September 2004 issue of Street Roots

Criminal Reality
by Jack Tafari 

Call me criminal
Me seh call me criminal

Call me criminal beca’ me live inna de street
haffi scuffle ev’ry day fe get someting fe eat
Doan come a hypocrite
like no Sunday ginnal
Iman live inna de street
Gwan, call me criminal

Wage dem a low, price a rent fly so high
people barely see de shadow flyin’ by
When yuh cyaan afford de int’rest 
never mind de principal
go live inna de street
dem a go call yuh criminal

Dem would a call yuh criminal 
a nex’ dutty criminal

Gwan, call me criminal ca’ me live inna de street
haffi scuffle ev’ry day fe get somet’ing fe eat
fe put food inna mi belly 
an’ shoes pon mi feet
Me seh call me criminal
ca me live inna de street

De workers of iniquity
mus’ wuk overtime
fe enact more laws
waan mek homelessness a crime
When so much poor people 
livin’ pon de street today 
at de stroke of a pen 
dem increase de criminae

Create more criminal
Brand new criminal
Whole heap a criminal

Gwan, call me criminal ca’ me live inna de street
haffi scuffle ev’ry day fe get nuff food fe eat
Doan come a hypocrite 
like no Sunday ginnal
Ah live inna de street
Me seh call me criminal

Ah beg yuh listen, politician, Mr. Francesconi
nah baddah blame poor people fe yuh poor policy
It is de Homeless System weh yuh haffi address
mek a institution outa homelessness

System mek we criminal
Mek poor people criminal

Me seh call me criminal beca’ me live inna de street
haffi scuffle ev’ry day fe get someting fe eat
Doan come a hypocrite 
like no Sunday ginnal 
Ah live inna de street 
Me seh call me criminal