Sonny's Lettah (Anti-Sus Poem) Lyrics

(Sus = abbr. for suspicious behaviour)

Brixton Prison
Jebb Avenue,
London, S.W.2.
England.

Dear Mama,
Good day.
I hope dat when
Deze few lines reach you,
They may find you in di bes' af helt'.

Mama,
I really doan know how fi tell you dis,
Cause I did mek a salem pramis'
Fi tek care a lickle Jim
An' try mi bes' fi look out fi him.

Mama,
Ah really did mi bes',
But none-di-les,
Mi sarry fi tell you seh
Poor lickle Jim get arres'.

It woz di miggle a di rush hour howah
When everybady jus' a hu'sle an' bus'le
Fi go home dem evenin' showah;
Mi an' Jim jus' stan-up
Waitin' pan a bus,
Nat causin' no fus',
When all an a sudden
A police van pull-up.

Out jump t'ree policeman
Di' hole a dem carryin' batan.
Dem walk straight up to mi an' Jim.
One a dem hol' an to Jim
Seh him tekin' him in;
Jim tell him fi let goh a him
Far him noh dhu not'n,
An' him naw tief, nat evn a but'n'.

Jim start to wriggle.
Di police start to giggle.
Mama,
Mek Ah tell you whey dem dhu to Jim;
Mama,
Mek Ah tell you whey dem dhu to him:
Dem t'ump him in him belly
An' it turn to jelly
Dem lick him pan him back
An' him rib gat pap
Dem lick him pan him he'd
But it tuff like le'd
Dem kick him in the seed
An' it started to bleed.

Mama, Ah
Ah jus' could'n' stan'-up deh
An' noh dhu not'n'.

Soh mi jook one in him eye
An' him started to cry;
Mi t'ump one in him mout'
An' him started to shout;
Mi kick one pan him shin
An' him started to spin,
Mi t'ump him pan him chin
An him drap pan a bin

An' crash
An' de'd.

Mama,
More policeman come dung
An' beat mi to di grung;
Dem charge Jim fi sus
Dem charge me fi murdah.

Mama,
Doan fret,
Doan get dpres'
An' doun-hearted.
Be af good courage
Till I hear fram you

I remain,
Your son,
Sonny.