Gi' Me Back Me Shilling Wid De Lion 'Pon It

by Charles Levy
(Near Ottawa, Canada)

But blouse an' skirt! Wha' dat you a seh?
You wan' fi hear me hollar?
One little tin a coffee really cos'
T'ree hundred dollar?

Miss Mattie, you remember when
We use' fi go a town
An' buy a whole week grocery
Wid lickle more than poun'?

Paradise plum cos' farthin',
Ha'penny fi t'ree,
Quattie buy enough fi share
Between mi fren' and me.

Remember when tram fare cos' fip?
(Sometimes you ride fi free!)
And sixpence was what Movies charge
To see a matinee.

Haircut did cos' you shilling
Anywhere down town,
But ladies who go hairdresser
It cos' dem half a crown.

The Gleaner nuh cos' penny?
Look what it cos' you now!
An' if you wan' buy cowboy book
You get another blow!

Red Stripe did sell fi one an' six
And rum about as much;
So if you drink five shilling worth
You could get out a touch!

You 'member double jumbo malt
At Dairy Products, Mattie?
It used to cos' a shilling,
An' a sixpence fi a patty.

So wha' gone wrong? You tell me!
T'ings deh really bad!
The price of everyting gone wild
The whole dyam world gone mad!

Me nah a train' economis'
But me can tell you how,
Fi fix dis yah inflation
An' stop it here and now:

Just mek de palitician dem
Tek all de dollar an' cents,
An' mek a law fi gi' we back
We poun', shilling an' pence!

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