I nominate Tanya Stephens 'After You' as the best break up dancehall song of this era. She is brutally honest in the song but she doesn't remain broken. She gets even, financially. By the end of the song, she is purged and ready to move on. She let all her feelings out and ranted while getting even.
In the intro, she says,
"Baby, when you left me,
My life was instantly transformed to hell
And I used to ache so bad
Oh God I never thought this poor heart could get well
And I used to wonder..
After you, what am I gonna do, What am I gonna do,
Baby after you, Whoa Oh!"
So, she cries after the break up. After a break up we usually bemoan our loss. There are moments of utter despair and sadness. However, the next stage is more important. In the next stage of the healing process, we pretend we are ok and try to overcome. Therefore, she sings,
"Well me a put on a sad face,
So di judge gi me di yard
Run up X amount a bills pon yuh Platinum Card
Throw a tantrum,
Wid me nose a run inna court
So me get to know how to live nice off a child support
Me friend dem love you,
Cos you keep we drinkin Hq
And me coulda fit inna di Benz
But give thanks fi de H2
Me know a you leff me an fi a while me did a bawl
But me tell dem me leff you
Cas yuh buddy too small, now"
[Translation
I put on a sad face, so the judge would give me the home. Used your platinum card to buy lots of things. Throw a tantrum, even allow my nose to run in court, so that I'll be able to live well from child support. My friends love you because you allow us to drink HQ and I couldn't fit in the Mercedes Benz, so thank God for the H2. I know it was you who left me and for while I cried, but I told them that I left you because your penis was too small. Now...]
chorus:
After you,here's what am gonna do,
Ride around on your twenty twos, And still live affa you
(Whoa Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh)
After you, a now me ready fi enjoy me life
Nuh haffu work,n everyting still nice
Baby after you
[Translation
After You, here's what I am going to do, drive around in your 22s and live with your money. After you, I'm ready to enjoy my life. I won't have to work and everything will still be fine. Baby, after you]
verse 2:
Yuh neva knew what a wife an a lover meant
So me want half a everyting like de government
Now you can tell yuh friends yuh really have a bitchy wife
When me stick you up an clean you out like Lionel Ritchie Wife
Me a tek de house, de car, de children, yuh screwdrivers, even yuh power drill dem
All weh me nuh need me still a go tek
Cos me did need you but dat neva stop yuh from leave, now
[Translation
You didn't know what a wife and a lover meant. So I want half of everything like the government. Now you can tell your friends that you really have a bitchy wife when I stick you up and clean you out like Lionel Ritchie's wife. I am taking the house, the car, the children, your screwdrivers, even your power drills. Even the things I don't need, I'll still take them because I needed you but that didn't stop you from leaving. Now..]
chorus
verse 3:
Congratulations me hear yuh new girl's banged up
By di time di baby born me a mek sure yuh bankrupt
If me know divorce woulda be so sweet
I woulda beg di good Lord long time fi mek yuh cheat
Most people haffi sell drugs dem whole life fi this
All me do a say i do an tun yuh wife fi this
And yuh have the nerve fi a laugh when me fling back di ring
Well alright, when me done wid you
Yuh haffu go beg me a ting, cause After you
[Translation
Congratulations, I hear that your new girlfriend is pregnant. By the time the baby is born, I'll make sure you're bankrupt. If I had known divorce would be so sweet, I would have begged the good Lord a long time ago to let you cheat on me. Most people have to sell drugs for their whole lives to achieve this but all I had to do was say 'I do' and become a wife for this. And you had the nerve to laugh when I threw back the ring. Well, all right, when I'm done with you, you'll have to beg me for some money, because after you...]
outro: *Tanya talking
*Yuh see wah you a cause, you know seh me nuh stay so
But wah you expect me fi do,
All a this a fi yuh fault,
Cah yuh nuh leff ,me no choice
A woman my age wid four kids
Which man a go pick me up?!
I dont have a certificate I dnt even hav a marketable skill
And when me tell you say me wah work pon a career
Yuh say not a rahtid
Yuh wife nah fi work
And boops yuh breed me again
Thirty-six months me spend a carry yuh pickney dem inna my gut
Dat a thirty-six month outta my life way me couldn't look dung n see me toe
heh Heh, Yuh Lucky
the rest a ma life u say...
[Translation
You see what you have caused. You know that this is not like me. But what do you expect me to do? This is all your fault because you didn't leave me any choice. A woman my age with 4 children. Which other man is going to want me? I don't have a certificate, not even a marketable skill and when I wanted to work on a career, you said 'hell no!' because you didn't want your wife to work. And so I just kept having your children. Thirty six months I spent carrying your children in my belly. That's thirty six months out of my life that I couldn't even look down and see my toes. Haha, you're lucky! You said the rest of my life....]
Read more: Tanya Stephens - After You Lyrics | MetroLyrics
