“Flames” with its 24-piece orchestra serves as the introduction for the A Matter of Time album.
The title “Flames” connects to the final track “The Flame” featuring Kabaka Pyramid on the Ancient Future album:
[Instrumental Intro: 24-piece orchestra]
[Intro: Protoje & Chronixx]
Tu'n up everything
Bun up everything
Run out everything (ya ya)
Tu'n up everything
Bun up everything
Run out everything (ya ya)
(oyoyoyoy)
Tu'n up everything
Bun up everything
Run out everything (ya ya)
(aaaaaah)
Run out everything
Bun out everything
[Verse 1: Protoje]
Them a swing from left to right
Can't get hit tonight
Find them Kryptonite then
Man a par like Superman
One whole group a man
Stand up right beside them
Come through with a new pattern
Inna the studio them
Man yah a shoot and naa miss
Start clap the thunder, flash the lightning
Choir start sing and psalm reciting
Fireside night with all the Idren
Liars and scribes them start the writing
Oh, look at how them want us fighting
Distracted with advertising
Control the brain with all the choices
And now them want control ganja prices
Not a bomboclaat as long as I live
I blaze free, them can't supply this
[Chorus: Chronixx]
Anything a anything
Remember everything is everything
Nothing to lose and everything to gain
So we burn them again and again and again and again
Anything a anything
Remember everything is everything
Nothing to lose and everything to gain
So we burn them again, again and again
Babylon inna flames
[Verse 2: Protoje]
When the government can't fight crime
Them blame Kartel or blame Alkaline
Wha'pen to the parents dem weh not tryin'
Fi tell the youth dem make up them own mind
Haffi think deeper, overstand me
All of this start so underhanded
Like all a man like Bustamante
How you fi get me trust that man deh
National hero who? You 'tan deh
Hugh Shearer ban Walter Rodney
None a dem ting nuh teach inna the school
Dem take man fi fool you know da plan deh
But, where the one them who nah compromise
Start talk truth so dem waan come fi I
A "I" fi a "I" or a tooth fi a tooth
'Til your mouth full a gum and your food nuh get chew
[Chorus: Chronixx]
Anything a anything
Remember everything is everything
Nothing to lose and everything to gain
So we burn them again and again and again (eh)
Babylon inna flames
[Verse 3: Chronixx & Protoje]
They're always looking for somebody to blame
Rastafari will be fanning the flame
Can't cool, can't quench
No fool can't tell me nothing (nothing)
Fire man a put pon dem, uh
Fire man a put pon dem
It burning, 'til babylon bu'n down flat
And the youth them learning
Say the system fail and flop
When the youth them searching
Babylon still blind like bat
And them can't find no way fi make no peace
That's why crime can't stop
Still, them find a way fi make disease
Pure lies when the pastor preaching (pastor preach)
Can't find no way fi clean the seas
Them find a way fi sell the beaches
And them find a way fi thief pinnacle
With we ancestors dem underneath it
Gonna be a weeping and wailing
'Cause Ras Tafari undefeated
And we nah stop talk 'bout Coral Garden until we dead
And we nah stop burn them false leaders and presidents
Calling all soldiers, near and far
Please send fi them
'Cause we burn the beast and him children
Then we burning all evidence
[Chorus: Chronixx]
Can't tell me anything
Remember everything is everything
Nothing to lose and everything to gain
So we burn them again and again and again and again
Anything a anything
Anything a anything
Nothing to lose and everything to gain
So we burn them again and again and again and again
Babylon inna flames
[Outro: Chronixx & Protoje]
(wa-da-ding-dong deng)
Fire man a put pon them (fire man a put 'pon)
Wa-da-ding-dong deng (wa-da-ding-dong)
Fire man a put pon them (fire man a put 'pon)
Oh gosh, wa-da-ding-dong deng (wa-da-ding-dong)
Oh, what a bushumpeng (ey)
Fire man a put pon them (yeah man)
Ahahaa
Them want a boom boom claat and a bushumpeng
Fire man a put pon them
Bloodclaat todeh, yeah
Flames was written by Don Drummond & Phillip “Winta” James & Chronixx & Protoje.
Flames was produced by Phillip “Winta” James.
Flames started off just talking reality right now in Jamaica. I started talking about marijuana now being legal and being turned into a big corporation thing. Establishing where I’m at in my career now, me and Chronixx, and how people want us all fighting, distracted with advertising. It talks about...
The sample is originally from “Allepon” (also known as “Alipan”/“Alipang”/“Alley Pon”) by Roland Alphonso, Don Drummond & The Skatalites. However, producer Winta James initially produced this version of the sample for Kiko Bun and Dre Island’s “Alipanga”:
Protoje explains Winta’s production in...