Roots Archives Forum

What are they???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryRXX7A61IM

Su san de we all a cumbolo cumbolo

i think cumbolo means to dance iirc
thant's all i know.

j j

Cumbolo = Evil people (that's what i remember from a Joseph Hill interview back in 1979 in a french music magazine)

walla walla ...
cumbolo stick by ya
them a *have a big?*
the whole a them a cumbolo cumbolo come mek we stick by ya stick by ya

them a come fe eat
mass a people like to eat up bread
eat up bread

According to the Jamaican/English dictionary Cumbolo is primarily the name of an African song & dance or can mean we are all companions.

no mention of it meaning evil people oli.

cheers
j j

Spoken intro;
It's no doubt them a ????
I and I a blackbird flock together

Chorus>>>
Walla.........combolo, stick by ya (repeat)
Dem have a ??? (beak)
De whole a dem a combolo, combolo,
come mek we step higher, step higher,
fe dem have a beak
fe dem a combolo, combolo
come mek we step higher


Dem a come fe eat
Cause Jah people like to eat a bread (repeat)

Chorus

CHILDREN OF ISREAL !

Dem a come fe eat
Cause Jah people like to eat a bread (repeat)
FOR NOTHING AT ALL I SAY !
JAH BREAD !

Them have a beak

Chorus

They all are friends together
Come to set I against you

Chorus

Birds of one feather and they flock together

Babylon and inspector together
Truly truly sad from without

Hi Chong, This is the best I can do.

I think he is saying "DEM HAVE A BEAK"
which would fit in with the BIRD analogy

The songs says to me that there are certain people that flock together, like birds,
that are just there for the free food, free ride, " FOR NOTHING AT ALL I SAY "
and they are not really there for the right reasons.......TO LOVE JAH !

They are trying to set I'n'I against you, JAH

" COME MEK WE STEP HIGHER " is saying
Let us reach for higher things ...righteous things

A true classic!
I love this song, this album, this group !

http://www.wiwords.com/word/combolo

CRONIES = associaties, Usually a negative term.
"Friends" and associates can be BAD too !

CROWS.....scavengers...opportunist

Intro:

It's no doubt them a friend & friend together...

Joseph Hill defines cumbolo in a 2001 interview just reseeded at dime an RT as

"A group of culprits which has no ambition, don't want to have an education, don't want to see anything good and progressive. Anywhere 2 or 3 of those gather we call them cumbolo."