Weed

One day I met an old lady selling
And I wanted something to eat
I thought she had bananas, orinias and pears
But I took back when we meet
She had a basket full of plenty weeds
And was calling like she was mad
I can't remember all that she called
But these were a few she had

She had man piava, woman piava
TomTom, call-back and lemongrass
Mini-root, gully-root, granny back-bone
Dead-man-get-up and lipan-to-root
Coolie bitters, carina bush
And the old come-pellance weed
Sweet broom, cow-tongue and the granny crotch-crotch
Belly-pulla and the guzu weed

She had kuta fi mama, phillup fi papa
Chinquis, strong-back, rock and tiree
Cheney root, sarsit, perilla
Madam fate and the duppy batty
Vervain, fitweed, dockweed
Pissy-spirit weed and the bamboo root
Dividivi milkweed and the ackee bush
And the one they call puss-in-boot

She had ram goat, dash along, quaco bush
Jacob's ladder and the alligator weed
Mandingo, pursley and jachana bush
The chickenit and the guinea weed
Bim-zaga, the devil's whip
And the late revival weed
The only one she didn't have
Was the wicked ganja weed
I said to her "Now dear lady
Weeds are good I understand

But weeds don't have a meaning
To any hungry man
If you had bananas, yam and peas
I would a happy when we meet
So go back home with all you weed
And bring something to eat"

Instead of man piava, woman piava
TomTom, call-back and lemongrass
Mini-root, gully-root, granny back-bone
Dead-man-get-up and lipan-to-root
Coolie bitters, carina bush
And the old come-pellance weed
Sweet broom, cow-tongue and the granny crotch-crotch
Belly-pulla and the guzu weed