Two Sevens Clash

• By: Culture
• Album: Two Sevens Clash

Lyrics:

Vocabulary in this song:

Vocabulary	Meanings
clash /klæʃ/ B2	noun - a violent confrontation or collision verb - to come into conflict; to collide
prophet /ˈprɒfɪt/ B2	noun - a person regarded as an inspired teacher or proclaimer of the will of God
prophesize /ˈprɒfəsaɪz/ C1	verb - say that (a specified thing) will happen in the future
divide /dɪˈvaɪd/ B1	verb - to separate into parts
beautiful /ˈbjuːtɪfʊl/ A2	adjective - pleasing the senses or mind aesthetically
destroy /dɪˈstrɔɪ/ B1	verb - to put an end to the existence of (something) by damaging or attacking it
lightning /ˈlaɪtnɪŋ/ B1	noun - a flash of bright light in the sky caused by an electrical discharge
earthquake /ˈɜːθkweɪk/ B1	noun - a sudden and violent shaking of the ground, sometimes causing great destruction, as a result of movements within the earth's crust or volcanic action
thunder /ˈθʌndər/ B1	noun - a loud crash of sound in the sky caused by electricity
prison /ˈprɪzən/ A2	noun - a building in which people are legally held as a punishment for a crime they have committed
prisoner /ˈprɪzənər/ B1	noun - a person captured and held as a hostage or taken as a prisoner of war
gate /ɡeɪt/ A1	noun - a hinged barrier used to close an opening in a wall, fence, or hedge
bitter /ˈbɪtər/ B1	adjective - having an unpleasantly sharp taste
right /raɪt/ A1	adjective - morally good, justified, or acceptable
dread /drɛd/ B2	noun - great fear or apprehension verb - anticipate with great apprehension or fear

Grammar:

• Wat a liiv an bambaie

  ➔ Jamaican Patois: This is a colloquial expression, likely a variant of "What a life and bye bye". While not grammatically standard English, it carries semantic weight within the context.

  ➔ The phrase emphasizes the transience of life and the potential for sudden endings. "Wat" is a dialectal variation of "what." "Liiv" is likely a shortened version of "live" or "living" and "bambaie" could be a slang for "goodbye". The construction is non-standard and relies on understanding Jamaican Patois.

• When the two sevens clash

  ➔ Subordinate clause with "when": "When" introduces a time clause, indicating the point at which something else occurs or will occur. The main clause (implied) is the consequence of this clash.

  ➔ This clause sets a specific time/event as a trigger. The "two sevens clash" refers to 1977 and, in Rastafarian belief, a time of significant upheaval or change.

• My good old prophet Marcus Garvey prophesize, say

  ➔ Subject-Verb Agreement & Indirect Speech: "Marcus Garvey prophesize, say" uses a simplified structure. The grammatically standard form would be "My good old prophet Marcus Garvey prophesied, saying..." which demonstrates past tense verb agreement.

  ➔ The use of "prophesize" instead of "prophesied" and the addition of "say" afterwards are characteristic of Jamaican Patois and add to the song's authenticity. The simplified sentence structure is used for emphasizing Garvey's message and for easier comprehension within the song.

• St. Jago de la Vega and Kingston is gonna read

  ➔ Future with "gonna": "gonna" is a colloquial contraction of "going to", used to express future intention or prediction. Subject-verb disagreement ("is gonna") is also present for stylistic reasons within Patois.

  ➔ The verb disagreement ("is gonna read") further emphasizes the Patois dialect. It's suggesting that St. Jago de la Vega (Spanish Town) and Kingston will come to understand or be affected by the events prophesied.

• And I can see with mine own eyes

  ➔ Possessive Pronoun & Emphasis: "Mine own eyes" uses an archaic form of the possessive pronoun ("mine") to emphasize personal observation.

  ➔ The phrase highlights the speaker's personal witnessing of events, adding credibility and emphasizing the importance of direct experience.