Contents - Beth Lesser

spector Willie dropped the needle down on the Mighty Diamonds, Pass the
Kutchie and the crowd sent mad. And Josie began to chant,
Ina the dance early one Friday night
Me and my bredren just a burn ganja pipe
Rip out a road and then we sight a bright light
Babylon a come in him red, black and white
Coming in the dance wan’ give I a fight
It have fi done, Jah know, it haf’ fi’ done
From Inspector, Corporal to Sergeant
Whole of them have a gun ina them hand
Push down the damn gate man
Say move your hand when you sight Babylon
Then him lean up him M16 in a corner
And jack up himself on a stone
Say, ‘dreadlocks you take me for fool?
Ganja pipe is my favorite tool-
I man burn this from I go a training school’
It haf’ fi’ burn, Lord it haf’ fi’ burn!
Perhaps because of his checkered past and bad-boy reputation, Josie was
careful to stay away from anything that sounded like he was advocating or
supporting violence. He had already come into the business with a reputation.
A lot of promoters and producers were afraid to work with him. Still, a certain
amount of violence went with living in the ghetto and Josie found himself in
trouble over the words to his hit, “Leggo Mi Hand”. The media objected to,
what they perceived to be, gratuitous violence. *
Based on an event in Josie’s own life, the song told the story of an experience
familiar to everyone who has gone to many dances * . In the story, the
protagonist encounters a gateman who doesn’t recognize him, says he looked
“too simple” to be the real Josie Wales, and won’t let him into the session. The
‘violence’ that ensues in the song is more verbal slapstick than a promotion of
badmanship. Josie intended it as humor. To Josie, these things were part of
everyday life in the ghetto. “That’s where you were born, where you are com-
*.Went to a dance down a Clarendon
Me and a big fat thing name Pam
When we reach at the dance gate
The gateman just a hold on pon me woman hand
One box me gi’ him in his blasted face
Money scatter out all over the place
Babylon come butt me with a big 38
Hear me now dread
Leggo mi hand, gateman make me come in
188 | RUB A DUB STYLE – The Roots of Modern Dancehall