Well, well, well! Is Independence again,Flags flying high, people celebrating,But I have one question for Trinidad: What happening to de Savannah? Ah say... VERSE 1 From long time we know de Savannah,Is more than grass on de ground.Is where we run, is where we play,Is where Carnival does sound. Panmen beating, children running,Football, cricket, horse racing too,Families come from everywhereTo find a little space to do. And when Carnival season coming,Whole country know where to go.De Savannah become a symbolOf de Trinidad we know. But every year somebody telling we,“Is temporary, don't make fuss.”But temporary concrete and pavingDoesn't look temporary to us! CHORUS NOT WE SAVANNAH GRASS!NOT KESS SAVANNAH GRASS!You could pave it, you could fence it,But you cyah erase we past! NOT WE SAVANNAH GRASS!NOT WE SAVANNAH GRASS!Is we Carnival, is we culture,And we saying: NOT WE SAVANNAH GRASS! VERSE 2 Now KesS sing about Savannah,And the whole place start to wine.Everybody singing “Savannah,”Everybody having a good time. But look how irony does work,Seven years later here we are.The song make Savannah Carnival,Now de grass become de star! Because this is not just about grass,And it ain't about politics.Is whether development meansWe have to sacrifice de things we cherish. You could build a modern city,You could bring development too,But don't tell me progress meansDestroying everything we knew. CHORUS NOT WE SAVANNAH GRASS!NOT KESS SAVANNAH GRASS!You could pave it, you could fence it,But you cyah erase we past! NOT WE SAVANNAH GRASS!NOT WE SAVANNAH GRASS!Is we Carnival, is we culture,And we saying: NOT WE SAVANNAH GRASS! KAISO BREAK Wait nah! Who own de Savannah? We! Who does use de Savannah? We! Who does run across de Savannah? We! Who does Carnival on de Savannah? We! So if temporary become permanent... Who go ask we first? VERSE 3 Independence is not onlyFlags and speeches in de air.Independence must mean somethingTo de people living here. It means knowing where we come from,It means keeping what we make.It means progress with some wisdom,Not destroying for development's sake. Because when de concrete cover grassAnd every open space disappear,Don't be surprised when young peopleAsk what exactly we doing here. A nation needs some breathing space,A place where everybody meet.Not every piece of public landMust end up underneath concrete. BRIDGE So don't tell me I against progress.That is not the argument. Build what we need,Fix what we have,But respect the landAnd remember who we are. Because a country without memoryIs just buildings standing tall. And a nation without public spaceEventually have nowhere at all. FINAL CHORUS NOT WE SAVANNAH GRASS!NOT KESS SAVANNAH GRASS!You could pave it, you could fence it,But you cyah erase we past! NOT WE SAVANNAH GRASS!NOT WE SAVANNAH GRASS!Is we Carnival, is we culture,And we saying: NOT WE SAVANNAH GRASS! OUTRO So Kess give we the song... And now kaiso asking the question. What we going to leave behind? Concrete? Or culture? Because when Independence come around... And the flags flying high... Remember: NOT WE SAVANNAH GRASS! NOT KESS SAVANNAH GRASS! NOT WE SAVANNAH GRASS!
