[male
vocals] (
Nyabinghi
percussion
pulse,
soft
swirling
Hammond
organ)
Jah...
Rastafari...
Brothers
and
sisters
in
the
ghettos...
Comrades
at
the
bases...
Come,
let
us
ask
the
questions.
Politicians
may
forget...
But
I
and
I
remember.
CROWD:
WE
STILL
REMEMBER!
LEAD:
Ghana
remembers!
CROWD:
WE
STILL
REMEMBER!
LEAD:
Bring
the
promise!
CROWD:
BRING
THE
RECORD!
LEAD:
Bring
the
figures!
CROWD:
LET
THE
PEOPLE
JUDGE!
[CHORUS] Promises!
Promises!
Ghana
remembers!
Yesterday's
promises,
today's
questions!
Promises!
Promises!
We
still
remember!
LEAD:
When
decisions
were
made—
CROWD:
WHO
PAID
THE
PRICE?
LEAD:
When
billions
were
spent—
CROWD:
WHO
PAID
THE
PRICE?
[VERSE 1 — THE BANKS] Then
came
the
banking
clean-up...
Four
hundred
and
twenty
financial
institutions
lost
their
licences.
Nine
banks
among
them.
Government
said:
They
were
distressed!
Depositors
must
be
protected!
The
system
must
be
saved!
Then
came
the
bill—
Eighteen
point
nine
nine
billion
cedis!
Jobs
disappeared.
Businesses
were
disrupted.
And
Ghana
asked—
Could
some
banks
have
been
rescued?
Could
some
jobs
have
been
saved?
LEAD:
The
banks
disappeared—
CROWD:
WHO
PAID
THE
PRICE?
LEAD:
Billions
from
the
state—
CROWD:
WHO
PAID
THE
PRICE?
[VERSE 2 — THE DEBT EXCHANGE] Then
the
economy
cried—
Debt!
Debt!
Debt!
December 2022...
The
Finance
Minister
said:
No
haircut
on
the
principal
of
bonds!
Ghana
heard
it.
CROWD:
WE
STILL
REMEMBER!
Then
came
the
Debt
Exchange...
Lower
coupons...
Longer
maturities...
Pensioners
protested.
Investors
worried.
Families
recalculated
their
plans.
LEAD:
No
principal
haircut?
CROWD:
THAT
WAS
THE
PROMISE!
LEAD:
But
the
terms
changed—
CROWD:
WHO
PAID
THE
PRICE?
[VERSE 3 — LA GENERAL HOSPITAL] Then
look
towards
La...
The
old
hospital
came
down.
Government
said:
A
modern
hospital
will
replace
it!
Sod
was
cut.
Hope
was
raised.
But
the
people
waited...
And
waited...
Major
reconstruction
restarted
in 2024.
The
old
hospital
was
gone.
The
new
one
was
still
unfinished.
But
sickness
cannot
wait!
CROWD:
NO!
LEAD:
Pain
cannot
wait!
CROWD:
NO!
LEAD:
You
demolished
the
old—
CROWD:
WHERE
WAS
THE
NEW?
LEAD:
Healthcare
cannot
wait—
CROWD:
WHO
PAID
THE
PRICE?
[BRIDGE — NYABINGHI BUILDS] Jah
Rastafari...
Brothers
and
sisters
in
the
ghettos...
Comrades
at
the
bases...
Don't
judge
because
of
this
song.
CROWD:
LOOK
AT
THE
RECORD!
LEAD:
Don't
follow
because
of
party.
CROWD:
LOOK
AT
THE
RECORD!
LEAD:
Ask
the
questions!
CROWD:
BRING
THE
RECORD!
LEAD:
I
and
I
remember!
CROWD:
WE
STILL
REMEMBER!
[VERSE 4 — ORAL] Then
government
changed...
And
came
ORAL—
Operation
Recover
All
Loot.
Complaints
came.
Allegations
came.
Investigations
followed.
Thirty-four
investigative
dockets!
But
hear
me
well—
An
allegation
is
not
a
conviction.
Follow
the
evidence!
LEAD:
If
public
money
was
lost—
CROWD:
RECOVER
IT!
LEAD:
If
somebody
is
innocent—
CROWD:
LET
THE
EVIDENCE
SPEAK!
LEAD:
If
somebody
broke
the
law—
CROWD:
LET
THE
LAW
DECIDE!
[FINAL BRIDGE — FULL BUILD] Banks...
Jobs...
Savings...
Hospitals...
Public
money...
One
question
remains—
LEAD:
When
workers
lose
their
jobs—
CROWD:
WHO
PAID
THE
PRICE?
LEAD:
When
savings
are
disrupted—
CROWD:
WHO
PAID
THE
PRICE?
LEAD:
When
healthcare
is
disrupted—
CROWD:
WHO
PAID
THE
PRICE?
LEAD:
When
public
money
is
lost—
CROWD:
WHO
PAID
THE
PRICE?
LEAD:
Jah
people!
CROWD:
WE
STILL
REMEMBER!
[FINAL CHORUS] Promises!
Promises!
Ghana
remembers!
Bring
the
promise!
CROWD:
BRING
THE
RECORD!
Bring
the
figures!
CROWD:
LET
THE
PEOPLE
JUDGE!
Banks!
CROWD:
WHO
PAID
THE
PRICE?
Debt
exchange!
CROWD:
WHO
PAID
THE
PRICE?
La
Hospital!
CROWD:
WHO
PAID
THE
PRICE?
Public
money!
CROWD:
ACCOUNT
FOR
IT!
[OUTRO — ORGAN / NYABINGHI] Governments
come...
Governments
go...
Ministers
come...
Ministers
go...
But
the
people
live
with
the
consequences.
Jah
Rastafari...
Keep
asking
questions.
Look
at
the
record.
LEAD:
Promises!
Promises!
LEAD:
Who
paid
the
price?