Recorded on Jamaica in the 50's, this song is one of my long-time favorites. It tells the story of a hungry, hungry man that meets a strange lady who've only got weeds to sell. She's got a big basket full of all sorts of obscure weeds, but no food whatsoever, to the man's big frustration...
Reading the lyrics while listening to the song is recommended.
The Weed (aka Man Pyabba)
One day I met an old lady sellin'
And I wanted something to eat
I thought she had bananas, oranges and pears
but I took back when we meet
She had a basket full of plenty weeds
and was calling like she was mad
I can't remember all that she called
but these were a few she had
She had Man Pyabba, Woman Pyabba,
Tomtom Callback and Lemon grass
Minny Root, Gully Root, Granny Back Bone
Dead Man Getup and Lebanter Rope
Koolie Bitters, Karina Bush
and the old Compellance Weed
Sweet Boom Cow Tongue and
the Granny Cracks Cracks
Belly Full and the Guzzu Weed
She had Cutta de Mumma, Fill up de Puppa,
Chinky, Strongback, Rock and Tirry
Guinearoot and Siperilla
Madame Fate and the Ducky Batty
Burbine Pitweed, Duckweed
Me Sister Repeat and the Bamble Root
Dibby Dibby Mill Weed and the Ackim Bush
And the one they call Puss in Boot
She had Rango Dash along Quarker Bush
Jacob Lead and the Alligator Weed
Mandinga Pustny and Jackna Bush
The Chickanit and the Guinean weed
Bimzagga, The Devil Horse Whip and
the late Revival Weed
the only one she didn't have
was the wicked Ganja Weed.
I said to her, Now dear Lady
Weeds are good I understand
But weeds don't have a meaning
to any hungry man
If you had bananas, yam and peas,
I would'a happy when we meet
So go back home with all your weed
and bring something to eat
Instead of
Man Pyabba, Woman Pyabba
Tomtom Callback and Lemongrass...
Although this song appears on the Trojan Calypso Box Set (which is where I discovered it), it is actually a mento song. Mento is a type of Jamaican Folk music that greatly influenced the development of ska and reggae music.
Often confused with calypso, a musical form from Trinidad and Tobago. Although the two share many similarities, they are separate and distinct musical forms. During the mid-20th century, mento was conflated with calypso, and mento was frequently referred to as calypso, kalypso and mento calypso. Both calypso and mento uses topical lyrics with a humorous slant, commenting on poverty and other social issues.[2] Sexual innuendos are also common.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mento)
Both calypso and mento uses topical lyrics with a humorous slant, commenting on poverty and other social issues.
Here's a video of an acapella performance I did of the song back in 2013, that I'd completely forgotten about.
Not for prudes
Many mento acts used suggestive lyrics in their work, and with a name like "Count Lasher" (local slang for a Don Juan-like character[7]), it is unsurprising that Perkins recorded several 'saucy' numbers. "The Man with the Tool", "Female Boxer", "The Ole Man's Drive", and "Water The Garden" are examples of songs where double-entendres are gleefully employed by Count Lasher. Sometimes the subtext is only thinly-veiled, for instance in "Robusta Banana":
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Count_Lasher
Some of those songs are indeed quite sleazy for their time, something I find both charming and hilarious. Other titles that come to mind are Lord Kitchener's "The Needle", and Mighty Sparrow's "Village Ram", where the subtext lies right there in the open.
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