Five Nights Of Bleeding Lyrics - Singles - Linton Kwesi Johnson

Madness, madness 

Madness tight on the heads of the rebels 

The bitterness erup's like a heart blas' 

Broke glass, ritual of blood an' a-burnin' 

Served by a cruelin' fighting 

5 nights of horror and of bleeding 

Broke glass, cold blades as sharp as the eyes of hate 

And the stabbin', it's 

War amongs' the rebels 

Madness, madness, war 

Night number one was in Brixton 

Sofrano B sound system 

'im was a-beatin' up the riddim with a fire 

'im comin' down his reggae reggae wire 

It was a sound checkin' down your spinal column 

A bad music tearin' up your flesh 

An' the rebels dem start a fighting 

De youth dem just tun wild, it's 

War amongs' the rebels 

Madness, madness, war 

Night number two down at Sheppard's 

Right up Railton road 

It was a night name friday when ev'ryone was high on brew or drew(?) 

A pound or two worth of Kali 

Sound comin' down of the king's music iron 

The riddim just bubblin' an' backfirin' 

Ragin' an' risin' 

When suddenly the music cut - 

Steelblade drinkin' blood in darkness, it's 

War amongs' the rebels 

Madness, madness, war 

Night number three, over the river 

Right outside the Rainbow 

Inside James Brown was screamin soul 

Outside the rebels were freezin' cold 

Babylonian tyrants descended 

Bounced on the brothers who were bold 

So with a flick of the wris', a jab and a stab 

The song of hate was sounded 

The pile of oppression was vomited 

And two policemen wounded 

Righteous, righteous war 

Night number four at the blues dance, abuse dance 

Two rooms packed and the pressure pushin' up 

Hot, hotheads 

Ritual of blood in the blues dance 

Broke glass splintering, fire 

Axes, blades, brain blas' 

Rebellion rushin' down the wrong road 

Storm blowin' down the wrong tree 

And Leroy bleeds near death on the fourth night 

In a blues dance, on a black rebellious night, it's 

War amongs' the rebels 

Madness, madness, war 

Night number five at the telegraph 

Vengeance walk thru de doors 

So slow, so smooth 

So tight and ripe and -smash! 

Broke glass, a bottle finds a head 

And the shell of the fire heard -crack! 

The victim feels fear 

Finds hands, holds knife, finds throat 

Oh, the stabbins and the bleedin' and the blood, it's 

War amongs' the rebels 

Madness, madness, war