Lyrics
Ton Ton Macoute
The sun is shining
Through the trees
I lie out here on the beach
Taking it easy
Along comes a native boy
Gonna give me a cool drink
Try to look deep in his eyes
But I can't tell what he thinks
Down in the town
They're getting ready for a big parade
Come here to papa
Give a speech in the shade
I don't want to have to stand here
And watch the execution
See the price of freedom
At the end of a gun
Aaah aah, aaah aah
Aaah aah, aaah aah
Aaah aah, aaah aah
Aaah aah, aaah aah
The girls on the corner
They're just trying to pay the rent
They got to sell lots of voodoo chicken
To pay that voodoo rent
They've dedicated their life to pain
It's the colour of blood
When the blood starts getting thin
It's the colour of the skin
Aaah aah, aaah aah
Aaah aah, aaah aah
Aaah aah, aaah aah
Aaah aah, aaah aah
Streets are getting dusty
The air is getting thick
Bodies in the courtyard
Making me sick
I just want to get away from here
As far away as I can
Get drunk along with my friends
Or any excuse I can
Aaah aah, aaah aah
Aaah aah, aaah aah
Aaah aah, aaah aah
Aaah aah, aaah aah
About this song
In 1976 Cale cuts a couple tracks at Chalk Farm Studios in London. Some of these will later surface on the Animal Justice EP (1978), but this song about the infamous Haitian paramilitary and secret police force gets shelved.
(Thanks: Mark Sturdy for transcribing the lyrics)