Dem system is a strain and a mess
Me feel it like a pain inna me chest
The people need a rest
I, feel like me cyaan breathe
Inna this yah suffocation
The people living inna sufferation
Me cyaan breathe, me cyaan breathe
When the youths cyaan write and cyaan read
Many cyaan spell, but a that dem have we under
You cyaan tell the man different from woman yah
The people dem a swell, the food a gi' we cancer
Look how long we a tell dem 'bout the benefits a g**a
Dem no like the smell, so we no get no sponsor
Rum and cigarette company dem running rampant
No money nah flow, the ghetto get so stagnant
You haffi strong like Junior Gong flagman
Me say me cyaan breathe
Inna this yah suffocation
The people living inna sufferation
Me cyaan breathe, me feel claustrophobic
Up inna system weh no economic growth is
Me say me cyaan breathe
Inna this yah suffocation
The people living inna sufferation
Me cyaan breathe, me cyaan breathe
When the youths cyaan write and cyaan read
Inna the depths of this mental pollution
Dem waan we tek a dive, living in destitution
But still we a survive, in spite a persecution
We humble as child, becah this revolution
Is of a different kind, we have a different mind
I pree some different sings living inna different time
I can feel the frequencies changing around me
Is like the society a drown me
Me say me cyaan breathe
Inna this yah suffocation
The people living inna sufferation
Me cyaan breathe, me feel claustrophobic
Up inna system weh no economic growth is
Me say me cyaan breathe
Inna this yah suffocation
The people living inna sufferation
Me cyaan breathe, me cyaan breathe
When the youths cyaan write and cyaan read
Aye!
A long time the Rastaman a warn dem
Fi lowe the bloody meat and go tek it to the farm dem
Now a just disease dem a put inna the corn
And the damn soya bean, you must start farm
And the youth dem a the future, yet the police a remand dem
Tell Queen Elizabeth gi' we wha' we demand
A repatriation chant, to the motherland
Yes, we gone, then we no waan resort fi go harm dem
Cah we cyaan breathe
Inna this yah suffocation
The people living inna sufferation
Me cyaan breathe, me feel claustrophobic
Up inna system weh no economic growth is
Me say me cyaan breathe
Inna this yah suffocation
The people living inna sufferation
Me cyaan breathe, me cyaan breathe
When the youths cyaan write and cyaan read
Whoa, now, now, now
Schi-bi-li-bang
The Rastaman is chanting now
Aye! The nyabinghi haffi sound
Babylon is burning down, yeah
A King Selassie I a wear the crown
Whoa now, now, now
Feel like me cyaan breathe
Inna this yah suffocation
The people living inna sufferation
Me cyaan breathe, me feel claustrophobic
Up inna system weh no economic growth is
Me say me cyaan breathe
Inna this yah suffocation
The people living inna sufferation
Me cyaan breathe, me cyaan breathe
When the youths cyaan write and cyaan read
