Story Lyrics - Linton Kwesi Johnson

wance upon a time 

jus like inna nursery rime 

before piggy tun swine 

mi did wear 

mi fear 

pan mi face 

like a shiel 

like a mawsk 

an evrybody tink mi cool an deadly 

nottn yu coulda seh 

woulda mek mi tek it awf 

an if yu get mi nervos 

ah voulda jus lawf it awf 

an evrybody tink mi cool an deadly 

but not soh long ago 

ins like inna pitcha show 

whey di hero get a blow 

mi spirit get vex 

an mi get soh ressless 

dat mi get careless 

an goh bare mi mawgah chess 

mi newah indah tink seh 

dat it mek outa glaas 

dat di whole wide worl coulda si 

rite dung to di vien inna mi awt 

ow dem twis-up 

ow dem tie-up 

ow dem tite-up 

o mi awt 

ow it cut-up 

ow it craw-up 

ow it scar-up 

( it is a aad awt fi mawstah yu noe 

dis smilin an skinin yu teet 

wen yu awt sweel-up soh till yu feel it a goh bus 

wen yu cyaan fine di rime fi fit di beat 

wen yu cyan fine di ansah fi di puzzle complete) 

soh mi tek awf mi mawsk 

an staat fi wear daak glaas 

but eyry so awftin 

mi haffi tek it awf 

an evry nowanden 

mi fine mi laas 

oonu evah 

si mi trial 

si mi crawsiz ? 

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With LKJ, it's a lot of work to decipher the lyrics. Here's the best I can make out so far. 

Once upon a time 

just like in a nursery rhyme 

before piggy turn swine 

me did wear 

for my fear 

on my face 

like a shield 

like a mask 

an everybody think me cool and deadly 

Nothing you could have said 

would have make me take it off 

and if you get me nervous 

I woulda just laughed it off 

an everybody think me cool and deadly 

But not so long ago 

just like in a picture show 

where the hero gets a blow 

me spirit gets vexed 

an me get so restless 

that me get careless 

and go bare me skinny chest 

Me never even think 

that things are make outta glass 

that the whole wide world coulda see 

right down to the feeling in my heart 

how them twist-up 

how them tie-up 

how them tight-up 

oh my heart 

how it cut-up 

how it craw-up 

how it scar-up 

It's a hard act to master you know 

this smiling and skining your teeth 

when your heart swell up so till you feel it gonna bust 

when you can't find the rhyme to fit the beat 

when you can't find the answer for the puzzle complete. 

So me take off me mask 

and start for wear dark glass 

but every so often 

me have to take it off 

and every now and then 

me find me last 

you ever 

see me trial 

see me crosses?