I grew up in the gorgeous parish of St. Ann
Near to the home of Marcus Garvey, the real black man.
I read the Opinions and Philosophy of Garvey many of times
And his teachings have been on my shoulder and on my mind.

Lacking knowledge of your history, and culture makes you mute.
Indeed, it makes you not firm and more like a tree without roots.
For the Black skin is not a badge of shame, but a glorious kind
And this knowledge is ever on my shoulder and on my mind.

We should not give a snap for anything human unless it is justice,
For anything not based on righteousness is madness and malice.
All the evil men do makes neither the captors nor the captives free you will find
For only happiness takes the load off your shoulder and puts peace in your mind.

If you have no confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of life
With confidence you win before you start even in times of strife.
So, emancipate yourselves from mental slavery and free your mind
This too is Marcus’s teachings that are on my shoulder and on my mind.

God Almighty created all men equal, whether they be white, yellow or Black,
and for any race to admit that it shouldn’t be in the race and on the track
is to hurl an insult at the Almighty who created all races equal from that time
And with this knowledge, I keep this teaching on my shoulder and on my mind.

Of course, many people opposed Marcus and gave him a fight.
Sad to say, some were black skin gals and guys, it wasn’t only the white.
Even today, white all right, brown stick around and black get to the back of the line
But I share not such thought, as Marcus’s teachings on my shoulder and my mind.