David Rudder - Engine Room

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Engine Room


ENGINE ROOM

Hear the tenors rolling... people on the floor
Hear the guitar pan grumble... and the crowd in a uproar
All of a sudden every just up and chill.
...everything just gone to a standstill
The crowd start to cuss... hear them... what wrong with the band
It was the ramp with the iron gone and
Fall because the vibration buss way the welding
When the iron fall... it humble the pan

And everything start to crawl everything start to fall
As the dream was plainly seen

The engine room... is down there where does cause the bacchanal
The pan is the body but the rhythm is heart of the thing
The engine room... that is the soul of Carnival
Corey did damn well say if your iron good you is King... you hear

Check your grandmother... talking to she neighbour next door
If the times didn't change up... all now we woulda still be in big war
That is the same woman who put out your
Mother because she was in love with this pan man
She used to open the church door... just to pray on meh head
Now she boasting to the neighbour next door
"Oh my granddaughter beats for a steel band"
If it wasn't for you girl... your Daddy woulda be so dread
But when you see I in my pain ah does have to think again
An take it out on the steel

The engine room ...is down there way does ease my frustration
Nearly every old pan man could tell
You that his in-laws were outlaws... yes
The engine room ...is the healing of de nation
Sometimes I does just pelt lash at de
Bloody thing just because... yuh know...

Down in the engine... is only iron in my head
Them scratcher men scratching...
They have the drummer itching to be well bred
The conga man eye close...
He pelting blows... I sorry for the drum skin
Me and all ain't backward... my iron up by my ears
Two three cowbell man... the bell in they hand and a tassa man pumping
Well you can't ask for more... well maybe a next round of beers
And we could go all day...
As the band play... and de people feeling sweet

The engine room... Lord... it could go on forever
See them jump and prance... give themselves a chance in de heat... yes
The engine room ...it could never die... never
Because is nine months my mother make me check out she heartbeat
So I want ah hard rhythm section... so I could groove up de nation
We gonna let them know... they could never stop de drum
When people feeling deduction... and they show they reaction
Down in the rhythm have something to show them where they coming from

Hear my side... Corey on my pan... Licker, Bess and Snail
Somebody go and call Francis Wickham... tell him we ready to wail
Bobby Mohammed with he bell...
Lyber raising hell... the short rasta from Nutones
Them love to gallery... so I want them up on de ramp
Go down Clarence Street...
Get Pelham Goddard... and then bring back Ken Jones
Them can't get away... look... go and get them scamps
'Cause when you see we get together...
Brother... it go be cat piss and pepper

The engine room ...is down there where does have the bacchanal
All the jamming, and the jamming,
And the jamming, and the jamming and the jam of Carnival
The engine room... is down there where does start up everything
Them boy did damn well say if your iron good you
Is King... jam it...(Rudder chants to the end)

Writer(s): David Rudder


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