October 2000 Issue
of
street roots
Housin' Prablem
Time dem a rough
JAH know de time gettin' hard
When Rasta doan get fe live
inna no tenement yard
No, not a tenement yard
an' not a government yard
but get live inna de street
out upon de boulevard
Ah'm a tellin' yuh right now it is a hell of a ting
when yuh poor an' yuh Rasta fe get some housing
But it doan just Rasta yuh mus' andastand
plenty people got a housin' prablem inna Portland
Now Ah bu'n up de sensi, Ah'm a confess
Ah love mi sensimilla, it a pure niceness
Ah wrap it inna Rizla, bu'n it in mi chalwah
den Ah lift up mi hand dem an' give praises to JAH
But seem seh bu'nin' de herbs an' freedom of religion
A go mash up yuh chance fe dem 'commodation
Ah'm a tellin' yuh right now it is a hell of a ting
when yuh poor an' yuh Rasta fe get some housing
But it doan jus' Rasta yuh mus' andastand
plenty people got a housin' prablem inna Portland
Between dem waitin' list at Housin' Authority
an' a nex' concern name Central City
dem got nuff poor people runnin' to an' fram
dem waan sign yuh up fe dem homeless program
waan come inna yuh life an' invade yuh space
an' put a case manager deh pon yuh case
Ah'm a tellin' yuh right now it is a hell of a ting
when yuh poor 'bout yah fe get some housing
No, it doan jus' Rasta yuh mus' andastand
plenty people got a housin' prablem inna Portland
An' it doan jus' Portland yuh mus' andastand
poor people got a housin' prablem all over disya land
people got it inna Canada an' fram dehso to Japan
an' inna disya time it is a global candishan