TANYA STEPHENS' "THESE STREETS"

How great are these lyrics?? I'm a sucker for puns and double entendres, but this is deeper than mere wordplay, and deeper than dirty talk. This feels anthemic, in a "Call Tyrone"-type way . . .

(I pulled the lyrics from dancehallreggae.com)

Intro

Yuh know, I can still rememba when it was just mi and yuh

Suddenly, it turn yuh and yuh crew

Fi get everything bout yuh boo

Verse 1

I wish yuh woulda treat mi like yuh glock

I woulda love it if yuh keep mi pon cock

I wish yuh woulda treat mi like a yacht

Keep me wet while de waves dem a rock

Why yuh cyann step pon mi like di corna?

And keep yuh lips pon mi like yuh marijuana

I woulda love it if yuh treat mi like yuh club

Stay up inna mi whole night just a bump and grind and rub

Bridge

Yuh don't understand

What your woman needs from her man

While yuh deh pon de street all de time

Jus bear dis in mind, bwoy

Chorus

These streets don't love yuh like I do (Yuh need fi know dat)

Yuh wanna keep yuh woman lovin yuh (Then yuh need fi show dat)

The love wi ah fi tek so much effort fi build (Yuh about fi blow dat)

But just like a played out jersey, yuh about fi get throwback

Verse 2

I wish yuh woulda treat mi like a ounce

Mi know yuh nah leggo dat when yuh bounce

Yuh soulda de woman knock boots like yuh Tims

Need fi act older dan de size a yuh rims

I wish yuh woulda stay pon mi like yuh phone man

And neva leave di house widout mi like yuh chrome man

Bwoy, I wish yuh woulda treat mi like yuh whips

Yuh girl's a perfect ten but yuh Benz dem a only a five and a six

Verse 3

Now de feds have dem case, and deh gavel ah pound

Mi a look fi a familiar face, mi nuh see none around

When yuh call mi collect and give mi errands fi do

Mi nuh see no hot gyal, mi nuh see none a yuh crew

Goverment cease everyting, dat gees, everyting

And anoda ballah done tek ova di spot

Arun trees everyting, got keys, everyting

And 10 calls ah month is all yuh got saying

Verse 4

See di streets, dem nuh give a damn (Bang-geh-deh-leh-bang)

A jus di place whe yo pay de pan (Yuh need fi know dat)

You di love wid di corna

Yuh cyan see mi neva warn ya (Den yuh need fi show dat)

Outro

These streets don't love yuh like I do

You know these streets don't love you (Like I do)

(repeat till end)

Tanya Stephens' new album Rebelution is out 8/15 on VP Records. The song, "These Streets," is also on Reggae Gold 2006, which is out now and is well worth picking up.