There is an island where rivers run deep.
Where the sea, sparkling in the sun,
Earns it the name "Jewel of the Antilles."
An island where the poorest of peasants labor—
And the wealthiest of grands hommes play.
Two different worlds on one island!
The grands hommes,
With their pale brown skins and their French ways,
Owners of the land and masters of their own fates.
And the peasants, black as night,
Eternally at the mercy of the wind and the sea...
Who pray constantly... to the gods.
Asaka, grow me a garden
Please Agwe, don't flood my garden
Erzulie, who will my love be?
Papa Ge, don't come around me!
Ah ha ha ha! Such powerful, such temperamental gods rule our island!
Asaka, Mother of the Earth.
Agwe, God of Water.
Erzulie, beautiful Goddess of Love.
And Papa Ge, sly Demon of Death.
Asaka, grow me a garden
Please, Agwe, don't flood my garden
Erzulie, who will my love be?
Papa Ge, don't come around me
Please, Agwe, don't flood my garden
Asaka, grow me a garden...
Erzulie, Asaka
Agwe, Papa Ge!
We dance—
We dance—
To the music of the gods
The music of the breezes through the green plantain
The murmur of the river and the roar of rain
And if the gods decide to send a hurricane
We dance—
We dance—
[STORYTELLERS (ERZULIE, ANDREA, MAMA,
PAPA GE, ASAKA, TONTON, AGWE, MAN 1)]
To their everchanging moods
We know the gods are happy when the green things grow
They're angry when the river starts to overflow
And since we never know
Which way their winds will blow
We dance to the earth
We dance to the water
The gods awake and we take no chance
Our hearts hear the song
Our feet move along
And to the music of the gods
We dance!
On the other side of this island,
Safe behind high walls and iron gates,
The grands hommes dance to a different tune.
La la la la la la la la!
They drink champagne,
Entertain tourists at their fine hotels, and tell their servants:
"Polish up the Mercedes!"
La la la la la la la la!
Two different worlds, never meant to meet.
The peasants labor—
The grands hommes eat!
How fine our clothes are!
How fast we drive!
We dance at parties
We dance
We dance
While we are dancing just to stay alive!
We dance—
What else is there to do
We dance—
What else is there to do
But plant the seed
And pull the weed
And chop the cane
And bear the child
And bear the load
And bear the pain
And as the rich go racing
To their own refrain
We dance to the earth
We dance to the water
The gods awake and we take no chance
Our hearts hear the song
Our feet move along
And to the music of the gods
We dance to the earth
We dance to the water
The gods awake and we take no chance...
Two different worlds—
(Ooh la!)
Never meant to meet—
(Ooh la!)
But if the gods move our feet...
We dance!
We dance!
We dance!