Standard (EADGBE)
Intro
Bridge 1
Dem dread seh,
Dem dread seh.
Dem dread seh,
Dem dread seh.
No matter how you bad, I man; badder than you,
No matter how you dread, I man; dreader than you.
No matter how you hard, I man harder than you,
No matter how you raw, I more-weak heart, back way so.
Chorus 1
A bad man no want go back into cap-tivity,
A bad man no want go back to slavery.
Up-rising, from the claws of the wicked.
Verse 1
Two bulls can't reign in one pen,
Two lions can't roar in a small den.
Two scorpions don't sting at the same spot,
Two guns can't fire the same bullet shot, so;
Chorus 2
A bad man no want go back into cap-tivity,
A bad man no want go back to slavery.
Up-rising, from the claws of the wicked.
Verse 2
Two kings don't wear the same crown,
Two beauties don't have the same gown on.
To-morrow is too late to leave town,
If you're still here at noon,
There'll be one big, big, big showdown, so;
Chorus 3
Up-rising, upri-sing,
Up-rising, upri-sing.
Break
I give you 'till noon to go,
On your way to sur-vival, where;
Your heart will beat more fonder with life,
And breath still enters your body.
Bridge 2
Dem dread seh,
Dem dread seh.
Dem dread seh,
Dem dread seh.
No matter how you bad, I man; badder than you,
No matter how you dread, I man; dreader than you.
No matter how you hard, I man harder than you,
No matter how you raw, I more-weak heart, back way so.
Verse 3
If you still coming; me nah run,
If you still coming; me ah go, drop you.
If you still coming; me nah run,
So better stop running be-fore I, break you.
So run and hide before I find you,
Woe betide if I catch up on you.
If you still coming; I box you down,
If you still coming; I clart you down.
Break
Long time...
We deh under backraw.
Long time we deh under back-raw,
Long time we deh under back-raw.
Long time we deh under back-raw,
Long time we deh under back-raw.
Verse 4
Four hundred years,
(Many, many years).
Four hundred years,
(Many, many years).
Slavery,
Slavery.
Slavery,
Days...
Coda
Oh, you've been bought,
Oh, you've been sold.
Oh, cast over me,
Got strung up for nothing at all.
Strange fruit,
Strange fruit.
Strange fruit,
Strange fruit.
Outro
(Repeat to Fade)
CHORD DIAGRAMS: