CREDITS
Composed and recoded by Larry Armony (2023-24)
Quality Recording Studio; Clian Lewis, engineer
Clian Lewis, keyboards, rhythm programming, b. guit.
Patrick Oloughlin, fife; Curtis Rennix, cuatro
Featuring: James Hamilton (Pepper), banjo, shac-shac, guiro, triangle
LYRICS
It brings no pride at all to me
To be part of a mother colony
Forerunner of Native genocides
Destroyer of countless African lives
Instigator of endless lies
(Yet I) Celebrate, celebrate
These islands of beauty
Celebrate, celebrate
Our people’s vitality
From the horrors and miseries
Of an historic journey
We celebrate the victories
And a dynamic democracy
The enterprise and energy
Among the youth of this country
Friendly vibes and dignity
Of the people around me
We celebrate, celebrate
Our anniversary
Celebrate, celebrate
For we love our country
It brings no pride or joy to me
Of shortcomings in security
Dismissing personal safety
Of missing folks on land and sea
And a porous coast ‘gainst an open sea
It brings no pride at all to me
That we give up our trading industry
And prop up foreign developers
And unblock our planning protocols
And suck up to investors’ money
It brings no pride at all to me
At the gossip and chicanery
That we clip or restyle our history
And resist Regional identity
That we persist with colonial monarchy
Larry Armony
September, 2023