De apotheose van Linton Kwesi Johnson’s magnifieke debuutalbum Dread, Beat An’ Blood uit 1978. Het album laat zich het beste beluisteren als een vooraankondiging én rechtvaardiging van de Brixton Riots die Londen in 1981 letterlijk in de fik zouden zetten. De voorafgaande songs beschrijven het leven van zwarte mensen in het VK van de jaren ’70: All Wi Doin Is Defendin predikt de revolutie: All wi need is bottles an bricks an sticks/Wi hav fist/Wi hav feet/Wi carry dynamite in wi teeth.
War… war…
Mi sae, lissen
Oppressin man
Hear what I say if yu can
Wi have
A grevious blow fe blow
Wi will fite yu in di street wid we han
Wi hav a plan
Soh lissen, man
Get ready fe tek some blows
Doze days
Of de 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
So get yu ready
Fe war… war…
Freedom is a very firm thing
All oppression
Can do is bring
Passion to de heights of eruption
An songs of fire wi will sing
No… no…
Noh run
Yu did soun yu siren
An is war now…
War… war… war…
De Special Patrol
Will fall
Like a wall force doun
Or a toun turn to dus
Even dough dem think dem bold
Wi know dem cold like ice wid fear
An wi is fire
Choose yu weapon then
Quick
All wi need is bottlesles an bricks an sticks
Wi hav fist
Wi fav feet
Wi carry dynamite in wi teeth
Sen fe de riot squad
Quick
Cause wi runin wild
Bitta like bile
Blood will guide
Their way
An I say
All wi doin’
Is defendin
Soh set yu ready
Fi war… war…
Freedom is avery fine thing
Uitgelichte afbeelding: By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22943905
