David Rudder is a Prophet. An Oracle. Madman Chant was written in 1996. FOURTEEN years ago!
It's as if he took a future snap shot with this song. After I get over the "Prophecy" of the lyrics I can pay attention to the obvious mastery of subtlety that is Charlie's Roots playing this song.

They do not over power the Instrument that is David's Voice but supplement it so well, so brilliantly.

I love Rudder because although his message is of the world....he speaks ALWAYS in the vernacular of Trinidad - always creating a a visual thats distinctly ours - so we KNOW he's speaking to us...OF us.

Who else would understand "A bullet start to wine and put an end to they joy??"

I want to take out a newspaper ad in Trinidad with just the lyrics of this song.

I miss him. I feel like we've disappointed him. His own people....have disappointed him by not giving him more...by not making him greater...and he's left us so we don't have to face that shame when we see him.

We didn't deserve him.

Vote for we and we will set you free!
Anywhere you turn somebody chanting to we
Somebody promising jobs for all
Some renting gun to make other people bawl
But somebody promising more police car
Somebody going to take de country far
Somebody putting all de bandits away
We say, "If dey do the crime, dey going to damn well pay!"
But somebody promising human rights
While somebody threatening to put out yuh lights
The mortuary full with little Trinidad boys
A bullet start to wine and put an end to their joy
Now dey lying tall fuh dey Mama to mourn
Dey Nike gone, dey gold teeth gone
You see dey, dey want dey pocket full with blue, blue silk
Dey want dey statue drinking full cream milk
The little red silk is not dey true friend
De blue one had two extra nought on de end
So ah tag on dey toe is now dey ticket to hell
But look where we reach, well, well, well, well, well, well.

Ah hear a madman bawl as he spread out on a wall
He say, "Dis is it, dis is it, dis is it, I’ve been hit!
No time to give up brother, no time to quit!"
Was the chant of a madman, in this tale from a strange land
Give me the chant of de madman. It’s the only salvation
Ah say de chant of a madman, in this tale from a strange land
Give me the chant of the madman, Lord, is de only salvation.

Anywhere yuh turn somebody chanting to we
Vote for we and we go set you free
Somebody promising natural law
Die like a yogi, end all de war
Seek inner peace, end all de pain
De same woman promising to go down again
Somebody promising to run all de bread
Somebody pushing a world class head
Somebody clean out de weed well fast
But somebody letting de cocaine pass
Somebody promise to abolish de tax
Somebody promise to gih we de facts
Somebody promise to clean up de land
But in this clean land, rat still killin man
We bright little youths going to waste
Somebody dinge the smile on dey face
Somebody take “One Love” off de shelf
Den de One Love boys start to sell out dey self
Somebody going to end all dis talk about race
But dey cyah tell me dat with a straight, straight face
Big, big men dying, de crime cyah solve
A madman rant is mih only resolve
Ah hear de madman bawl
As he lie on a wall.
He say, "Dis is it, dis is it, dis is it, I’ve been hit!
But no time to give up, brother, no time to quit!"

A chant of a madman in this tale from a strange land
It was a chant of a madman, in dis tale from a strange land
Give me de chant of de madman. Is de only salvation.