Checking Out Me History

Checking Out Me History   Dem tell me Dem tell me Wha dem want to tell me   Bandage up me eye with me own history Blind me to me own identity   Dem tell me about 1066 and all dat Dem tell me bout Dick Wittington and he cat But Toussaint L’Ouverture No dem never tell me bout dat   Toussaint A slave With vision Lick back Napoleon Battalion And first black Republic born Toussaint de thorn To de French Toussant de beacon Of de Haitian Revolution   Dem tell me bout de man who discover de balloon And de cow who jump over de moon Dem tell me bout de dish ran away with de spoon But dem never tell me but Nanny de maroon   Nanny See-far woman Of mountain dream Fire-woman struggle Hopeful stream To freedom river   Dem tell me bout Lord Nelsom and Wateloo But dem never tell me bout Shaka de great Zulu Dem tell me bout Columbus and 1492 But what happen to de Caribs and de Arawaks too   Dem tell bout Florence Nightingale and she lamp And how Robin Hood used to camp Dem tell me bout ole King Cole was a merry ole soul But dem never tell me bout Mary Seacole   From Jamaica She travel dar To the Crimean War She volunteer to go And even when de British said no She still brave the Russian snow A healing star Among the wounded A yellow sunrise To the dying   Dem tell me Dem tell me wha dem want to tell me But now I checking out me own history I carving out me identity John Agard