family
Lyrics
[Intro - deep sub-bass rumble, distant vinyl crackle, echo-soaked male vocal ad-libs]
Yeah… only me now… herb in me hand… Jah, watch over dem…
[Verse 1 - laid-back skank guitar, heavy echo on snare, low 808-style dub bass]
Me light up de spliff inna de twilight glow
Father and brother dem nah come home no more
Only me left pon dis riddim so slow
Blow smoke to de sky, let Jah know
Me sister and mudda mus’ fend pon dem own
Me heart weigh heavy but de herb keep me calm
Every draw carry memory, every breath a psalm
Inna dis deep dub we nah walk alone
[Chorus - full band with reverb-drenched horns, call-and-response harmonies, rolling bass]
Jah Almighty, look after me family
Only me left, but me nah give up de melody
Smoke rise up like prayer from de chalice
Carry me tears to de heights of Mount Zion
Jah Almighty, hold me mudda and sister tight
Me send dem strength pon every bass line tonight
Though loss cut deep, de riddim still play
Deep dub keep de faith, never fade away
[Verse 2 - darker dub processing, tape delay on vocals, skanking guitar with added delay]
Father used to hum dis same old song
Brother would laugh when de bassline run long
Now de speaker cone tremble, carry dem names along
Herb burn slow while me heart play strong
Me sister mus’ rise, mudda mus’ stand
Me send up de prayer through me spliff and me hand
Inna dis session, dem still inna de band
Jah circle never break, even when life get hard
[Bridge - stripped to sub-bass and rimshot, whispered vocals, minimal guitar skank]
Only me… only me…
But Jah never leave we…
Smoke curl to heaven…
Dem still here… still here…
[Chorus - explosive return, layered harmonies, horn stabs, bass walking deeper]
Jah Almighty, look after me family
Only me left, but me nah give up de melody
Smoke rise up like prayer from de chalice
Carry me tears to de heights of Mount Zion
Jah Almighty, hold me mudda and sister tight
Me send dem strength pon every bass line tonight
Though loss cut deep, de riddim still play
Deep dub keep de faith, never fade away
[Outro - fading tape echo, distant horns, bass decaying into silence, soft ad-libs]
Only me… herb in memory…
Jah… look after dem… look after dem…