Born In Jamaica Lyrics

Born in Jamaica

It's the promise land

The people are so beautiful

You'll love them my friend

Born in Jamaica

Lived there till I was ten

It's the land of wood and water

Let's go back there again

Jamaica's where I'm from

A place I really miss

My favourite dish

Ackee and salt fish

When I left Jamaica

I was young and innocent

I wish I never lost

My Jamaican accent

I'm not from Jungle

I'm not from Seaview

Born the year of independence

That's nineteen sixty-two


Hiding under my bed

On Potosi Avenue

They're coming and they're drumming


They're the Junkanoo

I used to make my kites

And fly them high in the sky

Used to get a stocking

From my mama, Christmas time

Inside it had two shillings

And some candy and a dime

You couldn't give this little kid

A happier time

Fun in the sun

Playing marbles to have fun

See duppy, we would run

Protect mom's only son

Vicks on my nose

White rum's on my chest

I'm likkle, I'm tallawah

Speak English, and Patios

Born in Jamaica

It's the promise land

The people are so beautiful

You'll love them my friend

Born in Jamaica

Lived there till I was ten

It's the land of wood and water

Let's go back there again

I didn't play ludi

But I ran snakes and ladder

Dominoes, cricket

I'm the number one batter

I miss that ocean breeze

See trees by the seas

Sea shells by the shore

Take a trip, I implore

Pitter-patter raindrops

Beating on my zinc rooftop

The only gun I had

Was my own slingshot

I swam in Dwayne Park

Alligators after dark

Black and white TV

Rjr, Jbc

In Jamaica I was fast

Here I'm the fastest runner

Jamaica I was strong

Here I'm even stronger

I used to hear the reggae music

Pounding In the streets

Could've been a Rasta

I stopped eating meat


I used to pick my ackee

Now I buy it in a tin

Went to church on Sundays

Just to wash away my sin

When I had to fight

My uncle said I had to win

Mama fed me callaloo

With boiled dumpling

Jamaica cheese tin red

Eat it with hard dough bread

If innocent blood would shed

I'd be reading books instead

Playing dolly-house in the rain

My pretty neighbour Charmaine

She drank cola-champaigne

And she liked my sugar cane

Brown sugar lemonade

Guinep trees provide the shade

I'm climbing mango trees

I'm stung by wasps and bees

I loved to hear that whistle

When the peanut man is near

Gimme oily fried dumplings

With my avocado pear

I'm in the class corner

One foot held up high

Teacher whipped me with her cane

Cause I told a little lie

The year was seventy-three

Mommy sent for me

She said come to Canada

Make some history

The land of wood and water

To the land of the cold

Went on that plane

I was ten years old

Born in Jamaica

Everything I said is true now

Jamaica I love you now

Jamaica's where I grew

Born in Jamaica

It's the promise land

The people are so beautiful

You'll love them my friend