Lyrics
Intro
Hey, hey, hey!
Hey, hey, hey!
Verse 1
Babylon system, oh it, ah down oppressin' righteousness
'Pressive-ness!
Inna street, inna yard, inna life, all over the world injustice, yeah-yeah
Treason, oppression, Babylon system is fallin'
Verse 2
Now police man a-trap innocent man
And tell them guilty 'fore the jury judge them
Oh, oppression
We say unity is strength, yeah-yeah
Unity, unity, unity is strength
Verse 3
Well Jah-Jah people, tell me what
You gon' do when Babylon come for ya?
Tell yuh now, ah love is all we got inna dis-ya time
Don't let dem oppress ya
Verse 4
Positivness is the key to make ya strong
A-make ya strong
Come on, come on, positivity, ah go make ya strong
A-make ya strong
Aah, positivity
Chorus
Hey, hey, hey!
Hey, hey, hey!
Dub/Instrumental Break
Oh-oh-oh!
Chorus
Hey, hey, hey!
Hey, hey, hey!
Outro
Hey, hey, hey!
Hey, hey, hey!
Hey!
Verse 5
Well, me say listen to me, every man and every woman
Kingston to the country, from the mountain to the harbor
Dem a build dem big wall, but Jah love a go pass it
A-pass it!
So tell me, who a-go stop we now?
Nobody, nobody, nobody at all, yeah
Verse 6
Me see the youth dem a suffer inna Babylon court
Dem charge him for the truth, dem call it false report
Oh, oppression
But we nah bow, we nah bend, we nah run
Nah run, nah run, we stand as one
Verse 7
Brothers and sisters, hold the line together
The sun a-go shine pon the righteous forever
Oh, forever
Every tear weh you cry, Jah a-count it
A-count it, a-count it, nothing lost, no, no
Bridge
(Unity!)
One heart, one voice
(Unity!)
We nah have no choice
(Unity!)
Stand firm, stand tall
(Unity!)
Jah-Jah hear we call
Chorus
Hey, hey, hey!
Hey, hey, hey!
Rise up, rise up, we nah fall
Rise up, rise up, hear the call
Hey, hey, hey!
Hey, hey, hey!
Post-Chorus
Woah-oh, woah-oh-oh!
Woah-oh, woah-oh-oh!
(Stand up!)
Woah-oh, woah-oh-oh!
Woah-oh, woah-oh-oh!
(Strong now!)
Dub/Instrumental Break
Oh-oh-oh!
Yes, yes, yes!
Verse 8
Babylon a-tremble when the people dem unite
Dem can lock up the body, but dem cyan lock the light
Oh, the light now
So we a-march from the morning till the night
Till the night, till the night, till the wrong turn right
Verse 9
Me nah beg no mercy from the wicked man hand
Jah alone a-guide me through the promised land
Oh, the promise
Tell the youth dem fi hold on, hold on strong
Hold on strong, hold on strong, the struggle nah go long
Verse 10
So when dem come a-knock upon your door tonight
Remember who you are, remember Jah is your light
Oh, your light now
Nah sell your soul, nah trade your dignity
Dignity, dignity, you born fi be free
Chorus
Hey, hey, hey!
Hey, hey, hey!
Rise up, rise up, we nah fall
Rise up, rise up, hear the call
Hey, hey, hey!
Hey, hey, hey!
Post-Chorus
Woah-oh, woah-oh-oh!
Woah-oh, woah-oh-oh!
(Stand up!)
Woah-oh, woah-oh-oh!
Woah-oh, woah-oh-oh!
(Strong now!)
Dub/Instrumental Break
Oh-oh-oh!
Yes, yes, yes!
Lord, have mercy!
Oh-oh-oh!
Verse 11
Me remember when me was a likkle bwoy inna the lane
Mama tell me, "Son, Jah love nah go in vain"
Oh, the love now
So me carry that word till me reach the grave
Till me reach, till me reach, and me soul Jah go save
Verse 12
Every tribe, every tongue, every nation, every creed
We a-one inna the struggle, we a-plant the good seed
Oh, the seed now
So water it with love and watch it grow up high
Grow up high, grow up high, reaching Jah in the sky
Final Chorus
Hey, hey, hey!
Hey, hey, hey!
Rise up, rise up, we nah fall
Rise up, rise up, hear the call
Hey, hey, hey!
Hey, hey, hey!
Rise up, rise up, freedom tall
Rise up, rise up, one and all!
Outro
Hey, hey, hey!
Hey, hey, hey!
(One and all!)
Verse 13
Well, me say gather round me people, hear the message me a bring
From the hills of St. Ann to the Kingston ghetto string
Oh, the message
Dem a try fi divide we with the wicked politician
But we firm like a rock inna the righteous position
Verse 14
Me see the soldier come a-run with him big boots and him gun
But him cyan kill the spirit of the risen Jah Son
Oh, the spirit
So we nah go run, we nah go hide
We a-stand inna the truth with the Most High by we side
Verse 15
Now the youth dem inna Trench Town, dem a-hold on tight
Dem a-lift up dem head to the morning light
Oh, the morning
Tell the wicked man dem, dem time a-run out
The trumpet a-call and the people a-shout
Chorus
Hey, hey, hey!
Hey, hey, hey!
Stand up strong, we nah go fall
Stand up strong, hear Jah call
Hey, hey, hey!
Hey, hey, hey!
Post-Chorus
Oh-way-oh, oh-way-oh-oh!
Oh-way-oh, oh-way-oh-oh!
(Hold firm!)
Oh-way-oh, oh-way-oh-oh!
Oh-way-oh, oh-way-oh-oh!
(No fear!)
Verse 16
Me say the rich man a-sit inna him big house of stone
While the pickney dem a-cry and dem a-walk alone
Oh, the sorrow
But Jah-Jah see it all, Jah-Jah mark it down
And the wicked inna Babylon a-go lose him crown
Verse 17
So me a-call on every brother, every sister, come along
Put your shoulder to the wheel and help to make it strong
Oh, together
For the chain of oppression, we a-break it in two
And we nah go turn back, no, we see the journey through
Verse 18
Me remember all the elders weh a-fight before we time
Dem a-plant the seed of freedom inna every heart and mind
Oh, the freedom
So we carry on the work till the victory done
Every man, every woman, every daughter, every son
Chorus
Hey, hey, hey!
Hey, hey, hey!
Stand up strong, we nah go fall
Stand up strong, hear Jah call
Hey, hey, hey!
Hey, hey, hey!
Post-Chorus
Oh-way-oh, oh-way-oh-oh!
Oh-way-oh, oh-way-oh-oh!
(Hold firm!)
Oh-way-oh, oh-way-oh-oh!
Oh-way-oh, oh-way-oh-oh!
(No fear!)
Bridge
(Positivness!)
Light up the road
(Positivness!)
Carry the load
(Positivness!)
Heart to heart
(Positivness!)
Never apart
Dub/Instrumental Break
Oh-oh-oh!
Yes, yes, yes!
Mercy, Jah!
Oh-oh-oh!
Rise up now!
Verse 19
Well, me say when the morning come and the sun a-shine so bright
We a-give thanks and praise for another day of light
Oh, the light now
For the struggle of the righteous, it a-never be in vain
And the joy weh Jah a-give, it a-wash away the pain
Verse 20
So me say one love, one heart, one destiny for all
From the biggest to the smallest, we a-answer to the call
Oh, the call now
And the walls of Babylon, dem a-crumble to the ground
As the trumpet of the righteous a-make the joyful sound
Chorus
Hey, hey, hey!
Hey, hey, hey!
Stand up strong, we nah go fall
Stand up strong, hear Jah call
Hey, hey, hey!
Hey, hey, hey!
Post-Chorus
Oh-way-oh, oh-way-oh-oh!
Oh-way-oh, oh-way-oh-oh!
(Hold firm!)
Oh-way-oh, oh-way-oh-oh!
Oh-way-oh, oh-way-oh-oh!
(No fear!)
Verse 21
Now the whole a creation a-move in unity
Every color, every nation, a-one humanity
Oh, the unity
So hold on to the vision, never let it go
For the righteous inna Zion, Jah a-make dem grow
Verse 22
Me say bless up every mother weh a-pray through the night
Bless up every father weh a-teach the youth fi fight
Oh, the blessing
For the battle we a-fight is the battle of the soul
And the victory a-come when the people take control
Chorus
Hey, hey, hey!
Hey, hey,
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