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Asian Dub Foundation




Music World  →  Lyrics  →  A  →  Asian Dub Foundation  →  Albums  →  Community Music

Asian Dub Foundation Album


Community Music (03/20/2000)
03/20/2000
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Riddim I Like
6.
7.
8.
9.
Taa Deem
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
Scaling New Heights
15.
Collective Mode (French bonus track)
. . .



Union Jack and Union Jill
Back up and down the same old hill
Sell the flag to all the youths
But who swallow the bill
"Murdoch she wrote"
Him have his hands in the till
Blairful of Thatcher
Stuck on the 45
The suits have changed
But the old ties survive
New Britannia Cool
Who are you trying to fool?
Behind your fashion-tashion I see nothing at all
Care for the community
Cuts the nation into three
Rich pickings for the first
Bottom third you'll never see
While middle England keeps swinging it's loyalty
No concern for the future
Just with dead royalty
So will the Real Great Britain step forward
This is the national identiy parade
Shoe gazer nation forever looking backwards
Time to reject the sixties charade
Not enough schools
Not enough homes
Just phoney care in his millenium dome
More Prime cuts than beef on the bone
And there's too many questions you're not answering tone
Union Jack and Union Jill ...
So will the Real Great Britain step forward ...



. . .



Who controls the past controls the present
And who controls the present controls the future
The battle for the past is for the future
Must be the winners of the memory war
Smash reach out and then grab the flower
At the end of the day their defeat will be for sure
Have you inside your memory the scene of the crime
If you don't have a clue then you're running out a time
Struggle continues while di sunshine
Past and the truth two of them you have to combine
Because books dem a burnt and documents are shredded
Cover ups are covered up in the name of the law
Presidents and royalty caught red hanged
And you won't know about it for fifty years or move
Come pay attention to the re-educator
The battle for the past is now the battle for the future
Fire for the messengers of this fake nostalgia
Soon come judgement day
Who controls the past controls the present
And who controls the present controls the future
The history they teach is the voice of the victor
You need to look again you need to have a propaganda!
If truth is your price then come join the bounty hunters
Because truth make you the enemy of all these liars
Because books dem a burnt and documents are shredded
Cover-ups are covered up in the name of the law
Presidents and Royalty caught red handed
And you won't know about it for fifty years or more
Come pay attention to the re-educator
The battle for the past is now the battle for the future
Fire for the messengers of this fake nostalgia
Soon come judgement day



. . .



Canteen culture colouring the view
From Hendon to Eltham not following the clue
Corruption instruction the life blood of the blue
The whole of the barrel is rotten and not just a few
Evidence buried with a secret handshake
Investigation officers on the double x take
Lost records and notes. Excuses half baked
Screwed up A4 and this is no mistake
Officer XX, it's time to liaise
Let me introduce you to the brand new Krays
No mention of the gangster - 'Informer' is the phrase
No communication in the 'in' and out' trays
MI5. Them building up Combat 18?
Nazi turnouts and the BNP in between?
Running drugs for money for the loyalists?
MacPherson. How come you missed the whole a this?
Defective constable what you gonna say?
Suspending our belief and still on full pay
Chief Condon is safe. What did you expect?
Who's up next?
Calling Officer XX!
Spin-doctors and Editors engaged in a pact
Information leaked out to cover up the facts
Daily slackmail onto a nice little earner
While another thousand cases still on the back burner
Zero tolerance for Jack the Home Sec
Running for cover 'cause him know we're after him neck
Him a huff an him a puff
Inna de name of de law
When it come to the guilty him a man of straw
Thin shameful spectacle we can see clearly
Conspiracy in practice
Now not in theory
Heard all of de report and looked over the whole a de text
Time to step forward now Officer XX
Defective constable. What you gonna say
Suspending our belief and still on full pay
Chief Condon is safe. What did you expect?
Who's up next?
Calling Officer XX!



. . .



Every sunday morning in front of the TV
Recording with a microphone naya zindagi
Pioneer gurdas maan
Nusrat fateh ali khan
Kept our parents alive
Gave them the will to survive
Working inna de factories
Sometimes sweeping de floor
Unsung heroines an heroes
Yes they open de door
They came a long time ago
But now it seems we've arrived
Naya zindagi naya jeevan
New way new life
Stayed an we fought an now de future's open wide
New way new life
Naya zindagi naya jeevan
New way new life
Naya zindagi naya jeevan
Tjinder pon de radio
Dis is England's new voice
Censorship for years
But now dem have no choice
Running thru de playground
We could never have known
Dat in de future
Our role models would be homegrown
And now we're walking down de street
Wid a brand new pride
A spring inna de step
Wid our heads held high
Young asian brothers an sisters
Moving forward. Side by side
Naya zindagi naya Jeevan
New way new life
Our opportunity will no longer be denied
New way new life
Naya zindagi naya Jeevan
And we're supposed to be cool
Inna de dance our riddims rule
But we knew it all along
Cos our parents made us strong
Never abandoned our culture
Just been moving it along
Technology our tradition
Innovation inna the song
Now de struggle continues
To reverse every wrong
New heroines an heroes
Inna de battle we belong
When we reach de glass ceiling
We will blow it sky high
Naya zindagi naya Jeevan
New way new life
Stayed an we fought an now de future's open wide
New way new life
Naya zindagi naya Zindagi
New way new life
Naya zindagi naya Jeevan



. . .

Riddim I Like

[No lyrics]

. . .



For every opportunity we squeeze de last drop
Seeds sown inna de past and now we’re reaping de crop
Yer, spreading de roots an we’re no longer under-ground
Those dat turned away are now turning around
Homebeats and high-hats mightier than de sword
Version excursions an breaks from abroad
Too many secret histories dat have never been told
Reveal hidden agendas
Remove de blindfold

Examine de story before you tek de stage
Unscramble freaktalk displayed pon de front page
Frequency flashing synchronised like strobe
Can’t do it alone you need to get into de collective mode
Need to get into de collective mode

We’re taking note of every brand new sound
Keeping our minds open
Cor we know we’re future bound
Together we must recognise the signs of our times
Together we must learn to read between the lines
Make your own programme
No bother become digital captive
You need some audio
So you must be active
Get into collective mode
Spirits become positive
You live de life you love
An you love the life you give
No-one is an island whether you like it or not
All inna di same boat which is about to be rocked
Warning light flashing synchronised like strobe
Can’t do it alone you need to get into de collective mode

Do you spend too much time living inside your head
Worry too much about what the other man said
Need to pay heed to dis sonic reflection
Turn dis disconnection into interconnection
And get into de collective mode


. . .



New crash is coming
Watch out IMF dem try to tek away your sight
Boom an a gloom. Recession it a loom
For de second time in ten years monies starting to get tight
Better take cover 'cos de crash is coming soon
Lock, stockbrokers an two smoking barrels
Spun de roulette wheel an a you won de first time
So forget bout prayers an a your christmas carols
Welcoming de new year back on de breadline
New crash is coming
Pointing de index finger at meaningless figures
Dow Jones, Wall St, Nikkei they all lied
Speculator goldigger an free market ligger
Here comes a FTSE up your backside
Pacfic rim panic, taking de tooth from de tiger
Financial fallout oterrioing ce geigeu
A war of nerves between de us an Japan
Once again de underdogs end up carrying de can
Watch out IMF dem try to tek away your sight
Boom an a gloom. Recession it a loom
For de second time in ten years monies starting to get tight
Better take cover 'cos de crash is coming soon
International monetary foul play
Freetrade, slavetrade. Slip dem a bung an call it aid
Gurus. Fakirs: witness de mess dat they have made
It's de end of history, we say it's just de beginning
Struggle for de truth no more doctors will be spinning
Pilger prophecised de profits of de city
Media mogul dying wid his hand inna de kitty
We live in de world that time begatt
Time to check de data debris an change de format
All de way from de frontline here comes de backlash
Bad news outnational announcing de crash



. . .



Today the colour line/ is the power line/ is the poverty line
Racism and imperialism work in tandem
And poverty is their handmaiden
Those who are poor and powerless to break out of their poverty
Are also those who by and large are non-white, non-western, third world
Poverty and powerlessness are intertwined in color, in race
Discrimination and exploitation feed into each other today, under global capitalism
We are back to primitive accumulation - plunder on a world scale
Only this time, the pillage is accompanied by aid, sustained by expert advice and underpinned by programmes and polices that perpetuate dependency
The IMF, the World Bank, Structural adjustment programmes
General agreement on tariffs and trade-gatt
Are just a few of the organizations, schemes, projects
Which under the guise of developing the third world. Plunder it
Trade agreements and commodity price fixing, patients and intellectual rights
They lock them into paralytic dependency
There is no such thing as illegal immigrants, only illegal governments
Today, the colour line/ is the power line/ is the poverty line



. . .

Taa Deem

[No lyrics]

. . .



Read up your history and then you'll reach your destination
Teach up the youth and then you'll find the solution
Education is the key
Will be for eternity
Come focus upon dis and then you will see
We've come so far so fast from what they call the past
Laying down foundations and we know they're gonna last
Present and the future we will never fall
Realise united we stand and united we fall
This is the wall of community sound
We're comin to get you comin to track you down
No escaping from this militant scientist
Suffer no defeat is upon top of the list
Hope and glory the myth of the Labour tories
We're comin down and telling you a different story
Any time when we come positive and confident
And them coulda never escape this ya judgement



. . .



Truth hides under fallen rocks and stones
At the end of a disconnected phone
Truth hides down an unmarked street
Buried deep beneath your feet
Truth hides in people written out of history
Black leaders and inventors whose names remain a mystery
Great women recorded on ripped out pages
Obliterated wisdom, covered up faces
Truth is lost in the mists of eMpTy Vision
And found in the notebooks of those wrongfully imprisoned
And in the evidence that was never brought to trial
But not in the void behind the newsreaders' smile
Truth hides whenever we lose our focus
Slips out the back quickly replaced by the bogus
Fleeing soundbites disguised as facts
That reappear in the small print on every contract
Truth hides on the other side of a two-way mirror
In countless documents sent straight to the shredder
That might finally give us the whole of the picture
But until the day we decide to dig a little deeper
We know the truth will hide
Under fallen rocks and stones
At the end of a disconnected phone
Down an unmarked street
And buried deep beneath your feet
CHORUS
Truth it hide under rocks and stones
At the end of your line
Down an unmarked street
Truth it hide under rocks and stones
At the end of your line



. . .



Ami bidrohi!
I am the Rebel Warrior
I have risen alone
With my head held high
I will only rest when the cries of the oppressed
No longer reach the sky
When the sound of the sword of the oppressor
No longer rings in battle
Hear my warcry!
I'm here to teach you a lesson
I'm here to torture your soul
I'm the itch in your side that's got out of control
'Gonna prey on your conscience
You'll be praying for forgiveness
Seen all the evidence
No longer need a witness
So take my word man
Here's my sentence
One hundred thousand years of repentance.
One hundred thousand years of repentance.
Check my anger, it's real
Ain't no token
I'll be satisfied only when your back's been broken
It's my burning ambition to burn down your empire
Man I'll be building you a funeral pyre
The fire in my eyes
If looks coulda kill
I won't be satisfied untill I've had my fill.
Check my anger, it's real
Ain't no token
I'll be satisfied only when your back's been broken!
Ami bidrohi!
I am the Rebel Warrior
I hve risen alone
With my head held high
I will only rest when the cries of the oppressed
No longer reach the sky
When the sound of the sword of the oppressor
No longer rings in battle
Hear my warcry!
Repetitive beats
Beating against your skull
I'll be striking you down to the sound of the wardrum
The doum!
The doum of the dhol
Taking its toll
Null and void is what you've become
An underground army with my brothers and sisters
Hand to hand fighting
Building up a resistance
Repetitive beats
Beating against your skull
Null and void is what you've become
Ami bidrohi!
I am the Rebel Warrior
I have risen alone
With my head held high
I will only rest when the cries of the oppressed
No longer reach the sky
When the sound of the sword of the oppressor
No longer rings in battle
Hear my warcry!
A radical fusion
Strange alliance
The siren and the flute in unison
'Cos it's a part of my mission
To break down division
Mental compartments
Psychological prisons.
I'll be sowing the seeds of community
Accomodating every colour every need
So listen to my message
And heed my warning
I'm telling you now how a new age is dawning
Ami bidrohi!
I am the Rebel Warrior
I have risen alone
With my head held high
I will only rest when the cries of the oppressed
No longer reach the sky
When the sound of the sword of the oppressor
No longer rings in battle
Hear my warcry!
Ami Bidrohi!
Ami Bidrohi!
Yes the unity of the Muslim and the Hindu
Will end your tyranny
Ami Bidrohi! Ami Bidrohi!



. . .



I'll be honest with you
I hate war in all it's forms -
Physical, psychological, spiritual.... emotional... environmental
I hate war...
And I hate having to struggle - I honestly do
Because I wish I had been born into a world when this is not necessary
This context of struggle and being a warrior and being a struggler
Has been forced on me by opression
Otherwise I would have been a sculptor or a gardener
Carpenter - you know, I would be free to be so much more...
I guess being part of me or part of who I am, a part of what I do
Is being a warrior - a reluctant warrior, a reluctant struggler
But... I do it because I am committed to life
We can't avoid it. We can't run away from it
Because to do that is to be subservient... to devils
Subservient to evil and so that the only way to live on this planet with any human dignity at the moment is to struggle



. . .

Scaling New Heights

[No lyrics]

. . .



For every opportunity we squeeze de last drop
Seeds sown inna de past and now we’re reaping de crop
Yer, spreading de roots an we’re no longer under-ground
Those dat turned away are now turning around
Homebeats and high-hats mightier than de sword
Version excursions an breaks from abroad
Too many secret histories dat have never been told
Reveal hidden agendas
Remove de blindfold

Examine de story before you tek de stage
Unscramble freaktalk displayed pon de front page
Frequency flashing synchronised like strobe
Can’t do it alone you need to get into de collective mode
Need to get into de collective mode

We’re taking note of every brand new sound
Keeping our minds open
Cor we know we’re future bound
Together we must recognise the signs of our times
Together we must learn to read between the lines
Make your own programme
No bother become digital captive
You need some audio
So you must be active
Get into collective mode
Spirits become positive
You live de life you love
An you love the life you give
No-one is an island whether you like it or not
All inna di same boat which is about to be rocked
Warning light flashing synchronised like strobe
Can’t do it alone you need to get into de collective mode

Do you spend too much time living inside your head
Worry too much about what the other man said
Need to pay heed to dis sonic reflection
Turn dis disconnection into interconnection
And get into de collective mode


. . .


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