Deze ligt zo voor de hand in verband met de deportatieplannen ten aanzien van mensen uit de ex-koloniën dat ik meende: die hebben we vast al gehad.
Maar neen! Weer een omissie goedgemaakt.
W’en mi jus’ come to Landan toun
Mi use to work pan di andahgroun
But workin’ pan di andahgroun
Y’u don’t get fi know your way around
Inglan is a bitch
Dere’s no escapin it
Inglan is a bitch
Dere’s no runnin’ whey fram it
Mi get a lickle jab in a bih ‘otell
An’ awftah a while, mi woz doin’ quite well
Dem staat mi aaf as a dish-washah
But w’en mi tek a stack, mi noh tun clack-watchah
Inglan is a bitch
Dere’s no escapin it
Inglan is a bitch
No baddah try fi hide fram it
W’en dem gi’ you di lickle wage packit
Fus dem rab it wid dem big tax rackit
Y’u haffi struggle fi mek en’s meet
An’ w’en y’u goh a y’u bed y’u jus’ can’t sleep
Inglan is a bitch
Dere’s no escapin it
Inglan is a bitch
A noh lie mi a tell, a true
Mi use to work dig ditch w’en it cowl noh bitch
Mi did strang like a mule, but bwoy, mi did fool
Den awftah a while mi jus’ stap dhu ovahtime
Den awftah a while mi jus’ phu dung mi tool
Inglan is a bitch
Dere’s no escapin it
Inglan is a bitch
Y’u haffi know how fi survive in it
Well mi dhu day wok an’ mi dhu nite wok
Mi dhu clean wok an’ mi dhu dutty wok
Dem seh dat black man is very lazy
But if y’u si how mi wok y’u woulda sey mi crazy
Inglan is a bitch
Dere’s no escapin it
Inglan is a bitch
Y’u bettah face up to it
Dem a have a lickle facktri up inna Brackly
Inna disya facktri all dem dhu is pack crackry
Fi di laas fifteen years dem get mi laybah
Now awftah fifteen years mi fall out a fayvah
Inglan is a bitch
Dere’s no escapin it
Inglan is a bitch
Dere’s no runnin’ whey fram it
Mi know dem have work, work in abundant
Yet still, dem mek mi redundant
Now, at fifty-five mi gettin’ quite ol’
Yet still, dem sen’ mi fi goh draw dole
Inglan is a bitch
Dere’s no escapin it
Inglan is a bitch
Is whey wi a goh dhu ‘bout it?
Inglan is a bitch, Linton Kwesi Johnson, 1980
