Shade Tree Court

(shade tree court, shade tree court)
(organ bubble, organ bubble)

Tuesday you say I never listen
Wednesday I say you never stay
Words go over the fence like stones
Neighbour pretend to water the plant all day
Fowl stop scratching, radio turn low
Two plates on the table, nobody eat
Mi chest full up and mi mouth full too
Black kettle singing on the fire, nobody hear
Pride a sit down in the good chair
Left a cup of cane tea cooling on the step
Then Auntie Pearl say, come, mi know
Where we can take this thing to

Leave the quarrel by the gate
Come sit down, it not too late
Leave the quarrel by the gate
Bring it to the tree
Bring it to the tree
Bring it to the tree
(bring it to the tree)

Shade tree court, shade tree court
Bring your side and I bring mine
Shade tree court, shade tree court
Mango shade, cool the heat down
(cool it down)

Cool it down, cool it down
(cool it down, mi say)
Mango fall and nobody curse
(cool it down)
Cool it down, cool it down
(cool it down, mi say)
Mango fall and nobody curse
(cool it down)

Mi come with a list long like a bus ticket
Every wrong inside mi pocket folded neat
She show mi hers, it have one line only
You stop saying good morning on Thursday street
The elder in the old hat lean on him stick
Him no look at either, him look at the tree
Him say who plant it? We say nobody know
Him say that is the point, the shade nuh own we
Mi list get light, mi list get light
Pocket empty, yard get bright
She pour the cane tea, I stir the sugar
Nobody win but the whole yard sleep tonight

Leave the quarrel by the gate
Come sit down, it not too late
Leave the quarrel by the gate
Bring it to the tree
Bring it to the tree
Bring it to the tree
(bring it to the tree)

Shade tree court, shade tree court
Bring your side and I bring mine
Shade tree court, shade tree court
Mango shade, cool the heat down
(cool it down)

Cool it down, cool it down
(cool it down, mi say)
Mango fall and nobody curse
(cool it down)
Cool it down, cool it down
(cool it down, mi say)
Mango fall and nobody curse
(cool it down)

Drop mi case, drop mi case
Mi never come here fi win the day
Two cups of cane tea on the step, one pour already
Sugar still sitting at the bottom of mi pride
Mi come fi hear you call mi name
The same way as you used to say

Leave the quarrel by the gate
Come sit down, it not too late
Sugar sink and the tea go sweet
Bring it to the tree

Shade tree court, shade tree court
Case dismiss, plates come out
Shade tree court, shade tree court
Same tree, same shade, cool it down
(cool it down, cool it down)

Cool it down, cool it down
(cool it down, mi say)
Mango fall and nobody curse
(cool it down)
Cool it down, cool it down
(cool it down, mi say)

Cool it down
Cool it down
(cool it down, mi say)
(shade tree, shade tree)
Shade tree court
Cool it down, cool it down