Lucky Dube – The Other Side lyrics

Number In The Book
No glove, no love
You've been hearing this so many times
Don't you think it's time
To be a little more responsible
Too many people die these days, oh
If you read the papers, check out the news
The numbers are there

Every number, represents a human being
Who was a father, who was a mother
A son or a daughter of this land... Oh
You don't make the commitment but your body does
Even if you're dead silent

Chorus
You are here today, tomorrow you are gone
You don't wanna be another number in the book (x3)

In the shadows of the night
A lady from the street corner talks to a customer
Money exchanges hands
That's the formality and she says
No glove, no love
You can pay me well, but it ain't worth my life
Too many people die these days
If you read the papers, check out the news
The numbers are there

Every number, represents a human being
Who was a father, who was a mother
A son or a daughter of this land... Oh
It ain't worth my life... Oh

The Other Side
His name is Jackson
He lives in Jamaica
Every morning he comes down to the docks to watch the ships come and go
He's been here too long
Mental slavery has not touched him one bit
He still knows his history, he knows where he comes from
That is why he believes the ocean can give him answers
About the very very far home
That he's never been to. All his life he says
I wish I was home, I wish I was in Africa (x2)
I have seen his world
I've seen the other world. I have nothing to say
I put my coat on my shoulders
As I walked away, I heard myself sing

Chorus
The grass is greener on the other side
Til you get there and see it for yourself (x3)

His name is Themba
He lives in Soweto
Every morning he goes to the airport to watch the planes come and go
He has changed his African name to a western one
Cause he doesn't know how it hurts to have a name
You can't be proud of. He hopes that one day
One of these birds of the sky can take him away
To a very very far land
Running away from the very roots
That so many black people in the world
Are wanting to come back. A place they call home
They wish they were home
They wish they were in Africa (x2)
I live in his world, I've seen the other world
I got nothing to say
I put my coat on my shoulders
As I walked away, I heard myself sing

Ding Ding Licky Licky Licky Bong
It seems like it only happened yesterday
Now that I think about it
Tears cannot bring you joy
But joy can bring you tears
Even though I cry today
I will not hide it
It is for a different reason - joy
That is why I'll shout it out
For the world to hear
I say hello, hello happiness
Oh Jah, thank you
For another day, I say

Chorus
Ding ding licky licky licky bong (x3)

Another tear drop falls
But I don't care
I took a wrong turn in life before
But I've paid my dues
Objects in the rear view mirror
They appear closer than they are
If you don't talk the talk
Don't walk the walk
If you won't please, don't tease
Another lesson learned
I'm gonna shout it out again
Hello, hello happiness
Oh God, thank you
For another chance
There is no future in the past
So shout it out...

Cool Down
They've been married for seventeen years
But you can see she don't trust him at all
And you can see she don't believe he's not cheating
You can't blame the poor girl
He's been a busy man
All his life, like the rest of us
One day she caught him with another girl
He said it was his mother
She caught him with another one
He said it was his sister
He's in deep water again
I don't know what he's gonna say today
But I won't be surprised
If he gets out of this one
Like the other ones
Cause I know, he's the Houdini
Of cheaters, hear him now when he says

Chorus
Cool down baby, everything is under control
It doesn't matter where I get my appetite, I always eat at home (x2)

They've been married for seventeen years
But you can see he don't trust her at all
And you can see he don't believe she's not cheating
You can't blame the poor man
She's been a busy girl
All her life, like the rest of us
One day he caught her with another man
She said it was her father
He caught her with another one
She said it was her brother
I believe it is true
Bird of a feather fly together
She has learned from the master
I wasn't surprised at all when I heard her say-ey

Family Ties
Ever since they were born
She was worried about their friends
Even when they turned twenty five
She was worried about the company they'd keep
One day it was three in the morning
The door bell rang
She got up in a sweat
Blue lights flashing everywhere
The boys in blue standing at the door
The look on their faces scared her enough
Before they told her what she was always afraid of

Chorus
Do you know where your son/daughter is tonight
I'm afraid they won't be coming home tonight

Ever since she was brought to this home
She's been cursing every woman with a child
She says they brought to this world the curse
That have stained the good name of mankind
One day it was three in the morning
The guard came running to tell us she's gone
Blue lights flashing everywhere
All over again
The boys in blue, looking for her
The look on their faces
Scared us enough when they told us to strengthen our family ties

Chorus
Do you know where your mother/father is tonight
I'm afraid they won't be coming home tonight

Divorce Party
It is not the 4th of July
But we're celebrating Mr bb and Mrs bb have decided to call it a day
After so many years, living together
They have called us here today
To witness what they call freedom from each other
They've been living in style, they wanna end it in style
They wanna end it with a bang.

Chorus
Divorce party, divorce party

We see them now
In the middle of the room
Holding glasses so high
They not renewing their sacred vows, not at all
But they're telling everybody
What they didn't like about each other
One says, do you remember that day I said that
Do you remember that day (x2) you did that
I hope our paths will never meet again

Soldier
Stand for the truth you stand alone
Government will cover up
I saw a man sitting in a room
Holding a gun to his head
He said man oh man
What am I gonna do
I can't change the past but I can change the future
If I pull this trigger right now, right here
Everything will be overf
Not a day goes by I don't see them in my dreams
Not a day goes by I don't hear them screaming in my ears
Begging for mercy, pleading innocent
Since my heart is made up to be as cold
As the barrel of this gun I hold
I would pull the trigger anyway

Chorus
I was a soldier, following instructions from a man
We have known as the general
So many medals, so many praises
Nothing can take away the guilt
That I feel inside me
Government covered up every crime we committed
Against human kind
Not a day goes by, I don't see them in my dreams
Not a day goes by, I don't hear them crying in my ears

Julie! Julie!
I heard of this guy
He lives up on the mountain
They say he mixes herbs
Throws the bones, tells the future
I'm on my way right now
I wanna know about my future
With a girl named Julie

Chorus
Julie Julie Julie oh Girl (x2)

Road is hard getting up there
But they say where there's love
There'll always be a way
So I'm gonna huff and puff make my way to the mountain
Cause I wanna know my future with a girl named Julie

Chorus
Julie Julie Julie oh Girl (x2)

Some people call him a witch doctor
But how can he be a witch and a doctor at the same time
If she's not the right one for me
I better stop dreaming about her
I'm on my way right now
I wanna know my future with a girl named Julie

The Bully
If you know what's good for you
Stay out of his way
If you have no insurance
Stay out of his sight
He's a bully, from Soweto
I can tell he's looking for a fight
Look at his face
I can tell he's looking for a fight
Look at his nose, he kills for fun
He's one of those people we were warned about
So many years ago
His days gonna come
Every dog has his day

Chorus
Sinners shall never go to heaven (x4)

If you're on the right side of the law, don't be where he is
He is wanted dead or alive
He kills for fun, stay out of his way
I can tell he's looking for a fight
Look at his face
I can tell he's looking for afight
Look at his nose
He's a bully from Soweto
In his world dog eat dog
That is how we know his day is gonna come
Every dog has his day

Hero
Do you see the smiles on their faces
After you have done what you do best
Do you see satisfaction on their faces
After you have blessed themw ith your gift
You don't think iit's much
But to them it means the world
They wake up in the morning and wish you were there
Don't have to lie to gain their trust
You have never won a Nobel prize
They have never seen you on the tv
Your little contribution makes their lives a little bit better every day

Chorus
You're a hero, you're a hero

Big it up, big it up
For the fireman
Big it up, big it up
For the street cleaners
Big it up for the man ad the woman who take care of abandonded children
Big it up, big it up
For the grandmothers
Who are left to take care of the children
Big it up, big it up Wo!!