The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Rasta Ozzy from up the hill
Decide to check on him grocery bill
And when him add up the things him need
He don't he don't why him see if he buy little weed
Him hand upon his jaw, Lord
Reading I am just mediate
This time it's so hard Lord
I might not think about emigrate
I make up my mind Lord
I might as well go against my own faith
So I follow the market
I sight the butcher boy by the gate
(You want goat?)
No I might a kill I queen
(Try beef now?)
I no check if no grass a green
(What about fowl?)
What I know it's time for a change
(Mashed fish?)
Got children on that range
(How about the steak?)
Watch it now, me now sight the rate
(Try tripe boss?)
Hold me belly when I pull me pipe
(Alright what about the pork?)
Hush your mouth man, me brethren hear
Sell I upon a dat thing there
Then the butcher pull up a stool
Begin to question Ozzy how him so fool
What kind of something cook in a pot
From him born did never hear about that
Well what ya know master
Give I time make try explain
It's just like a flim show
To protect the humble we change the name
I would have feel so cute
If come and ask for some animal fat
Aye I'll feel safer if we change the subject and call it Dat
(You want goat?)
No I might a kill I queen
(Take the beef then)
I no check if no grass a green
(What about fowl?)
What I know it's time for a change
(Take fish then)
Got children on that range
(Make good steak you know)
Watch it now, me now sight the rate
(Take the tripe then boss)
Hold me belly when I pull me pipe
(Force down the pork then)
Hush your mouth man, me brethren hear
Sell I upon a dat thing there
Ozzy pay off the butcher bill
Take him parcel and trode up the hill
Like a spy who do you think him meet?
Rasta Jeremiah from down the street
For guidance me brethren
Is what you have in that there bag?
Him kind of get frightened
And begin to hide it beneath him rag
That man no fear high Lord
If we go and begone here and take us off
Meanwhile light a fire
And where we eat us upon a DAT
(You want goat?)
No I might a kill I queen
(Take the beef then)
I no deal with grass a green
(What about fowl?)
What I know it's time for a change
(Eat Fish then)
Got children on that range
(The steak's good enough)
Watch it now, me now sight the rate
(What about the tripe then?)
Hold me belly when I pull me pipe
(Well take the pork man)
Hush your mouth man, me brethren hear
Sell I upon a dat thing there
Decide to check on him grocery bill
And when him add up the things him need
He don't he don't why him see if he buy little weed
Him hand upon his jaw, Lord
Reading I am just mediate
This time it's so hard Lord
I might not think about emigrate
I make up my mind Lord
I might as well go against my own faith
So I follow the market
I sight the butcher boy by the gate
(You want goat?)
No I might a kill I queen
(Try beef now?)
I no check if no grass a green
(What about fowl?)
What I know it's time for a change
(Mashed fish?)
Got children on that range
(How about the steak?)
Watch it now, me now sight the rate
(Try tripe boss?)
Hold me belly when I pull me pipe
(Alright what about the pork?)
Hush your mouth man, me brethren hear
Sell I upon a dat thing there
Then the butcher pull up a stool
Begin to question Ozzy how him so fool
What kind of something cook in a pot
From him born did never hear about that
Well what ya know master
Give I time make try explain
It's just like a flim show
To protect the humble we change the name
I would have feel so cute
If come and ask for some animal fat
Aye I'll feel safer if we change the subject and call it Dat
(You want goat?)
No I might a kill I queen
(Take the beef then)
I no check if no grass a green
(What about fowl?)
What I know it's time for a change
(Take fish then)
Got children on that range
(Make good steak you know)
Watch it now, me now sight the rate
(Take the tripe then boss)
Hold me belly when I pull me pipe
(Force down the pork then)
Hush your mouth man, me brethren hear
Sell I upon a dat thing there
Ozzy pay off the butcher bill
Take him parcel and trode up the hill
Like a spy who do you think him meet?
Rasta Jeremiah from down the street
For guidance me brethren
Is what you have in that there bag?
Him kind of get frightened
And begin to hide it beneath him rag
That man no fear high Lord
If we go and begone here and take us off
Meanwhile light a fire
And where we eat us upon a DAT
(You want goat?)
No I might a kill I queen
(Take the beef then)
I no deal with grass a green
(What about fowl?)
What I know it's time for a change
(Eat Fish then)
Got children on that range
(The steak's good enough)
Watch it now, me now sight the rate
(What about the tripe then?)
Hold me belly when I pull me pipe
(Well take the pork man)
Hush your mouth man, me brethren hear
Sell I upon a dat thing there
Lyrics submitted by PookUser, edited by Tarnymusic
"Dat" Lyrics as written by Leighton Pluto Shervington
Lyrics © CALDERWOOD, INC.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I think it's a story about a Rastafarian named Ozzy, who, after budgeting for his essentials,is short on money to buy a little weed (Cannabis).
He decides to ask to a friend (a butcher) for advice.
The butcher explains to Ozzy about changing the names of the product to maintain its anonymity. They use "meat"-type names (to avoid embarrassment / fear of being overheard)
"Goat" instead of one type of weed, "beef" another, "fowl", "Fish", "tripe" and so on... but when the butcher suggests "pork" (pork and shellfish are not permitted in the Rastafarian diet) Ozzy tells his friend to keep his voice down, less his brethren hear them!
When offered the various (types/strengths?) of weed, Ozzy declines for various reasons. (You want goat?) No I might a kill I queen (Way too strong! He might do something silly!) (Try beef now?) I no check if no grass a green (What about fowl?) What I know it's time for a change (Mashed fish?) Got children on that range (???) (How about the steak?) Watch it now, me now sight the rate (Too expensive?) (Try tripe boss?) Burn me belly when I pull me pipe (Alright what about the pork?) Hush your mouth man, me brethren hear (Quiet,we'll be overheard!)
Ozzy eventually settles for some (a pound?!) of "dat thing, there" - (That thing, there!)
Ozzy pays the man, and goes home - but bumps into (a religious leader?) Rasta Jeremiah who wants to know what he has in his bag! Ozzy trys to hide the goods under a rag, but Jeremiah (possibly thinking it's meat or perhaps knowing what it really is!) requests that they light a fire and (eat/smoke) "Dat"
This is a really beautiful song. <br /> <br /> The beginning of the song is him procuring and smoking ("Hand on him jaw" "Red his eye and just meditate"). He then presumably gets hungry and begins thinking back about the market, and is hungry for meat. This conflicts with his vegetarianism (As he is a rasta, many of whom don't eat meat). <br /> <br /> The next verse is him talking to the butcher, pretending like he isn't interested in the meat. Eventually he breaks down and gets some of "dat t'ing there". <br /> <br /> The 3rd verse is the butcher asking what his deal is about not eating meat and Ozzy says he wants to make a code word for dat t'ing so he can conceal what he's buying.<br /> <br /> Ozzy then leaves and walks home where he runs in to another rasta, and is ashamed about having the meat. The other rasta doesn't care though and suggests the two go further up the hill and make a fire and cook that.<br /> <br /> <br /> It's a very funny song, kind of poking fun at rasta's a little bit. The underlying message though is that people crave meat instinctively, due to evolution ect ect. <br /> <br />
ok this is the real meaning and trust me this is what the song is about... ozzy is working out his grocery bill to see if he has enough money to buy some weed, he cant afford to buy expensive meats if he buys some weed he can only afford pork but he wants to keep it quiet as his rasta friends are against eating pork, he visits the butcher who lists all his meats to which ozzy replys he cant afford, 'goat?....no i might kill i queen' meaning no that will use all my money ' fish?...i got children out of that range' i need to feed my family fish is out of my price range, the butcher then tells him to take the cheaper pork and ozzy tells him to be quiet as his friends might hear instead he just points at it and chooses to call it 'dat ting der' he then bumps into one of his strict rasta friends while carrying his pork home in a bag and worrys he might discover he has pork in his bag, his friend then gives him a joint and suggests they share the food in the bag
I think yabba has it right.
There's an error in the lyrics - it should be "Sell I a pound o' dat thing there", not "Sell I upon a dat thing there".
Not necessarily VEGETARIAN, but definitely no shellfish or PORK. He doesn't even want the pork to be named, he wants to call it just "dat".
There wouldn't be any sense in being secretive about marijuana, it is a respected part of the religion. Pork, on the other hand, is unclean!
Nothing more than a Rasta who can only afford pork but wants to keep it quiet. Here are the real lyrics.
Rasta Ozzy from up the hill Decide fe check pon him grocery bill And when him add up the tings him need He dunny don wa him save fe buy little weed Him hand upon his jaw, Lord Red him eye and just mediate ( a reference to smoking ganja) The time is so hard Lord I man now tink bout emigrate I mek up me mind Lord I might as well go against I man faith So a forward a market I sight de butcher bwoy by the gate
(You want goat?) No I might a kill I queen (Try beef now?) I no check fe no grass wa green (What about fowl?) What ya know it's time fe a change (Mashed fish?) God children out a dat range (How about the steak?) What ya know, me now sight the rate (Try tripe boss?) Burn me belly when I pull me pipe (Alright what about the pork?) Hush your mouth might me bredren hear Sell I a poundof dat ting there
Then the butcher pull up a stool Begin to question Ozzy how him so fool What kind of something cook in a pot From him born he never did hear bout dat Well what ya know master Give I time make I try explain It's just like a flim show Fe protect the humble we change de name I would have feel so cute Fe come in and ask for some 'Arnold fat' I and I feel safer if we change de subject and call it Dat
(You want goat?) No I might a kill I queen (Take the beef then) I no check fe no grass a green (What about fowl?) What ya know it's time fe a change (Take fish then) God children out a dat range (Make good steak you know) What ya know, me now sight the rate (Take the tripe then boss) Burn me belly when I pull me pipe (Force down the pork then) Hush your mouth man, me brethren hear Sell I upon a dat thing there
Ozzy pay off de butcher bill Take de parcel and trod up de hill Like a spite who ya think him meet? Rasta Jeremiah from down the street Guidance me brethren Is what you have in a dat there bag? Him kind of get frightened And begin fe hide it beneath him rag That man no fear I Lord If we go up me Yard and take a sat Meanwhile light a fire I will help you eat off de pound of DAT