To all those hating on Jamaica’s Olympic Peformance – Bob Marley is a prophet

It’s been interested watching, reading and listening to all the negative feedback from persons who seeking to soil the performance of Jamaica’s Olympic Team in Beijing, especially the magnificent performance of Usain Bolt. I acknowledge that some of these comments are being played upon and made into more than they are for example the comments of former Trinidadian sprinter Ato Bolden, but when the IOC Chairman Jacques Rogge is going to release a statement criticizing Bolt’s celebrations and when I read so many comments on websites alleging drug use and conspiracies (even Voodoo!) it gets me mad. But I have found a way to soothe my anger through the music of the greatest entertainer that ever lived and global reggae icon Bob Marley whose “Bad Card” song lyrics is perfect for the situation our Olympians are now facing. I have been hearing it all over the place since our gold rush began and I thought I’d share it with you and explain the lyrics a little (with my additions ^_^) to those who wouldn’t understand clearly.


Lyrics for first 2 verses

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Bob Marley – Bad Card

You a-go tired fe see me face;
Cant get me out of the race.
Oh, man, you said Im in your place
And then you draw bad cyard –
A-make you draw bad cyard,
And then you draw bad cyard.

Propaganda spreading over my name;
Say you wanna bring another life to shame.
Oh, man, you just a-playing a game
And then you draw bad cyard (draw bad cyard);
A-make you draw bad cyard (draw bad cyard);
A-make you draw bad cyard.

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Translation ^_^

Jamaica is going to get so big/famous/well known in Athletics there is going to be nowhere you can go without seeing our faces while hearing of our achievements and there is nothing you will be able to do to stop our rise. You are angry because we have taken your place at the top so you will try anything to stop our rise which result in failure. You try to spread propaganda and slander our name, trying to stop our rise and fame but the dirty games you will never succeed but you will continue to fail.

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[music]

6 thoughts on “To all those hating on Jamaica’s Olympic Peformance – Bob Marley is a prophet

  1. It’s strange reading that and the translation.

    The ideas communicated in both are the same, but the rhythms and motions of the music and lyric convey a much deeper meaning.

  2. The "Translation" is interesting to say the least … let’s hope there’s no positive samples in the future!

    VERY happy those guys won and top effort from all the Jamaican athletes … still adamant Bolt could and should tone things down a little with the celebrations …. but that’s just my 2 cents.

  3. don’t care about the translation … it is basically on cue as far as i am concerned but … brap brap fi the song mek them gwey …. "mek dem talk keep dem talking they got a lot more coming …" words from Garnet Silk

  4. @ Neil …Usain’s celebrations are just a youngster having fun and is nothing compared to the crap the Americans used to do when they were on top.

  5. There will always be the haters. Why didn’t anyone, including the IOC say something about the behavior of the US athletes before? Why when little Jamaica celebrates they have a problem? Dem fi low di yute.

  6. Thanks for this article! Your translation is an adequate shot at an interpretation. I couldn’t believe what was going down back then, and I was quite appauled at it. Not that it hasn’t been seen before. Remember the events in Calgary, or maybe turn your mind on the successes of the "Reggae Boyz" in 1998 at the Soccer/Football World Cup. Perhaps some people in this world still have to learn Jamaicans are more than just some faraway people of which you maybe put a poster up on your wall if you like the music.

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