If the lyrics from David Rudder’s songs “A Madman’s Rant” or “Madness’”were put in a time capsule when it was written over 30 years ago and opened today, the veteran calypsonian believes it would describe exactly what is happening socially in this country.
“That was the song that was written predicting that if we keep on this path this is what will happen to us,” Rudder said.
“I was the sane observer watching the scene and saying allyuh watch allyuh self and it has come to pass,” he continued.
With more than one murder recorded per day the lyrics,
“The mortuary full with little Trinidad boys, a bullet start to whine and put an end to their joy,” sums up what is seen most days on the front pages of the daily newspapers.
“It seems like a big great fun song, it is, but the fete itself was Trinidad’s society,” he said.
In an interview with Guardian Media, the veteran Calypsonian said he saw it as his duty to include societal ills into this music. He said that could be done and the music could still be entertaining since this is what Calypso is all about.
“I think the work of an artiste is to consistently relay where we are in society,” he said
“The theme of madness (A Madman’s Rant, Madness) keeps coming up because that is what is happening,” he continued.
Rudder said calypso music has always been fun music but that does not mean serious messages cannot be set in the lyrics.
He said people dance and party to most of Sparrow songs but they were songs about where society and the Caribbean was at.
He referred to Trinidad Killa’s “Gunman in Yuh Hole” song as a social statement. He said if those events were not occurring on the ground the song would not exist.
“Even in its ratchetness the chorus is very infectious,” he said
“Even down on the ground where all the pain is people still seeking the melody,” he said.
So 30 years later how does he feel seeing the lyrics he wrote come to reality?
Rudder said he is hopeful that better days are ahead.
“I am living in a kind of hope,” he said, “Yes this bad, but.”