Greetings,
To my beloved mother, Jeannette and my sister, Stacey. Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mother’s, Mom’s, Mommies & Mamas.
Harvested tracks out of the Smile Jamaica Ark-Ive celebrating motherhood.
By tradition, I will always begin each show with this beautiful country ballad about a youth who does chores, babysits and gets good grades. Youthman tallies up his bill and presents it to mom for reimbursement.
Mom, takes a look and this is what she says:
<No Charge>
No Charge by Tammy Wynette, Reggae version by Sonya Spence
Now our little boy came up to his mom
In the kitchen this evenin’ while she was fixin’ supper
And he handed her a piece of paper he’d been writin’ on
And after wipin’ her hands on her apronn
In the kitchen this evenin’ while she was fixin’ supper
And he handed her a piece of paper he’d been writin’ on
And after wipin’ her hands on her apronn
She read it, and this is what it said.
For mowin’ the lawn, five dollars
For makin’ my own bed this week, one dollar
And for goin’ to the store, fifty cents
An’ playin’ with little brother while you went shoppin’, twenty-five cents.
Takin’ out the trash, one dollar
Gettin’ a good report card, five dollars
And for rakin’ the yard, two dollars
Total owed, fourteen seventy-five.
Well, as mom looked at him standin’ there expectantly
And I could see the mem’ries flashing through her mind
And so she picked up the pen, and turnin’ the paper over
This is what she wrote.
For the nine months I carried you growin’ inside me, no charge
For the nights I’ve sat up with you
Doctored you, and prayed for you, no charge
For the time and the tears
That you’ve cost through the years, there’s no charge
And when you add it all up
The full cost of my love is no charge.
For the nights filled with dread
And all the worries ahead, no charge
For advice and the knowledge
And the cost of your college, no charge
For the toys, food and clothes and even for wipin’ your nose
There’s no charge, son
And when you add it all up
The full cost of my love is, no charge.
Well, when he finished readin’
He had great big old tears in his eyes
And he looked up at her standing there and said
Mama, I sure do love you
Then he took the pen,
And in great big letters
He wrote paid in full.
Lord knows when you add it all up
The cost of real love is, no charge…
For mowin’ the lawn, five dollars
For makin’ my own bed this week, one dollar
And for goin’ to the store, fifty cents
An’ playin’ with little brother while you went shoppin’, twenty-five cents.
Takin’ out the trash, one dollar
Gettin’ a good report card, five dollars
And for rakin’ the yard, two dollars
Total owed, fourteen seventy-five.
Well, as mom looked at him standin’ there expectantly
And I could see the mem’ries flashing through her mind
And so she picked up the pen, and turnin’ the paper over
This is what she wrote.
For the nine months I carried you growin’ inside me, no charge
For the nights I’ve sat up with you
Doctored you, and prayed for you, no charge
For the time and the tears
That you’ve cost through the years, there’s no charge
And when you add it all up
The full cost of my love is no charge.
For the nights filled with dread
And all the worries ahead, no charge
For advice and the knowledge
And the cost of your college, no charge
For the toys, food and clothes and even for wipin’ your nose
There’s no charge, son
And when you add it all up
The full cost of my love is, no charge.
Well, when he finished readin’
He had great big old tears in his eyes
And he looked up at her standing there and said
Mama, I sure do love you
Then he took the pen,
And in great big letters
He wrote paid in full.
Lord knows when you add it all up
The cost of real love is, no charge…
bless, Bobbylon
Smile Jamaica Annotated Playlist: May 12, 2018 – 3 Hours Mother’s Day; 38 sec.
Set 1:
- Paul Simon – Mother and Child Reunion; Paul Simon (Warner Bros.) ’72
<Paul Simon at Dynamic Studios: Kingston JA; 23 sec.>
- Mother Earth – The Quiet Storm; A Breath of Fresh Air (Ariwa) ’84 UK vinyl dub album of the hour
- Sonya Spence – No Charge; In the Dark (Skynote) ’78 Tammy Wynette mother’s day
- Mighty Diamonds – Hey Mommy; Speak the Truth (RAS) ’94
- Burning Spear – Mother; Man in the Hills (mango) ’76 US vinyl
- Daweh Congo – Mother Arose; Human Rights & Justice (Roots & Culture) 2004
- Desmond Dekker – Honor Your Father & Mother; Israelites: Best of (Trojan) ’63
Set 2:
- Jimmy Cliff – Dear Mother; Follow My Mind (MCA) ’75
- Peter Roots – Poor Mama; 7″ (Belleville International) 2002 Fr.
- Black Roots – Childless Mother; All Day, All Night (Nubian) ’87 UK
- Papa Levi – Baby Mother; 12″ (Jah Records)) ’86 UK picture sleeve
Set 3:
- Nicky Thomas – Mama’s Song; Love of the Common People (Trojan) ’70
- Heptones – Mama Say; Night Food (Mango) ’76 US vinyl
- Jah Messengers – Mama Mama; Reggae Time (Heartbeat) ’93
- Lloyd Charmers & the Hippy Boys – Mama Look Deh; Psychedelic Reggae (Trybute) ’69
- Reggay Boys – Mama Look Deh; 7″ (Amalgamated) ’68
- Chosen Brothers – Mother I Love You; 12″ (City Line) ’77 Bronx
- Ja Man All Stars – Dub Zone; In the Dub Zone (Blood and Fire) ’77 Dub Album of the Hour
Set 4: Jamaican Jukebox 7″ 45’s
- Benjamin Zephaniah – I Love Me Mudder; Dub Ranting 7″ EP (Radical Wallpaper) ’82 UK picture sleeve: 7″ Jamaican Jukebox set
- Barry Brown – Thank You Mama; 7″ (Observer) ’83
- Dennis Brown – Song My Mother Used to Sing; 7″ (Aquarius)
- Doctor Alimantado – Mama (I Thank You); 7″ (Vital Food) ’77
- Chantells – Baby Mother; 7″ (Communicating) ’74
Set 5: Vinyl is Vital
- Peter Tosh – Mama Africa; Mama Africa (EMI America) ’83 US
- Yellowman – Honor Your Mother; Jack Sprat (Hit) ’82 JA
- Simple Simon – Obey Your Mother and Father; Reggae Move (Vista Sounds) ’83 UK
- Little John – I Love My Mommy; Give the Youth a Try (Live & Learn) ’83 DC
- The Meditations – Mother Love; No More Friend (Greensleeves) ’83 UK
Set 6:
- Cedella Marley Booker – Mother Don’t Cry; Awake Zion (Rykodisc) ’84 on Bob’s deathbead: 5/11/81
<Bob going to a better place, “Mother don’t cry”>
- Jimmy Riley – Black Mother Prays; 20 Classic Hits (Sonic) ’83
- Mighty Maytones – Father and Mother; Madness (Burning Sounds) ’76 UK
- Horace Andy – Mother and Child Reunion; Mr. Bassie (Heartbeat/Studio One) Paul Simon
- Jah Shaka Meets Aswad – Addis Ababa; In Addis Ababa Studio (Jah Shaka) ’84 Dub Album of the Hour
Set 7;
- Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals – Mama’s Trippin’; Voodoo Child (bootleg) Bonn, Germany Apr. 1998
- Judy Mowatt – Hush Baby Mother; Working Wonders (Shanachie) ’86
- Hugh Griffiths – Mother Africa; Mother Africa (My-o-lanta) ’86 UK vinyl
- Anthony Johnson – Mother, Mother; Reggae Feelings (Vista Sounds) ’83 UK vinyl
- Gregory Isaacs – Motherless Children; Sly & Robbie Present (RAS) ’80
Set 8:
- Creation Rebel – Mother Don’t Cry; Psychotic Jonkanoo (Statik/ON U Sound) ’81 UK mutant dub
- Fun-da-Mental feat. Thievery Corporation; Mother Africa Feeding Sister India DJ-Kicks (!K7) ’99
- Nicodemus – Mother-in-Law; She Love It In the Morning (Hitbound) ’82 US
- Prince Alla – Mama Don’t Fight; Reggae All Stars (Freedom Sounds) ’78 JA vinyl
- Donna V – Black Mother Cry; 7″ (Grade One) ’94
- Michael Rose – Mama Africa; 7″ (RCR) 2008 for Darfur, Sudan
- Ari Up – Baby Mother; Dread More Dan Dead (Collision) 2012 UK dubstress
Words of Wisdom:
Smile Jamaica 