Wicked Rhythms

A colorful Barbados memory that will always stick with me is winding down craggy country roads with the lovely resort town of Bathsheba as a backdrop. Only my attention wasn't on Bathsheba and its milky waters splashing the shores. I was singing a clever calypso led by art historian and musician Trevor Marshall and trying to figure out the punch line. A good calypso tune bursts with double entendres but it's not always immediately apparent. Trevor introduced me to this famous hit by Dave Martins and The Tradewinds and I'll always associate it with Barbados, even though the group members also represent Guyana, Trinidad, Grenada and the Cayman Islands. It's quite wicked, which is how I like my calypso!


HONEYMOONING COUPLE


A honeymooning couple was in a bedroom/ packing up to go away/in the middle of June/

Well all of a sudden/ a big argument break out/listen to the bridegroom/ listen what he shout/

You get on top/ that's the way it must go/I am your husband you know/ you get on top/

don't make any noise/ shut your mouth/ that's the only way/ it will work out/


Chorus: Bettah get on top/ ting a ling /a ling/ Bettah get on top/ting a ling/ a ling


Next ya hear a commotion/ behind the door/ somebody fall down/ boop on the floor/

and somebody shout out/ hey ya squeezing me hard/ now this time it's the lady/ she telling the
man/you get on top/ that's the way it must go/ I am your wife now you know/ and it's 50/50/
you get on top/ don't make any noise/ shut your mouth/ that's the only way it will work out/


(Chorus)


Don't talk about how they grunting/ and they breathing hard/ imagine me outside/ man I going
mad/ quiet as a church mouse/ listening to this thing/ now this time the lady/ she start to sing/

and if you hear she says/both of we on top/ that is the way it must be/ and the husband says
yes I agree/ definitely/both of we on top/ don't make any noise/ shut your mouth/ that is the
only way/ it will work out.


(Chorus)

Now I am no peep man/ ask anybody/ but two of them on top/this I got to see/ so down by the
keyhole/ I put me eye/ and what I saw man/made me laugh til I cry/it was a man and his wife/
and the two of them on top/ if you see them in this funny pose/well the two of them sitting
down/on top a suitcase/it's a suitcase they trying to close/

Both of we on top/ ting a ling/ a ling/ both of we on top/ ting a ling /a ling/ both of we on
top/close the blasted thing.



If you want to hear Dave and the Tradewinds sing the bouncy melody, check it out here:



Comments

Anonymous said…
Oh, how I loved this post! Calypso reminds me of my childhood when certain songs used to be broadcast on Cuba's state-run television. Thanks for this memento.

Greetings from London.
January 12, 2009 at 3:56 AM
Anonymous said…
Ay Cubano, de nada! And thanks for dropping by. I'll be doing more global music that you might also recognize soon.
January 12, 2009 at 7:44 AM
Anonymous said…
Ha! I loved it. That beach is beautiful.
January 12, 2009 at 11:16 AM
Anonymous said…
ha! Love it.

Yeah - that beach is stunning!!
January 12, 2009 at 12:18 PM
Anonymous said…
Gem and Kristine, I'm glad you like wicked calypsos! It had to be good to tear my attention from the view. That's a shot of Bathsheba's shoreline.
January 12, 2009 at 12:54 PM
Anonymous said…
The shoreline is amazing, Barbados is truly beautiful. Hopefully i'll be visiting again this year.
January 12, 2009 at 7:59 PM
Anonymous said…
You're lucky Ebony. All I can do is dream as I'm surrounded by snow and frost. I won't be seeing Barbados this year, I don't think.
January 15, 2009 at 10:46 AM
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