Crusoe

And all ar dem folks from Tobago

To de drummers from de roots of Africa, India

From Europe, Asia, Japan, Russia, Germany, China, Venezeula

We are the culture capital of the world

Ah pleading, meh people doh lose we soul

Honour our craftspeople no matter what art

While they’re able to see the rewards for dat

No matter how yuh push we down we will get our dues

But it’s time to focus we in your news

We’ll enjoy our time and make we mark

So to all ambassadors of indigenous art!

            Yeah we’re all

            Gonna live

            Forever

            Yeah and shine

            Like the moon

            And the sun

            When we dance, When we sing

            When we paint

            When we write, When we live

            When we play

            We place ourselves in the neon lights

            Along the journey of eternity

            So we’re all

            Gonna live

            For ever!

YOUR CULTURE written by Sheldon Manoo (1999)

You gotta honour your culture

Respect your culture

Oh la la, la la la

De sun it shinning

Like de music in my soul

Just let it shine!

Play on, play on Mr Panman

Let de rhythm of de steel drum echoe across de land

I , eye I eye

Let de tassa roll like de thunder

Under, de Orange Sky!

Set me high, so high, so high!

Get culturized!

Rise up! Lies up! Wise up!

You gotta learn de laws of nature

And always respect your culture, young and old

You’re young then you’re old

Free your soul, free your soul

I say there’s nothing wrong, nothing wrong

With accepting another’s culture

But something’s wrong, something’s wrong

With disregarding your own culture

You are de fruit

Of this root

That is de truth

Doh substitute

And there isa route

That will suit

Just pursuit

And compute

Doh forget yuh background

Never forget where yuh come from

And doh lose your culture

In this unsure future

You gotta respect your culture

And honour your culture

You must treasure your culture

And practice your culture

You must love up your culture

Just like ah lover

Keep up tradition

Heal up de nation

We are not one colour

That is part of we culture

We not one race but we are one people, one blood under de island sun

In de ses of de Caribbean

We are a paradise

Doh spoil para ---dise!

Music and rhythm is we culture

Whether yuh play ,pan , piano or guitar

Any instrument yuh blow

Any chord yuh strum

Anything yuh press

Anything yuh hit or drum

Is part of your culture

If yuh sing kaiso or is ah dubstar

Is part of your culture

If you do chutney or is ah rockstar

It is we culture

As long as we do it together

It is your culture

You gotta honour your culture

Your mother and father

And sister and brother

Friend and your lover

Yuh neighbor, co-worker

Respect your people

Respect your Creator

And pray with and for your country

And live in harmony with every animal, thing or tree

And respect your elder

And protect your future

Honour your people

Honour your culture

Yeah Yeah Yeah!

VOLUTION written by Sheldon Manoo (2001)

The war!

The war is

The war is one, two,three,four

The war is Four!

The war is for

            The revolution!

The revolution for

            The evolution!

The evolution of humanity!

Humanity for everyone

Like the sun

The war is for

For love of war

            For justification!

            Verification!

                        “Who owns the land?”

                        “Who owns the man,”

Who fights the war?

And what for? The evolution?

The war is for

            The termination!

Of all the evils that plagued this generation!

Fight the war!

Can we fight the war?

Will we win the war?

It’s a good cause we’re fighting for!

Four Three Two One!

Can it be won?

The revolution war!

Victims! Victims cry!

For victims who never die!

But always fighting the war!

See the fire! See the fire!

Burning down the walls!

The walls that break!

The conscience falls!

And the clarion calls!

The promise of a new horizon lifted

Burning thru the rage of the oppressed!                

By the obsessed!

Call! Call! Call!

Call to rise!

The minds of sleeping rebels

To revel in the revolution!

For the revolution

Fights the pollution

Of mental segregation

Incarceration of every Sion!

That never shone light

In the minds of the enlightened!

Who’re fighting

                        This War

That spills bitter blood

That kills the dead

Dead to the burden of free will

Robotically hypnotized minds

To do for the sake of

Forsaken for the sake of

Enslaved for the sake of

  FREEDOMLIBERTYJUSTICE FOR ALL!

Some must pay the ultimate price

            For freedom!

For freedom to have

            The revolution

The revolution that leads to war!

            All’s fair

     In love and war!

And I love to be fair!

But with this fear,

That I can’t pay the fare,

To see the fair!

It feels unfair!

To start a revolution without love!

Without a lover!

To stand by

To sanctify

To encourage

To nourish

To EMULATEEJACULATECOMFORTHOLD

Relay the secrets of the warring world!

With words of praise and love!

For the hope of a world

Without revolutions or

WAR WAr War war!

And the first step to a revolution

            Is a reason!

To have no reason

For the revolution!

For the revolution!

For the revolution!

For the revolution clarify!

Clarify the situation

Justify the mystification

For a fixation

To rely on truth’s determination

For victory!

But this revolution is not for

Victory

This revolution for all the

Lost revolutionaries

As a remembrance

For sacrifice

Of life

And love

For a world now where

Being black is not immoral

And being white is not sinful

And just being is alright!

Humans being human beings

Fighting humans for a god that’s not seen

But seeing is not believing

Or else we’d believe more in humanity

And won’t need to fight this war

To prove we’re right

In our belief in the Unseen

Who wrote words through humans

For humans to believe

And be living!

But for now we die For the war kills!

Those not given opportunity

To believe

But we believe in the revolution

The revolution to stop the war

The revolution of the evolution

Of the mind in every human

Foe a betteration –Better nation!

In a world that’s worth the pain

The scars of the revolution

Against the pollution

Of our sacred woman

Of our secret passion

The pollution of creation by creation

We must revolute against those that won’t revolute

And those that persecute revolutionaries!

To end this war to all wars!

Until the end of existence is sure!

REST IN PEACE written by Chris Rampersad. Edited, Arranged and addional Lyrics by Sheldon Manoo.

You know my friends were few
But the greatest one was you
And there were times we crossed but somehow
All of those times are forgotten now

I should not dwell upon the past
Though I wake up and find feelings dead
There are lessens to be learnt here
You just got to live and love moments shared

So Rest In Peace
Oh Mama sleep in peace
Oh Rest In Peace
Just hold your peace!

You cheated it for quite some time now,
Well you got your payment due (Though it's terrible)
But you were ready for the end
Cause mama you lived your life in full

Now won't you
Rest In Peace
Rest In Peace, Oh
Rest In Peace....

SOLO

BRIDGE:
    Well Rest In Peace  (A peace of mind)
    Cause you come (to the end of the line)
    Nobody look for (what they cannot find)
    And every body are (running out of time)

You'll stay on my mind
For an eternity
And now your candle's burnt out
May you Rest In Peace!

(May you Rest In Peace!) RTF

THE DEVIL IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL I’VE EVER SEEN Written by Sheldon Manoo (1997)

When I first saw her, I wanted her to be my queen!

But the devil is the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen!

So I walked to her, tipped my hat, said have a good day!

She smiled but I didn’t see that smile in any wicked way!

            Then another day came!

            I got to know her name!

            And get her out on a date with me!

            Took her to a club!

            It’s where she had her job!

            But she was off that night you see!

     And we would dance, all her friends butt in!

     It’s kinda funny, all her friends were men!

And when I first kissed her, I thought I was in a dream!

But the devil is the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen!

Yeah the devil is the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen!

And if you don’t watch the things she do she’ll cut you clean!

So I heard her crying, I went to comfort, she said don’t leave me!

I promised I’d stay forever on yes indeed!

And I’d do anything baby, that you ask of me!

Now I know what a fool a man in love can be!

Though it feels like a movie and this is just a bad scene!

But slap yourself hard, you’ll feel and see it’s real!

That the devil is the most beautiful girl you’ve ever seen!

T he devil is the most beautiful girl you’ve ever seen!

            SOLO

When we first made love, I never believed she ever would be mean!

But the devil is the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen!

So I asked her to marry, she smiled and said OK!

She smiled but I didn’t see that smile in any wicked way!

            Then the wedding came!

            I earned a lot of fame!

            And many people came to witness!

            When she didn’t show up!

            I felt my heart stop!

            My embarrassment was just a laughing phase!

    I never got from her any, sort of explanation for that!

    I hadn’t seen her since and if I do it’ll only rip my heart! 

When I first loved her, I never thought anything would intervene!

But the devil is the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen!

Yeah the devil is the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen!

She lit a fire then threw water and left me in steam!

So the devil is the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen!

She took my soul, no she’s not a friend but a fiend!

The devil is the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen!

Yeah the devil is the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen!

WE”RE NOT GOOD AT ANYTHING BUT WE”RE BETTER THAN ANYONE AT IT! Written by Sheldon Manoo (1999)

Rock Vocal: We’re not good at anything

                     But we’re better than anyone at it!

                     No we’re not good at anything

                     But we’re better than anyone!

                     Better than anyone!

                     At IT!

ROCK:

We can’t eat and we can’t cook!

We can’t write or read a book! 

We can’t fix up and we can’t date!

We can’t gape or masturbate!

We can’t live and we can’t kill!

We can’t bore and we can’t thrill!

We can’t love and we can’t hate!

No No No, We can’t do anything!

Rock Vocal: We’re not good at anything

                     But we’re better than anyone at it!

                     No we’re not good at anything

                     But we’re better than anyone!

                     Better than anyone!

                     At IT!                                                 

                    SOLO

RAP:

Just another story of storiless people!

Who are neither good, bad or evil!

Still we’re existing for what reason why?

We don’t wanna live, don’t wanna die!

Every body’s telling us what we should do!

And we like the old but only find the new!

We can’t even steal but all our styles r’ stolen!

We’re considered high but we know we’ve fallen!

We don’t understand how our stuff’s sellin”

When the brilliant tell us, we can’t do a thing! No!

Rock Vocal: We’re not good at anything

                     But we’re better than anyone at it!

                     No we’re not good at anything

                     But we’re better than anyone!

                     Better than anyone!

                     At IT!                                             

                    HIP HOP BEAT

DUB:

So many things we just nah understand!

Why are we so much in demand!

When they say we so untalented!

Then how come we so wanted!

If dem tink we chupid dem chupider!

Cause we never stay out or interfere!

And we do the only ting we could really do!

We can always do it better then you!

And we may not be good at anything!

But at least we could do piece of everything!

Rock Vocal: We’re not good at anything

                     But we’re better than anyone at it!

                     No we’re not good at anything

                     But we’re better than anyone!

                     Better than anyone!

                     At IT!                                       

                    DUB BEAT

Rock Vocal Acapella:

         We’re not good at anything

                     But we’re better than anyone at it!

                     No we’re not good at anything

                     But we’re better than anyone!

                     Better than anyone!

                     At IT!

                       

WHAT WILL YOU DO THEN? (Rights Activists Song) Written by Sheldon Manoo (2002)

We’re all fighting so hard

For a better life for all

All who’re evil and bad

We wanna see them fall

God gave us the right

To say what they do wrong

We wanna see one night

We’re all singing the same song

  How many dreams did you have about a perfect world?

  And do you cry when they laugh about the thoughts in your soul?

But when you believe in something

You just got to rally for it

There is no compromising

Where it hurts them that’s where to hit!

            Someday we know

            The world will be a totally good place

            Where only righteous deeds descend!

            But did you ever stop to wonder

            If you’re alive still

            What will you do then?

We’re pushing with all our might

To move these obstacles in our way

It’s hard to out this fire we had light

To shine us to the unclouded day

Where we can talk anywhere, any hour

Without the fear of probabilities

And we interact with One Divine Spiritual Power

No one is in need or drenched with insecurities!     Sure

            Someday we know

            The world will be a totally good place

            Where only righteous deeds descend!

            But did you ever stop to wonder

            If you’re alive still

            What will you do then?

            Oh what will you do then?                         SOLO

And when you decide just what you’ll do

Make an attempt to try it today

And encourage your friends to do it too

That perfection is not far away

Spend a little more time creating reality

Instead of dreaming of where you wanna be!

(Oh what you’ll do then, do it now!)

(And what you’ll say then, say it now!) 6x

WHAT THE FOOL IS WRONG WITH THE WORLD? Written by Sheldon Manoo (1999)

A tourist couple got murdered on the beach

The coast guard they were out of reach

What the fool’s wrong with some people in my country

Everytime I hear news it just bums me

Sometimes I just want to start a fight,  but

A violent solution just ain’t right

Massacres of thousands, wars and brutality

I can never say it don’t affect me

How could some stand in their safe corner of the world;

And enjoy their big times with their pots of gold?

And don’t give a damn about the sufferers

Well it ain’t gonna stay so forever….. Tell me

            What the fool is wrong with my country?

            What the fool is wrong with some people?

            Why must many be sad and angry?

            What the fool is wrong with the world?

            Where in hell did they learn about life?

            How the heck did they get so?

            What about one love to survive?

            What the fool is wrong with the world?

            Na naa, Na Na Na Naa, What’ wrong?

Everyday I hear some sickening news

And all these dread points of views

In my brain I blow a fuse!

Cause I get so damn confuse

Messed up government, messed up parliament!

It can’t be this way for permanent!

You can call me harsh, you can call me blunt!

I’d give my life for the things I want!

Ain’t no president or no millionaire

Gonna change the thoughts I got in here

Too many has been ignorant, negligent

Too many have been reluctant, unimportant

I would blaspheme where necessary

Churches that don’t run spiritually

Financially, pastor with a luxurious house

It’s like a game of cat and mouse!.....I want to know!

            What the fool is wrong with my country?

            What the fool is wrong with some people?

            Why must many be sad and angry?

            What the fool is wrong with the world?

            Where in hell did they learn about life?

            How the heck did they get so?

            What about one love to survive?

            What the fool is wrong with the world?

            Na naa, Na Na Na Naa, What’ wrong?

RAP:

Yeah Yeah Yeah what the fool is wrong with my country

Too many devils are running around free

All I see is a repeat of history

Some fiend wanna crucify me

They want to edit my words

So the truth can’t be heard

The truth that we’re all one race

You think otherwise, that’s a disgrace

Band the curse words from the children’s ears

But that is not what leaves them in tears

All you abusive, ignorant and messed up parents

Values from you is what the children don’t want

Behind my back you say I’m a mad ass

When you see me, hey friend let’s knock a glass

All you pretenders, liars, hypocrites and parasites,

Drags and critics we don’t need you in this life!

Criminals and lawyers you’re all the same

Your hold on society is a damn shame!

Just listen to me I want to make a better place

You can’t stop me I follow the Lord’s ways

There are many people with wicked hearts and souls

Tell me what the fool is wrong with the world?

(Guitar Solo)

Not a second has gone since time began in this world

Where everybody was happy, feeling no kind of hurt

In my life I’ve seen too many tears

Of all the pain throughout the years

What is it that people haven’t yet learn?

How many stood on the bridge while it burn?

All the evil men and women who fooled up!

How is it that many of them weren’t locked up?

I just want to make it better for all

So Come! Join with me and We won’t fall……..Yo

            What the fool is wrong with my country?

            What the fool is wrong with some people?

            Why must many be sad and angry?

            What the fool is wrong with the world?

            Where in hell did they learn about life?

            How the heck did they get so?

            What about one love to survive?

            What the fool is wrong with the world?

            Na naa, Na Na Na Naa, What’ wrong?

YUH BREK MEH BANK written by Sheldon Manoo (2001)

I used to be a wealthy man, a healthy man

Ah used to hah things Ah neva understand, ah change ah plan

But den one day

In de month ar May

Yuh came and wine on meh

And hah meh totulbay

Ah gih yuh one, yuh wah ‘bout two

Ah tell yuh there’s nothing Ah wouldn’t do for you

Well!  (Who tell meh to say dat?}4x

Yuh take! Yuh take! Yuh Take! Yuh take!

Now meh bank it break!

            Yuh brek meh bank (Ah used to hah so much)

            Yuh brek meh bank (Woman yuh wear meh out)

CHANT:         Yuh took all meh love

                        And yuh took a lot of time

                         And not even meh heart

                         Ah seeming tuh find..

                            (Yuh brek meh bank)  4x

RAPISH:        Yuh break it, yuh take it, everyting u took

                        Leave me like ah boobolie, leave me like ah mook

                        Now Ah stand in fantasy land with ah broken dream

                        All de luxury Ah had, well it wipe out clean!

                            (Yuh brek meh bank)  4x

                        BANJO SOLO

RAPSO:          Meh soul right down and it under E

                        Car, house repossess, Ah hah no money

                        Buh doh worry ‘bout me Ah go make it through!

                        Ah hah de riches of God’s Love tha cah be broken by you!

            (Chinese Musical Outro)

YEAR OF BROKEN DREAMS written by Sheldon Manoo for Broken Mirroz (1999)

This has got to be the year, oh yeah!

When everything is clear

And we waited all our lives for it

And we paid our dues for it

Been circling like vultures so long

How long must we sing this song?

Before we hit the right note in this symphony

I know we can help set some minds free

  This has got to be the year it seems

  Of the (Broken Dreams) 2x

Sometimes I see us on a stage

Oceans of crowds and they’re in a daze

No smoke filled arena or intoxicated mind

Oh on the music everybody’s high

Sometimes I visualize the story of my life

And making people feel good is the glory of my life

Oh we need a break to succeed

Lyrical Expresser Sheldon, Guitar Prince Navid….(Guitar solo)

  This has got to be the year it seems

  Of the (Broken Dreams) 2x

  (Woh Broken Dreams, Broken Dreams) 7x

We’re heading to a time of clarity

We got enough music inside we

To groove the world in a purer mood

High energy soul music food

But everyone needs just one lil chance

Don’t trap our aura in the circumstance

Of waiting another year

Although we know we’d get there

Give us time to spear this year oh!

  This has got to be the year it seems

  Of the (Broken Dreams) 10x