Bridges – English Lyrics

• By: Shaggy, Chronixx
• Album: Out of Many, One Music

Lyrics & Translation

Thinking about learning Jamaican Patois? 'Bridges' by Shaggy and Chronixx is a great place to start. The song's clear and universal message about treating people with respect makes it easy to follow, while introducing you to common Patois phrases and the beautiful rhythm of the language. It’s a timeless lesson wrapped in an authentic reggae beat.

[English]

A bet you wish you never burn that bridge

Oh no cause now your like the crosses

A bet you wish you never burn that bridge

Oh no cause now your like the crosses

A bet you wish you never burn that bridge

Oh no cause now you like the crosses

A bet you wish you never burn that bridge

Oh no cause now your like the crosses

Climbing up the ladder you better watch your steps

Watch how you a flex and watch the moves you meck

Careful of the people you disrespect

Dem wi rosicrucian man nah tek no check

Cause when you coming down they might not wanna treat you right

And when you coming down that's when you gonna get the fight

And now your wishing that you were a little more polite

And now the table turn and everything a come to light

A bet you wish you never burn that bridge

Oh no cause now your like the crosses

A bet you wish you never burn that bridge

Oh no cause now your like the crosses

A bet you wish you never burn that bridge

Oh no cause now your like the crosses

A bet you wish you never burn that bridge

Oh no cause now your like the crosses

It's no coincident the people you meet

You haffi careful how you move in the street

The same man you pass when you going up

When you coming down, him a laugh and a grin him teeth

Grandma say today for you, tomorrow for me

That's when you have to face your real sorrows for real

I know you wish you never burn your bridges

But who cyaa hear haffi feel

A cyaa believe yo burn it, yo burn it, a weh you a go walk

When you haffi cross the river in a dark

You burn it, you burn all your bridges in the pass

Now your future lead you to the same path

Ease on!

A bet you wish you never burn that bridge

Oh no cause now your like the crosses

A bet you wish you never burn that bridge

Oh no cause now your like the crosses

A bet you wish you never burn that bridge

Oh no cause now your like the crosses

A bet you wish you never burn that bridge

Oh no cause now your like the crosses

...

Key Grammar Structures

• A bet you wish you never burn that bridge

  ➔ wish + past perfect for past regrets.

  ➔ This structure is used to express regret about something that happened or didn't happen in the past. The sentence implies "I wish you had never burned that bridge." (Note: "burn" is non-standard for "burned/had burned" in this context).

• Climbing up the ladder you better watch your steps

  ➔ "had better" for strong advice or warning.

  ➔ The phrase "you better" is a common contraction of "you had better", which is used to give strong advice or warning about what someone should do, often implying negative consequences if not followed.

• Careful of the people you disrespect

  ➔ Omitted relative pronoun (object).

  ➔ In informal English, the relative pronoun (such as "whom" or "that") can be omitted when it acts as the object of the relative clause. Here, it implies "the people [whom/that] you disrespect."

• Cause when you coming down they might not wanna treat you right

  ➔ "when + present continuous" for a future event + "might not" for possibility.

  ➔ The present continuous ("you coming down" instead of "you are coming down" in informal speech) can be used to describe future events, especially in informal contexts. "Might not" expresses a possibility that something will not happen.

• And now your wishing that you were a little more polite

  ➔ "wish + past simple" for present/future regrets (subjunctive mood).

  ➔ This structure is used to express a wish or regret about a current situation that is contrary to fact. The subjunctive "were" is used for all subjects in this type of wish clause, even for singular subjects like "you".

• And now the table turn and everything a come to light

  ➔ Idiomatic expression "the table turns".

  ➔ This idiom means that a situation has changed so that someone who was previously in a weaker position is now in a stronger position, or vice versa. (Note: "turn" is non-standard for "turns" in standard English subject-verb agreement).

• You haffi careful how you move in the street

  ➔ "haffi" (informal/Patois for "have to").

  ➔ "Haffi" is an informal or Patois contraction of "have to", expressing necessity or obligation. It means "you have to be careful."

• But who cyaa hear haffi feel

  ➔ Proverbial expression with Patois "cyaa" (cannot).

  ➔ This is a proverb, often meaning that those who do not listen to warnings or advice will eventually suffer the consequences. "Cyaa" is a Patois form of "cannot".

• Now your future lead you to the same path

  ➔ Subject-verb agreement (third person singular simple present).

  ➔ In standard English, for a third-person singular subject like "your future" in the simple present tense, the verb should end in "-s" (e.g., "leads"). The omission here is common in informal speech or Patois.

• When you haffi cross the river in a dark

  ➔ Incorrect prepositional phrase "in a dark" (should be "in the dark").

  ➔ The correct idiomatic phrase is "in the dark", which means without light or knowledge. "In a dark" is grammatically incorrect in standard English.