Que Sera, Bumpa Cart!!!!

Boogoyaga music or social commentary? What was Baby Cham saying?

The following are the lyrics for the song 'Que Sera Bumpa Cyaat'! Released in the late 90s, it heralded an age of new thinking. Face value, it appeared to be some loosely held themes predicated on maintaining rhymes at the end of each sentence while forcefully and schizotypally connecting the dots. However, a closer inspection revealed a deeper meaning that was dripping with social commentary of that time. I dare say that it's words have come to pass. I'll not get carried away, the man was no prophet. He was observant and translated his observations into modern day prose and popular parlance.


Intro:
Dem a try mix me up inna dem careless song, but dem wrong, dem wrong
Dem a try blend we up inna dem careless gang but dem wrong, dem wrong so...

cho:
From you ave a set an yu a get weh yu fi get say...que sera bumpa cart!
Den a how yu fi regret an evryting cawpaset say ...que sera bumpa cart!
From yu ave a set an yu a get weh yu fi get say ...que sera bumpa cart! (mi gal fren)
Den a how yu fi regret an evryting cawpaset say ...que sera bumpa cart!

Cawpaset.
Dat a when yu secure an yu nah fi fret.
Fret a when yu si dem affi smoke cigarette
Cigarette a sitten weh gi gal bad breath.
Bad breath a sumptin weh cause di most met
met a pure mix-up a gal a sen threat
Threat a when a gal inna yu face a seh bet
bet a wen dem all a seh fey an yu no sweat
sweat a weh yu bus when yu go soca fete
dem mussi neva hear bout yu yet.

cho
From you ave a set an yu a get weh yu fi get say...que sera bumpa cart!
Den a how yu fi regret an evryting cawpaset say ...que sera bumpa cart!
From yu ave a set an yu a get weh yu fi get say ...que sera bumpa cart! (mi gal fren)
Den a how yu fi regret an evryting cawpaset say ...que sera bumpa cart!

I man seh flop
fi all a di man dem weh no kno how fi slap
slap a when yu ave a fat gal inna yu lap
lap a weh di gal use fi mek sure yu trap
trap a how yu feel when yu gal a get wap
wap a when a nedda man gal a get clap
clap a jus di sound when di big juice a pop
pop a fi di yout weh a ride and drop
drop a no fi we cause we stay pon top
not even a minute fi a nap.

cho
From you ave a set an yu a get weh yu fi get say...que sera bumpa cart!
Den a how yu fi regret an evryting cawpaset say ...que sera bumpa cart!
From yu ave a set an yu a get weh yu fi get say ...que sera bumpa cart! (mi gal fren)
Den a how yu fi regret an evryting cawpaset say ...que sera bumpa cart!


In the intro, the poet (cum DJ) lets us know that he will not be assimilated into the new dispensation that contrasts with what he believes. He states unequivocally that he will not march to their tune...he will not sing their song...that will not be his theme. Neither will he associate with them. This is a firm stance that sets the tone for the rest of the commentary.

The chorus speaks to those who have their own 'set'. In the metaphorical cultural milieux, a set refers to a sound system/disco/turntables and speakers and records. It is understood that it is the sound system that is responsible for the carrying of the message to the masses. The owner of such a system is imbued with a certain power because he or she will control the communication to the masses. Thus if you have your own set, you will dictate the message not receive it.

'Get weh yu fi get' is indicating that we are in receipt of the gifts from our Heavenly Father. Our entitlements, if you will. Life, air, water, food (bought, foraged for, grown). From we have the basics for life then que sera (whatever will be: the antithesis of decent living) will come to a violent crash. That is what bumber cars do; they crash into each other as they go in circles for a set time. That time is the time we have on earth. The time each of us has on earth is different and by buying into the things of this earth we will always be going in circles, violently diametrically opposed to the other earthly centred notions. He continues by saying that should you be on the right track, don't turn around like Lot's wife and regret the decision to avoid the "bangarang" because 'que sera bumpa cart'. He repeats it for emphasis, for it to sink in and to begin the metanoia of thought necessary to understand the lyrics he is about to drop.

Cawpaset is from the word copacetic, meaning acceptable, very satisfactory. The harshness of the tone is similar to the rough cement foundation of any home. He intones that phonetic quality metaphorically, anchoring the word in its meaning. We all need to be cawpaset. He further explains the qualities of cawpasetic living. Its a security that you have knowing that you have chosen the right path. Those on the right path need not fret about anything, but remain confident in that fact; that they will avoid the cataclysmic eventuality of 'bumpa cart' living.

Those not on the right path are thus unable to be comfortable in life. They must fret because they have no real purpose, no goal. They are swayed by any message that comes from the 'set' of another because they have no 'set'. They have no 'set' standards for their life. As a result they tend to indulge in self-depreciating habits such as smoking cigarettes. They try to find peace in things that initially look good and feel good but when put to the test of fire, go up in smoke further blinding them from seeing the truth and destroying them from the inside out.

Air is neceessary for life. The fretting leads to the cigarette, which destroys the purity of the air, and thus life. The first sign of the rot that sets in is the bad breath. So your air inside is destroyed and you in turn can only destroy the air quality outside of you and thus a vicious cycle is begun. Those who are dead inside can only bring rot to the outside. He adds that it gives 'gal' bad breath because he is acknowledging the fact that women out number men. And it is women who have historically kept the nation on the right path even when men had shirked their duties. But if the women should now falter, the nation is lost. The women birth the children and because of the absence of the men, find themselves responsible for the education of the successive generations in all areas. They are in fact the last bastion of hope. The poet personalises this to the women to stir in them an awakening.

The result of bad breath is 'met'. Struggles, unnecessary struggles at that. Easily avoided struggles come to the fore. The stench of the rot spewed forth by those who are dead inside leads to perennial conflict. 'Met' is also the hyphenation of the word metasteses; the medical term for spreading cancer. In other words, I am infected, I in turn infect you and you infect others, leading to a cancerous ravaging of the whole society. Thus the systematic destruction of the women in our society by forcing them to adopt attitudes and habits typically characteristic of men can only lead to pure 'met'. This 'met' will leads to the threatening of our whole society.

That 'threat' leads to the division and leaves all opposed to the primary purpose of life. Those on the right path are not betting. They have found the sure winner. Everyone else is hazarding a guess. They are trying to get you to feel as if you are also taking a gamble and that all of life is a gamble/bet. But if you are on the right path then when that 'threat reaches' you and they say 'fey' (try to goad you into a descent into their putrid life/"how fare you with your choice") you need not 'sweat'. That is left for those who adopt cultures that are not their own...again because they have no 'set', so they 'fete' their lives away at SOCA (some other cultural activity). Indeed the sweating is for those who have yet to become 'cawpaset'.

Stay tuned!!