Republic of Jamaica | Quad Seven Clash

Republic of Jamaica | Quad Seven Clash

 "Wat a liiv an bambaie

When the two sevens clash

“Wat a liiv an bambaie
When the two sevens clash” 

~ Culture | Joseph Hill

Full independence or 

Republic of Jamaica

talk, a forward  fi a while now

How wi nuh reach deh yet?

Is it a g’yo ting or sabotage ting?

mi want fi know and 

di people dem want fi know tu

Quad seven | July 7th, 1977

        (7/7/77)
The day when the two sevens clashed
schools n’ businesses 

shuttered their doors
purported mayhem was to ensue 
mayhem allegedly prophesied by one
Marcus Mosiah Garvey 

“Wat a liiv an bambaie

When the two sevens clash

“Wat a liiv an bambaie
When the two sevens clash” 

~ Culture | Joseph Hill

Michael Manley, 

the self-proclaimed Joshua,

looking to further ingratiate himself 

with the masses,

re-enacted Paul Bogle’ 

7-mile trod from 

Stony Gut to Morant Bay

 

Subsequently, he, the Joshua, declared 
Jamaica’s path to republic

With a drop-dead 

referendum year of 1980

how ironic, in 1980,

many did drop dead

All hell broke loose
Edward Seaga, a Benedict Arnold 

of sorts, accused 

Michael of taking 

Jamaica on a communist path

was that a coincidence?
Not a chance

“Wat a liiv an bambaie

When the two sevens clash

“Wat a liiv an bambaie
When the two sevens clash” 

~ Culture | Joseph Hill

The nerve of him, the 

Benedict Arnold,

fi sen Senator Irvine go lobby 

di British High Commissioner

and di US Ambassador 

Forget not the Eventide fire 

and the Green Bay Killings

No need to pretend 

No need to get cryptic

We all know di history

Let me be explicit 

Let me be frank

CIA was all ova Jamaica

Kissinger flew in n’ swiftly 

Flew out, as he was summarily dismissed

the seeds were sown

seeds of economic, socio-economic, political 

and socio-political discord were sown

Instruments designed n’ deployed to make 

the people and the economy scream 

Such was the case

Marry this and marry that
Caan get this and caan get that
How to balance the books?
Was that a coincidence?
Not a chance

“Wat a liiv an bambaie

When the two sevens clash

“Wat a liiv an bambaie
When the two sevens clash” 

~ Culture | Joseph Hill

Civil unrest throughout the city
ratta-tatta, ratta-tatta 

gunshot a buss

in a every cravats n’ corner
Was that a coincidence?
Not a chance

Ones and ones strung out
On any opiate they could find
Was that a coincidence?
Not a chance