Dat Bumpyhead Gal

Dat Bumpyhead Gal was written by Joan Andrea Hutchinson, in response to public criticism of her for wearing the nubian knots hairstyle on a local Jamaican television station in 1996. Joan has since published seven CDs and three books, and Dat Bumpyhead Gal is the title of one of her books and CDs.

Joan's hairstyle,
the inspiration for Dat Bumpyhead Gal





Dat Bumpyhead Gal

Tell mi say mi no good enough fi you TV screen

How mi offend you eyesight

Tell mi say mi is a black, ugly, bumpyhead gal

And mi tell you, mi feeling right

Cuss mi say mi is a bootoo, and mi no have no class

Trace mi and galang rude

Tell mi say a educated woman shoulda know better

And I tell you mi feeling good

 You say mi hairstyle disgusting chaka chaka an tan bad

And favour like something out a street

And say mi should a shame fi lef mi house tan so

And mi smile, for mi feeing sweet

You see, the truth is, mi not ashamed of mi owna self

Mi not afraid of me

When mi look into the mirror, mi like the somebody

Weh mi  see a look pon me

Mi like her thick nappy hair and her broad face

Mi like her in and out of clothes

But most of all mi love weh she stan up for and defend

And, a no pose she a pose

But serious, when you a go fall in love with you

And leggo of all you fear

When you ago take the time tell God thanks fi you life

Instead of fret bout ‘hair’

For if it kinky or straight, if it black or white

Transparent or opaque

God make all a wi fi a special reason

And God don’t make mistake

So if you want to criticize the Father work

Then you life going to be ‘salt’

For the Creator love all a wi and look out fi wi

Even when wi have plenty fault

So galang, call mi black and bumpyhead if you  want

But make sure say you say it loud

Because the Creator love me and me feel good

Fi be bumpyhead, black and proud.

Copyright Joan Andrea Hutchinson. Reprinted with author's permission.