Portrait of Trinidad
| Name of Calypsonian | The Mighty Sniper |
|---|---|
| Real Name | Mervyn Hodge |
| Album Title | Not available |
| Release Year | 1965 |
| Record Label | Not available |
Music video of Portrait of Trinidad by the Mighty Sniper.
Calypso Lyrics
| The Mighty Sniper |
| Trinidad is my land And of it I am proud and glad But I can’t understand Why some people does talk it bad (But I know) All ah them whey runnin’ dey mout’ Doh know whey they talkin’ bout They will paint here black everyday And the right things they would never say |
| Like our sportsmen Being rated among the best Our scholars have sit and passed every test And put us right ‘longside de rest (But then) Our pitch lake is the greatest one of its kind Our sugar and oil is really refined So you see, friends, this is a real King Solomon’s mine. |
| They does talk some nonsense Me eh know whey dey doing it for Bout so much violence Man, yuh would swear that we fighting war Of course we have we delinquents to face But just like any other place Look the things they does say ’bout here Is really too much for me to bear |
| Because my people are daily making progress Without any form of stupidness And in this way we must gain success For when we moving We all move as one body No bickering between you and me For our policy stand for racial equality |
| Now when a stranger spending A little time in this lovely isle Every day you see him He always have a hearty smile When his time is up to depart He would say with pride in heart I’ll be back, you could bet yuh life And if ah cyah come ah go sen’ mih wife |
| And then he’ll tell you He really wants her to come To drink a rum and have plenty fun In this great island in the sun For Trinidadians (as foreigners do recall) It doesn’t matter whether big or small Or if you rich or poor, friend We cater for one and all |
| So all ah dem whey talking Dey either drunk or dey steering mad Or maybe dey forgetting Mr. Universe belong to Trinidad And yet we have men of talent and skill With high hopes of improving still And if you think all this is a lie The Mighty Sniper go tell you why |
| Now, our steelbands Is the best talent in the world By calypsos our stories are told With this rhythm to touch the soul So Trinidad, this lovely land of my birth Small, but overwhelming in worth And as you know Carnival is the greatest frolic on earth. |
| The Mighty Sniper |
| Trinidad is my land And of it I am proud and glad But I can’t understand Why some people does talk it bad (But I know) All of them who running their mouths Don’t know what they are talking about They will paint here black everyday And the right things they would never say |
| Like our sportsmen Being rated among the best Our scholars have sit and passed every test And put us right alongside the rest (But then) Our pitch lake is the greatest one of its kind Our sugar and oil is really refined So you see, friends, this is a real King Solomon’s mine. |
| They does talk some nonsense I don’t know what they are doing it for About so much violence Man, you would swear that we are fighting war Of course we have our delinquents to face But just like any other place Look the things they say about here Is really too much for me to bear |
| Because my people are daily making progress Without any form of stupidness And in this way we must gain success For when we moving We all move as one body No bickering between you and me For our policy stands for racial equality |
| Now when a stranger spending A little time in this lovely isle Every day you see him He always have a hearty smile When his time is up to depart He would say with pride in his heart I’ll be back, you could bet your life And if I can’t come I will send my wife |
| And then he’ll tell you He really wants her to come To drink some rum and have plenty fun In this great island in the sun For Trinidadians (as foreigners do recall) It doesn’t matter whether big or small Or if you rich or poor, friend We cater for one and all |
| So all of them what they are talking They are either drunk or they are steering mad Or maybe they are forgetting that Mr. Universe belongs to Trinidad And yet we have men of talent and skill With high hopes of improving still And if you think all of this is a lie The Mighty Sniper will tell you why |
| Now, our steelbands Is the best talent in the world By calypsos our stories are told With this rhythm to touch the soul So Trinidad, this lovely land of my birth Small, but overwhelming in worth And as you know Carnival is the greatest frolic on earth. |
About The Calypso
The Mighty Sniper won the Trinidad and Tobago Calypso Crown in 1965 with “Portrait of Trinidad” and “More Production.” It is widely regarded as one of the most patriotic calypsos ever written and is often considered a national song of Trinidad and Tobago
Although Sniper performed the song, there is some debate over its true authorship. Some sources suggest it was a collaborative effort involving three individuals, including a composer from South Trinidad who originally wrote a song titled Sportsmen of Trinidad. The lyrics were then expanded to portray the entire nation. The Mighty Bomber (originally from Grenada) reportedly declined to sing it due to its local focus, and Sniper took it on.
The calypso mentions “Mr. Universe” belonging to Trinidad. In 1964, Christopher Forde from Trinidad and Tobago won the Mr. Universe title in the Tall class of the of the British National Amateur Body-Builders’ Association (NABBA) Universe Championships. He was the first black man to win this international bodybuilding title.
Trivia
The Mighty Sniper’s victory in 1965 was bittersweet. Just ten days after winning the crown, he was sentenced to two years in prison for a fraud committed in 1963. Despite this, the song endured and became a lasting symbol of national pride.
References
The image of the Mighty Sniper was taken from the website at [1]. Information on the Mighty Sniper’s birth and death is not known. If you know this information, we would be happy to hear from you.
[1] https://www.discogs.com/release/11548799-Mighty-Sniper-Old-Women-Scandal
