(Slow, heavy bass kick starts the groove)
Jah... Rastafari...
Brothers and sisters in the ghettos...
Comrades at the bases...
Come... let us visit the market.
Dr. Bawumia says—
“If the market is meant to be good, it starts from the morning.”
CROWD: IT STARTS FROM THE MORNING!
LEAD: Again!
If the market is meant to be good—
CROWD: IT STARTS FROM THE MORNING!
LEAD: Very well... but this market did not open yesterday.
You had the morning, the sun was rising high
You had the morning, beneath the open sky
CROWD: WE SAW THE GOODS!
LEAD: You had the afternoon, the heat was settling down
You had the afternoon, all across the town
CROWD: WE SAW THE GOODS!
LEAD: Eight years in government, a long time in the sun
Eight years in government, before the race was run
CROWD: WE SAW THE GOODS!
Morning passed, afternoon passed, the shadows grew so long
And time opened the basket to see where we belong
LEAD: Tell me, what was inside?
CROWD: BRING THE RECORD!
Market! Market! The goods were on display!
Market! Market! In the light of the day!
Morning came—
CROWD: WE SAW THEM!
Afternoon came—
CROWD: WE SAW THEM!
Eight years—
CROWD: WE SAW THEM!
LEAD: Now you are coming back to the market stall
But we are looking for the wisdom behind it all.
We walk the aisles of history, seeking out the truth
We walk the aisles of history, for the elders and the youth
CROWD: WE HEARD THE PROMISE!
LEAD: You told us stories of gold, you told us stories of grain
You told us stories of relief, to wash away the pain
CROWD: WE HEARD THE PROMISE!
But the basket is empty, and the scales are weighing light
But the basket is empty, in the middle of the night
Eight years of talking, while the people stood in line
Eight years of waiting, for a better design.
Market! Market! The goods were on display!
Market! Market! In the light of the day!
Morning came—
CROWD: WE SAW THEM!
Afternoon came—
CROWD: WE SAW THEM!
Eight years—
CROWD: WE SAW THEM!
LEAD: Now you are coming back to the market stall
But we are looking for the wisdom behind it all.
The market is a mirror, it shows us who we are
It shows the scars of struggle, it shows the morning star
You cannot change the weather after the storm has passed
You cannot build a future on shadows that don't last
Jah knows the heart of man, Jah knows the work we do
We need the truth in the market, simple and true.
Eight years have gone... the basket is open.
What do you see, brother?
What do you see, sister?
Market day is ending, the sun is going down.
It starts from the morning...
(Fade out with heavy bass and echoing organ)
Roots... and culture...