Lyrics & Translation
Discover the powerful social commentary of Konshens' 'Jungle Justice' and delve into the nuances of Jamaican Patois. This song offers a unique opportunity to learn vocabulary related to justice, society, and everyday life in Jamaica, all while engaging with a thought-provoking piece of modern dancehall music.
Key Vocabulary
Vocabulary | Meanings |
---|---|
justice /ˈdʒʌstɪs/ A2 |
|
smash /smæʃ/ A2 |
|
cut /kʌt/ A1 |
|
pickaxe /ˈpɪkˌæks/ B1 |
|
cutlass /ˈkʌtləs/ B2 |
|
rape /reɪp/ B1 |
|
mutilate /ˈmjuːtɪleɪt/ C1 |
|
kidnap /ˈkɪdnæp/ B1 |
|
bright /braɪt/ A2 |
|
lovely /ˈlʌvli/ A2 |
|
hang /hæŋ/ A1 |
|
square /skwɛər/ A1 |
|
vile /vaɪl/ B2 |
|
community /kəˈmjuːnɪti/ A2 |
|
gangster /ˈɡaŋstər/ B1 |
|
wild /waɪld/ A2 |
|
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Key Grammar Structures
-
You know wah, wah bother dem enuh, but a this a bother me
➔ Contrastive conjunction ‘but’ linking two clauses; discourse marker ‘you know’.
➔ The contrastive conjunction "but" introduces the second clause, showing opposition.
-
Well me waah fi see you inna the air.
➔ Verb + infinitive marker ‘fi’ (to) expressing desire or purpose.
➔ The verb "waah" is followed by the infinitive marker "fi" before the base verb "see" to show the speaker's desire.
-
Any vile youth, fi get hang inna the square
➔ Use of ‘fi’ after a noun phrase to indicate purpose or intended action.
➔ The phrase "fi get hang" uses the marker "fi" to show that the youth is intended "to get hung" in the square.
-
Jungle justice, smash it and cut this
➔ Imperative mood with coordinated verbs joined by ‘and’.
➔ Both "smash" and "cut" are in the imperative form, giving commands: "smash it" and "cut this".
-
Tell me say, yeah, we nuh need fi discuss this
➔ Reporting verb ‘tell’ followed by an infinitive clause ‘need + fi + verb’.
➔ The verb "need" is combined with the infinitive marker "fi" before "discuss", forming the phrase "need fi discuss" meaning "need to discuss".
-
How you cut the whole him and throw that, a the worst this
➔ Interrogative sentence introduced by ‘how’ followed by verb phrase.
➔ The interrogative word "How" asks for the manner of the action: "How you cut…".
-
Boy go kill a woman, throw him get a f*** one
➔ Use of ‘go + verb’ to express future intention or imminent action.
➔ The construction "go kill" means "will kill" or "is about to kill"; it signals a planned violent act.
-
Any boy weh rape a woman, him a mussee battyman
➔ Relative clause introduced by ‘weh’ (who/that) and progressive aspect ‘a + verb’.
➔ The word "weh" functions as a relative pronoun meaning "who/that", and "a mussee" uses the progressive marker "a" before the verb "mussee".
-
Hold him, hold him, hold him, hold him
➔ Repetition of an imperative verb for emphasis; elliptical structure without explicit subject.
➔ The imperative "Hold" is repeated four times, stressing urgency; the subject "you" is understood but omitted.
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