Stand the Ghetto [English translation]

If you dance the reggae

If you dance the reggae

You're balancing reggae

No defense reggae

It's a special reggae

Infernal reggae

It starts to thump

Like a normal heart

I and I love the island in the sun

I and I know when and where I go

But it is so hard to feed my kids

But it is so hard to stand the ghetto

Everyone's dancing, you drag yourself around

Everyone's smoking and you're drinking

Downtown, people are bar hopping

In the wooden rum bars

When the reggae talks

It makes the reggae explode

That's the soul of reggae

Which moves the reggae

I and I love the island in the sun

I and I know when amd where I go

But it is so hard to feed my kids

But it is so hard to stand the ghetto

Behind the barbed wire

Three well-guarded rows

They wait to kill

To come out and steal you

For the gun in your pocket

You're stuck in point-blank range

Until the reggae

Will come to wake you up

I and I love the island in the sun

I and I know when and where I go

But it is so hard to feed the kids

But it is so hard to stand the ghetto

She's Black and golden

She's drop-dead gorgeous

Look at her walk

And dance the reggae

It's too hot to sing

I'm too thirsty to write

Too pretty to explain to you

What happens in the reggae

I and I love the island sun

I and I know when and where I go

But it is so hard to feed my kids

But it is so hard to stand the ghetto

To stand the ghetto (x6)

• Artist:Bernard Lavilliers
• Album:O Gringo (1980)