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.
Out in the streets, they call it murder
Welcome to Jamrock, camp where the thugs dem camp at
Two pound ah weed inna van back
It inna your hand bag, your knapsack, it inna your backpack
The smell ah give your girlfriend contact
Some boy nuh know dis, dem only come around like tourist
On the beach with a few club sodas
Bedtime stories, and pose like dem name Chuck Norris
And don't know the real hardcore
'Cause Sandals ah nuh back too the thugs
Dem will do whe dem got to and won't think twice to shot you
Don't make dem spot you, unless you carry guns a lot too
A bare tuff tings come at you
When Trench Town man stop laugh and block off traffic
Then dem wheel and pop off and dem start clap it
With the pin file dung an it ah beat rapid
Police come inna jeep and dem can't stop it
Some say them ah playboy, ah playboy rabbit
Funny man ah get dropped like a bad habit
So nuh bodah pose tuff if you don't have it
Rastafari stands alone
Welcome to Jamrock, welcome to Jamrock
Out in the streets, they call it murder
Welcome to Jam down, poor people ah dead at random
Political violence, can't done, pure ghost and phantom
The youth dem get blind by stardom
Now the kings of kings ah call
Old man to Pickney, so wave unnuh hand if you with me
To see the sufferation sick me
Dem suit no fit me, to win election dem trick we
Then dem don't do nuttin' at all
Come on let's face it, a ghetto education's basic
And most ah de youths them waste it
And when dem waste it, that's when dem take the guns replace it
Then dem don't stand a chance at all
And that's why ah nuff little youth have up some fat 'matic
With the extra magazine inna dem back pocket
And ah a bleach a night time inna some black jacket
All who nah lock glocks, ah dem a lock rocket
They will full you up ah current like ah shock socket
Dem a run ah road back which part the cops block it
And from now till a mornin' nuh stop clock it
If dem run outta rounds ah bruck back ratchet
Welcome to Jamrock
(Southside, Northside)
Welcome to Jamrock
(East Coast, West Coast, huh, yo)
Welcome to Jamrock
(Cornwall, Middlesex and Surrey, yah)
Hey, welcome to Jamrock
Out in the streets, they call it murder
Jamaica, Jamaica, Jamaica, Jamaica, now
Jamaica, Jamaica, yo, Jamaica, Jamaica
Welcome to Jamrock, welcome to Jamrock
Welcome to Jamrock, camp where the thugs dem camp at
Two pound ah weed inna van back
It inna your hand bag, your knapsack, it inna your backpack
The smell ah give your girlfriend contact
Some boy nuh know dis, dem only come around like tourist
On the beach with a few club sodas
Bedtime stories, and pose like dem name Chuck Norris
And don't know the real hardcore
'Cause Sandals ah nuh back too the thugs
Dem will do whe dem got to and won't think twice to shot you
Don't make dem spot you, unless you carry guns a lot too
A bare tuff tings come at you
When Trench Town man stop laugh and block off traffic
Then dem wheel and pop off and dem start clap it
With the pin file dung an it ah beat rapid
Police come inna jeep and dem can't stop it
Some say them ah playboy, ah playboy rabbit
Funny man ah get dropped like a bad habit
So nuh bodah pose tuff if you don't have it
Rastafari stands alone
Welcome to Jamrock, welcome to Jamrock
Out in the streets, they call it murder
Welcome to Jam down, poor people ah dead at random
Political violence, can't done, pure ghost and phantom
The youth dem get blind by stardom
Now the kings of kings ah call
Old man to Pickney, so wave unnuh hand if you with me
To see the sufferation sick me
Dem suit no fit me, to win election dem trick we
Then dem don't do nuttin' at all
Come on let's face it, a ghetto education's basic
And most ah de youths them waste it
And when dem waste it, that's when dem take the guns replace it
Then dem don't stand a chance at all
And that's why ah nuff little youth have up some fat 'matic
With the extra magazine inna dem back pocket
And ah a bleach a night time inna some black jacket
All who nah lock glocks, ah dem a lock rocket
They will full you up ah current like ah shock socket
Dem a run ah road back which part the cops block it
And from now till a mornin' nuh stop clock it
If dem run outta rounds ah bruck back ratchet
Welcome to Jamrock
(Southside, Northside)
Welcome to Jamrock
(East Coast, West Coast, huh, yo)
Welcome to Jamrock
(Cornwall, Middlesex and Surrey, yah)
Hey, welcome to Jamrock
Out in the streets, they call it murder
Jamaica, Jamaica, Jamaica, Jamaica, now
Jamaica, Jamaica, yo, Jamaica, Jamaica
Welcome to Jamrock, welcome to Jamrock
Lyrics submitted by postmaster, edited by dblentendr
Welcome To Jamrock Lyrics as written by Ini Kamoze Damian Robert Nesta Marley
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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