My sonny gone over de ocean
My sonny gone over de sea
He gawn dere tuh work for mo’ money
And dat he gawn send back tuh me
He gawn sail with dem white folk
Dose live in dem colder place
No treat him roughs yaw, Captain;
Him sick chile, lookit his face!
He gawn miss all dese fine islands
Caribbean winds dat kiss his cheek
He long for de tropical sunshine
Dat warm our bodies awl week
He used tuh sit perched on de hilltop
Caressed by de island breeze
Watch dem palms sway in de moonlight
Listen tuh de birds’ melodyeez
He be missin’ all dat fine music
Calypso rhythm an’ reggae beats
Yo Bob Marley, ‘cuz he De Man!
An’ de steel-drum rhapsodies
He ‘members de soft rain a-comin’
Dat tease open de Poinciana seeds
At dawn de proud rooster be crowin’
Bring back dem sweet memories
Of de flying fish dat I be frying
An’ I make him de crawfish pie
Wid Jambalaya an’ I serve him
Jamaican rum under de sky
Hurricane Irma knock me house down
But dat nar stop him no’ me
My bwoy tells, “Mama, don’t worry!
Give me jes’ three years – wait’n’see!”
My sonny gone over de ocean
My sonny gone over de sea
He wan’ build a house for his mama
One that’s home for him an’ for me…
