Bunny Wailer 'homophobic' speech [Part 1: transcript]
There are four different pages related to that speech included on my website. A) Transcript B) Setlist C) Analysis of the speech D) Peronnal opinion and Analysis of the Rub-A-dub CD sleeve. All the links can be found at the bottom of this page.

Concert: Rebel Salute Festival 2001
Place: St. Elizabeth, Jamaica
Venue: Port Kaiser Sports Club (outdoor venue)
Date: January 13, 2001

This is the transcript of what I consider an homophobic speech made by Bunny Wailer during the Rebel Salute 2001. Some disagreed with me, and I did include their comments (see all links at the bottom of this page). That speech was the introduction to the song Nice Time, a song that was written by The Wailers in 1967. The song that Bunny Wailer is quoting durning the introduction is call 'Man And Woman', it was released on CD only in July 2007. I do not know if Bunny Wailer did that sort of speech in a lot of his conerts. According to the Intelligent Diplomat website, Bunny made similar speeches durning his 2001 tour.

NOTE: Jamaican patoi can sometimes be difficult to understand. The term 'Rottweiler' seems to be another pejorative term to adress homosexuality like 'Battyman' or 'Chi chi man'. I'm not even shure if the term is spelled like the dog. The term is probably familiar to Bunny Wailer's generation, but doesn't seems to be used in the actual Jamaican context.




TRANSLITERATION OF JAMAICAN PATOIS (Standard English at the end)

CONCERT JANUARY 13, 2001. Bunny introducing the song Nice Time. 'I see some people put down some kinda thing down yeh suh. Hear me now nuh. You see, dance business. I don’t like how dance business a gwaan. I don’t like how dance business a gwaan. You see, dance business, when me a youth I go a dance, is a serious thing. Now mi want everyone listen to this you know becaw somethings a gwaan where ah don waan use no words and nothing no because I vex. And I don’t understand it, because whenever I go to a dance, as a youth, I go a dance, go know seh woman go a dance go look man. And man go a dance go look woman. In order fe a woman and a man to make the connection. A man see a woman inna dance and him like how she look, him wah know wah she name, him wah know weh she live and him wah know some things bout her. She too wah know bout him. The only way them can do dat inna dance is fi come together. Hug up. Dance together, talk together, and then, you know, feelings come out of that. And baby come out ah that and family come out ah that. So that’s why we deh ya so. So me no understand how dance nowadays woman ova deh so, and man ova deh so, and then when you hear the DJ say: “all who know seh batty man fi dead, put up the lighter them, mek we see them”. We see lighter up. But guess what, when you look beside you is a man arm you a look under. And when you look beside you, is a woman arm you a look under. And yet, you say you a fight gainst Sodom & Gomorrah. So, I want know now: How a woman a go over deh so a skin out her crotches and a misses bate. While a man over yasso a look and fi him rottweiler, can’t get up and bark. For somehow it come in like it dead. And all look she. All the head she deh pon her head fi him rottweiler dead. And me no know nothing go so in our dancehall business. We know say rottweiler rub pon buff. Until you know, enough is enough. So me no know what kinda thing a go on inna dance these days and mi no rate it. And me did design a likkle tune weh seh: ‘A time fi man and woman hug up inna dance, a time fi woman and a man hug up inna dance, a time fi do the rub-a-dub with the one that you love. A time for man and woman hug up inna dance. Man look the queen inna dance, a time the queen look the king inna dance. A time the king look the queen, and the queen look the king and everything is everything inna di...’. Yah understand me? Yes so. I want this message ya, no bother drop [it] pon you toe point and you kick it weh like it gone.  Me want a man check it out, because me know seh nuff man, me know nuff man must feel that inna dance and look pon good girl and she over desso a play up play up inna her ting. Camera up in deh, all round in deh. And man rottweiler nah say nothing. Dem thing deh haf fi change. Me wanna see them thing cheech. Me wan see man a hug up woman and woman a hug up man. No care what, ah so the tradition go. And anywhere me go inna de world me go ah dat me see. Me no know what a gwaan inna Jamaica, me now know what a gwaan inna Jamaica. So them dey kinda style mi no inna. Mi naw rate that. That to me is the sign of Sodom & Gomorrah. And me no rate it. You no understand? So. Long time we no have no nice time inna dance... (then Bunny Wailer plays The Wailers song Nice Time (from 1967)).

(5:48) [during the song] 'We have to change the trend, we can’t go round the bend. Because it’s a new millennium, we as Jamaica people (have to) fight against focrisser (or fuck riser). We can’t afford to make camera the power of a woman them. A woman underneath (vigina), a woman underneath is a sacred place. Where even Christ of Nazarene went off away. Respect. Or all death come. So we no want no woman a woke up that. Like a something with the exhibit. You hear that?'

(6:36) [He end up the song saying] 'Yes, serious talk, serious talk. I want (you to) remember this'.




AN ATTEMPT AT TRANSLATING THE JAMAICAN PATOIS INTO STANDARD ENGLISH

CONCERT JANUARY 13, 2001. Bunny introducing the song Nice Time. 'I see people carrying on with some things here. Listen to what I am saying. You see [dancehall] dance business. I don’t like how [dancehall] dancing is taking place. I don’t like how [dancehall] dancing is taking place. You see, when I was young and I went to a [dancehall] dance, it was a serious thing. Now I want everyone to listen closely because some things are happening to the extent that I don’t even want to use words to describe it because I am very upset. And I don’t understand it because whenever I went to [dancehall] dances as a youth, I went to a dance knowing that women were going to the dances looking for men and men were going to the dances looking for women. In order for a woman and a man to make the connection; a man sees a woman at the dance and he likes how she looks. He wants to find out her name. He wants to find out where she lives. And he wants to find out some things about her. She too wants to find out some things about him. The only way they can do that in a [dancehall] dance is to come together. Hug each other. Dance together, talk together, and then, feelings grow out of that. And a baby comes out of that and a family comes out of that. So that’s why we come to [dancehall] dances.

So I don’t understand then how at the [dancehall] dances nowadays women are on one side over here and men are on the other side over there and then when you hear the DJ saying: “all who know that batty men [faggots] are to be killed, put your lighters [for cigarettes] up in the air so that we can see them”. We see lighters up in the air. But guess what, when you look beside you, you are right up under the arms of a man. And when you look beside you, you are right up under the arms of a woman. And yet you say that you are fighting against Sodom & Gomorrah [homosexuals].

So I want to know now: How will it work if a woman is over there on one side showing up her crotch in the air and her feminine bait while on the other side over here is a man looking at her and his dick is limp, his rottweiler, so to speak, can’t get up and bark. Because somehow, it is as if his dick is dead. And no matter how much she is dancing on her head with her crotch up in the air [a reference to a particular style of dancehall dancing], his dick is limp. And I have never heard of such a thing in our [dancehall] dance business. The way it should be is dicks rub up on crotches until enough is enough. [Could be a reference to a type of gyrating dance where men wind up their waist and crotches in the ass of the women.]

So I don’t understand what’s going on in [dancehall] dances these days and I don’t approve of it. And I wrote a little tune, which goes like this: “It’s time for men and women to hug up in [dancehall] dances, it’s time for men and women to hug up in [dancehall] dances. It’s time to do the rub-a-dub [could be a reference to a type of gyrating dance where men wind up their waist and crotches in the ass of the women] with the one that you love. A man is looking for a queen in the [dancehall] dance. It’s time that the queen looks for a king in the [dancehall] dance. It’s time that the king looks for the queen, and the queen looks for the king and everything is every thing in the…”

Do you understand me? Okay, so I want this message [to sink in]…don’t just let it [the message] slide of your back like water off a duck’s back…[.] I want you to think about it because I know that there are plenty men who must be feeling this way in the [dancehall] dances. They are looking on a beautiful woman and she is over there playing with her crotch. There is a camera right up in there and all around. And the man’s dick is still limp. And the man’s dick is not doing anything. Those things have to change. I want to see things change. I want to see men hugging up women and women hugging up men. No matter what, that is the tradition. And anywhere I go in the world, that is what I see. I don’t know what’s happening in Jamaica; I don’t know what’s going on in Jamaica. I am not into those kinds of style. I don’t approve of that. That to me is the sign of Sodom & Gomorrah. And I don’t approve of it. Do you understand? So it’s been a long time since we have had a good time in the [dancehall] dances…'

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••• BACK TO ORIGINAL WEBSITE •••

PAGE 1: TRANSCRIPT OF BUNNY WAILER 'HOMOPHOBIC' SPEECH
PAGE 2: BUNNY WAILER LIVE AT REBEL SALUTE 2001: SETLIST
PAGE 3: ANALYSIS OF THE SPEECH
PAGE 4: PERSONNAL OPINION + ANALYSIS OF RUB-A-DUB CD SLEEVE