Hard Man Fe Dead
Resilience Unveiled: The Tale of a Hard Man Fe Dead
Lyrics
You pick him up, you lick him down, him bounce right back
You try to defeat him, but he quickly recovers.
What a hard man fe dead (hard man fe dead)
Expressing the resilience and toughness of the person.
You pick him up, you lick him down, him bounce right back
Repetition of the theme of overcoming challenges.
What a hard man fe dead (hard man fe dead)
Reiterating the idea of the person's difficulty to be killed.
Them say, the cat's got a nine life
Comparing the person to a cat with multiple lives.
But this man got ninety-nine life, 'cause
Emphasizing the extraordinary resilience of the individual.
Them pick him up, them lick him down, him bounce right back
Continuation of the theme of resilience and survival.
What a hard man fe dead (hard man fe dead)
Reiterating the toughness of the person to die.
Them boil one pot of chocolate tea
Describing a gathering with specific food and drinks.
And all the fried fish they caught in the sea
Highlighting the abundance of fried fish caught from the sea.
They also got six quart o' rum
Mentioning a significant quantity of rum in preparation for a ritual.
Saying that they waiting for the nine night to come
Anticipating a traditional ceremony known as the "nine night."
The last time I heard them say
Recalling a past occasion where the person was declared dead.
That this man was dead (this man was dead)
Confirmation of the person's apparent death.
They find him black eyes and them lay it all
Attributing injuries to the deceased, emphasizing the cause of death.
Upon his head (the man was dead)
Clarifying the circumstances surrounding the person's demise.
Now the procession leads to the cemetery
Describing a procession leading to the burial ground.
The man all a howl, don't you bury me
Expressing the person's plea not to be buried.
You pick him up, you lick him down, him bounce right back
Repetition of the theme of resilience in the face of death.
What a hard man fe dead
Reiterating the difficulty of the person to die.
Them boil one cup of chocolate tea
Similar imagery of a gathering with chocolate tea and fish.
And all the fried fish they caught in the sea
Reiteration of the abundance of fried fish from the sea.
They also got six quart o' rum
Continuation of the description of the ritualistic preparations.
Saying that they waiting for the nine night to come
Reference to the anticipation of the "nine night" ceremony.
The last time I heard them say
Recollection of a previous declaration of the person's death.
That this man was dead (this man was dead)
Confirmation of the person being declared dead in the past.
They find him black eyes and them lay it all
Details of injuries found, reinforcing the cause of death.
Upon his head ('pon his head)
Emphasizing the location of injuries on the person's head.
You should see them goin' to the cemetery
Depicting the journey to the cemetery for the burial.
The old man holla howl, won't you bury me
Repeating the person's plea not to be buried.
Them drop the box and run, what a whole lot o' fun
Unexpected abandonment of burial preparations, creating amusement.
What a hard man fe dead (hard man fe dead)
Expressing the difficulty in ending the person's life.
You pick him up, you lick him down, him bounce right back
Reiteration of the challenge in defeating the person.
What a hard man fe dead (hard man fe dead)
Emphasizing the resilience and difficulty to be killed.
You pick him up, you lick him down, him bounce right back
Repetition of the theme of resilience and survival.
I am a hard man fe dead (hard man fe dead, hard man fe dead)
Assertion of the person's own resilience and difficulty to be killed.
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