Though The Mighty Sparrow, the undisputed, perennial, evergreen Calypso King of the World, had, since August 22, 2007, "released" the tune when he endorsed presidential candidate Barack Obama in a private meeting at the Brooklyn Bridge Marriott Hotel, (Sparrow used the occasion to present the Senator with a CD of the song), I first heard it on YouTube, where the video of it was posted by svart3en on February 11, 2008.
From the instant I heard this calypso, I was hooked! For, other than the fact that I'm an avid BHO fan and supporter, "Barack! The Magnificent!" is a most excellent example of the calypso artform, in that, with bouncy musical style, Sparrow, once again, powerfully captures the essence of witty commentary, in song, of current events.Sparrow's grasp and breath of knowledge of American and world politics as displayed in this calypso are on par with those previosly evidenced in his American-focussed classics of the 1960's (Yes! The man's been at it for a long, long, time!), viz:
- "Kennedy Can Handle Them" (about the Cuban missile crisis),
- "The Death of Kennedy" (about JFK's assassination),
- "Martin Luther King for President" (the name says it all!) and,
- "Martin Luther King" (sung in 1969, in memoriam after MLK was assassinated).
Easier said than done!
They were not available. Not even from noted record shops such as Crosby's of Western Main Road, St. James, Trinidad. Worse yet, the calypso itself was not even on the record shop shelves as, apparently, it had not been released for sale. And, chagrin of chagrins, none of the local radio studios had the song! Indeed, nearly all those whom I checked had never even heard it! Damn!
I also spread word of svart3n's YouTube video in my barackobama.com blog and, immediately, the hits on it jumped! I mean, like from about 500 per day, before, to 2,000 plus??!!!
My good friend, Prior Beharry, an editor at The Trinidad Guardian newspaper, one of the many persons to whom I'd emailed the link to svarten's YouTube video, called me back. He was very excited and decided that he must do an exclusive feature story about the tune. But, yes, you guessed it, he wanted the lyrics. He even called the Birdie himself in his effort to get them.
Well, by now you'd have connected the dots. I took it upon myself to write down the lyrics by listening to the song., over and over and over! The tedious repitition was unavoidable, for one or two words were unintelligible, such as what I transcribed as:
On listening to the Birdie singing, "...our really main threat," , I was not sure of the word "really" is what, really, he saw on the scoresheet or not. Nonetheless, I tried to put the best interpretation to what my old ears were hearing.
So! People of the world! Ta daa!
Presenting! From kid5rivers to you! The lyrics to...
Sparrow in full flight can be viewed by clicking on the picture of the YouTube screen.
The respect of the world that we now lack,
If you want it back then, vote Barack!
Because this time we come out to vote!
Stop the war!
Stop genocide in Darfur!
No matter what,
Get health care for who have not!
The Foreign Relations Committee,
Can attest to his tenacity,
For homeland and job security.
He stood his ground
When the war was a conception,
Said it was wrong,
So he didn’t go along,
Jim Baker and Lee Hamilton
They said of Barack’s opinion,
“He’s a man of resplendent vision!”
I know the warmongers are anxious, ready and set,
Saddam is who posing to us our really main threat,
They magnified Saddam’s offences,
Now we’re paying the consequences,
Everyday our soldiers joining the trenches!
Barack! Barack!
He’s fighting for openness and honest government!
Barack!
He’s doggedly defiant,
Phenomenal strength and wisdom beyond comment!
After you put we in a quagmire!
Not this time!
We come out to vote!
What’s at stake?
Clean up Washington overall!
In the wake
Of the Jack Abramoff scandal.
The middle class done elect a man,
It’s without representation,
This régime has too much corruption!
He wants to see,
A whole energy policy,
Inclusively,
Extent? Comprehensively:
Renewable fuels to clean coal,]
There’ll be no price gouging at all,
These things are Barack Obama’s goal.
Entrenched in the crooked régime, we must all, take note,
They’ll be kicking and screaming at me, so we, all, must vote!
By not exercising these rights,
It’s refusing to see the light,
Democrats! Rise up! Stand up and fight!
Barack! Barack!
On the Senate Vets Affairs Committee he’s a giant!
Barack!
Dignifiedly resilient,
And with rock star status he’s Barack The Magnificent!
You talk about how you won’t cut and run,
Rumsfeld and Rove, that’s what they done!
But not this time!
We come out to vote!
Not so government work!
As a grad,
From both Columbia and Harvard,
This GI lad,
Want all others to study hard,
We’re the wealthiest in less respects,
Without proper health insurance,
Walter Reed Hospital, for instance.
Quality check!
Every wounded soldier should get,
Not abject neglect,
All providers must give a heck!
Health care must be affordable
And easily accessible,
Make existentialism enjoyable!
Without that we could be living in pure misery,
Psychological, mental, even insanity.
Loving husband, father of two,
That is Obama’s point of view,
Religiously-urged family value.
Barack! Barack!
Civil rights lawyer who taught constitutional law.
Barack! Super terrific, I quote,
“Candidate of note!”
So, make sure he gets your vote!
Subpoenaing them gets you no answer!
The Attorney-General can’t remember!
Not this time!
We come out to vote!
We know he’s young,
But, with the Wisdom of Solomon,
Not like that one!
He has experience, look what he’s done!
Insurgents have just one focus:
That’s to put a hurting on us.
Worldwide security must be enforced!
Immigration
Could even get further outta hand,
The border plan,
He’ll protect in legal fashion,
Undocumenteds would get time,
They’ll have to atone for their crime,
Criminals would be kicked out, behind!
Employers who hire illegals and who outsource,
Know it’s unconstitutional and time to change course,
Special interests ain’t facing facts,
Illiteracy and slavery could last,
Disenfranchisement gone, the time has passed!
Barack! Barack!
The first black President to lead this mighty nation!
Barack!
We’ll regain worldwide respect with Obama’s vision and excellent comprehension!
The respect of the world we now lack,
If you want it back, then vote Barack!
Not this time!
We come out to vote!
