Entime mi was pickney mi did tink say dat
A Englan one have queen
But Jamaica a wave di green black an gold
Fi wi queen MerleneFor as lickle as wi be, di whole world know
Say dat wi tallawah
Wi produce scientist, artiste, spelling bee champ
An di queen fi all sprinter
A di same lickle pretty fine foot gyal
Weh grow a countryside
Dat win up nuff Olympic an odda medal
An meck Jamaica bus wid pride
So, big track meet come, dem call di race
Merlene light off dung di track
Bus weh like dem big biegie kite
Dem couldn hold her back
One time it look like she buck her foot
An di nex one buss a laugh
Merlene no fenkeh pan her, she ongle say
"A soft yuh tink me soft?"
She pick up speed wid a vengeance, yuh see
Like her foot dem eena war
An who did a laugh no know wah lick dem
For Merlene was di star
"Ef oonoo think oonoo ago mix up mi time again
Not a sankey doan sing so
Jamaica nah lef widouten di big medal tideh
Mi jus want oonoo fi know"
An when di sprint queen win di race it was like
A national holiday
Tief get ketch eena house, sake a him a celebrate
Parson stop from pray
Doctor lef patient pon operating table
An a jump up an a scream
An nuff ooman run man out a house fi a talk bout
"Oh my girl Merlene"
But entime dem realize a Merlene who
Dem shame, teck back di man
For she meck every one a wi no matter whey wi deh
Proud fi be Jamaican
An when di others a teck up dis drugs ting
She know say "a no so it go"
Hold up her Jamaican head high eena di sky
Meck everybody know
Say a di thick cornmeal porridge an hominy corn
Ripe pear an di big bulla
An di tight flour dumplin, callaloo an afoo yam
Weh gi her stamina
One a dem ask her "Oh Merlene what's your secret
Yuh gets better everyday"
Her pretty face light up an she just smile an say
"Jamaicans lead di way"
One teet Tom a Hanover say anybody trouble her
She fi call him from afar
Meck him sell him one cow, an go farrin go ask dem
A wah dem want wid her
Him pickney dem start laugh an Miss Daisy say
"Den Tom yuh have visa?"
Him teck out him plate... "Visa or no visa
How mi reach deh, mi no kya"
For a so wi love wi one anadda eena Jamaica
An out deh pan di worl scene
Jamaica boasify an a fly wi green black and gold
Fi wi sprint Queen name Merlene
Joan Andrea Hutchinson.
(The above tribute to Jamaica's star sprinter Merlene Ottey is in recognition of her contribution to athletics and by extension the spirit of national and regional pride.)
