Dread Beat An’ Blood verscheen in 1978. Voor het eerst kreeg de zwarte jeugd uit wijken als Brixton een stem. En wat voor stem: Linton Kwesi Johnson was in 1978 al een gelauwerd dichter, wiens werk later opgenomen zou worden in de uiterst prestigieuze Penguin Modern Classics serie. In All Wi Doin’ Is Defendin’ spreekt LKJ zich uit over het structurele politiegeweld waaronder zwarte wijken leden – en nog steeds lijden. De zwarte jongeren die het niet langer pikken en het geweld van de politie met tegengeweld beantwoorden staan in LKJ’s ogen volledig in hun recht: zelfverdediging is volstrekt legitiem, ook en vooral tegen de knokploeg van de staat. Tegelijk realiseert LKJ zich dat het gebruik van geweld een tweesnijdend zwaard is: geweld kan een levenswijze worden en zich naar binnen keren. In ‘Five Nights of Bleeding beschrijft Johnson hoe het geweld slachtoffers gaat eisen binnen de eigen gemeenschap: War amongst the rebels/madness, madness…war.
war… war…
mi seh lissen
oppressin man
hear what I say if yu can
wi have
a grevious blow fi blow wi will fite yu in di street wid we han
wi have a plan
soh lissen man
get ready fi tek some blows doze days
of di truncheon
an doze nites
of melancholy locked in a cell
doze hours of torture touchin hell
doze blows dat caused my heart to swell
were well
numbered
and are now
at an end all wi doin
is defendin
soh get yu ready
fi war… war…
freedom is a very firm thing
all oppression
can do is bring
passion to di eights of eruption
an songs of fire wi will sing
no… no…
noh run
yu did soun yu siren
an is war now
war… war…
di Special Patrol
will fall
like a wall force doun
or a toun turn to dus
even dow dem think dem bold
wi know dem cold like ice wid fear
an wi is fire!
choose yu weapon dem
quick!
all wi need is bakkles an bricks an sticks
wi hav fist
wi fav feet
wi carry dandamite in wi teeth
sen fi di riot squad
quick!
cause wi runin wild
wi bittah like bile
blood will guide
their way
an I say
all wi doin
is defendin
soh set yu ready
fi war… war…
freedom is a very fine thing
Madness, madness
Madness tight on the heads of the rebels
The bitterness erup’s like a heart blas’
Broke glass, ritual of blood an’ a-burnin’
Served by a cruel infighting
5 nights of horror and of bleeding
Broke glass, cold blades as sharp as the eyes of hate
And the stabbin’, it’s
War amongs’ the rebels
Madness, madness, war
Night number one was in Brixton
Sofrano B sound system
‘im was a-beatin’ up the riddim with a fire
‘im comin’ down his reggae reggae wire
It was a sound checkin’ down your spinal column
A bad music tearin’ up your flesh
An’ the rebels dem start a fighting
De youth dem just tun wild, it’s
War amongs’ the rebels
Madness, madness, war
Night number two down at Sheppard’s
Right up Railton road
It was a night name friday when ev’ryone was high on brew or drew(?)
A pound or two worth of collie
Sound comin’ down of the king’s music iron
The riddim just bubblin’ an’ backfirin’
Ragin’ an’ risin’
When suddenly the music cut –
Steelblade drinkin’ blood in darkness, it’s
War amongs’ the rebels
Madness, madness, war
Night number three, over the river
Right outside the Rainbow
Inside James Brown was screamin soul
Outside the rebels were freezin’ cold
Babylonian tyrants descended
Bounced on the brothers who were bold
So with a flick of the wris’, a jab and a stab
The song of hate was sounded
The pile of oppression was vomited
And two policemen wounded
Righteous, righteous war
Night number four at the blues dance, abuse dance
Two rooms packed and the pressure pushin’ up
Hot, hotheads
Ritual of blood in the blues dance
Broke glass splintering, fire
Axes, blades, brain blas’
Rebellion rushin’ down the wrong road
Storm blowin’ down the wrong tree
And Leroy bleeds near death on the fourth night
In a blues dance, on a black rebellious night, it’s
War amongs’ the rebels
Madness, madness, war
Night number five at the telegraph
Vengeance walk thru de doors
So slow, so smooth
So tight and ripe and -smash!
Broke glass, a bottle finds a head
And the shell of the fire heard -crack!
The victim feels fear
Finds hands, holds knife, finds throat
Oh, the stabbins and the bleedin’ and the blood, it’s
War amongs’ the rebels
Madness, madness, war
