Short Shirt’s Top 100

Appendix 5 of Nobody Go Run Me: the Life and Times of Sir Mclean Emmanuel by Dorbrene O’Marde

King Short Shirt’s Top 100 Songs of All Time on Radio ZDK (Broadcast Tuesday 28^th February 2012 – His 70^th Birthday)

*

100 Antigua Will Redeem (1972)

99 Antigua (1962)

98 No Place like home (1964)

97 The World needs love (1969)

96 Labour Day Night (1970)

95 Run Short Shirt Run (1963)

94 Starvation (1974)

93 Love Lifted Me (1997)

92 Believer (1978)

91 The World in Distress (1986)

90 What we gonna do (1979)

89 Miss Yvette (1975)

88 Josephine (1969)

87 No Promises (1976)

86 Fighting (1974)

85 Black Like Me (1970)

84 European Common Market (1972)

83 Last Jouvert (1992)

82 Ghetto Vibration (1977)

81 Utopia (1973)

80 Tyranny (1977)

79 Iron Band (1983)

78 Racial Violence (1969)

77 Nudist Society (1970)

76 Symphony (1976)

75 Pac Man (1983)

74 Disco Dumpling (1980)

73 The Madness of it all (1977)

72 Leh we go (1975)

71 Bleeding Heart (2001)

70 When we are together (1981)

69 Reach for the sky (1977)

68 Me man you woman (1972)

67 Push back you bam bam (1966)

66 Lead on/Press on/Hang on (1975/79/83)

“Yield not your soul to fill your bowl

Better death than live a lie

For they must dry the sea

And they must move the sky

Before the righteous spirit die” (from Press On)

65 Taste it (1985)

64 Vengeance (1975)

63 Help (1980)

62 Legs (1988)

61 Children (1980)

60 After Midnight (1985)

59 Tell the truth (1995)

58 I surrender (1997)

57 Statehood (1967)

“We are the gem of the Caribbean

A very special link in the chain”

56 We have got to change (1981)

55 Yankee in Carnival (1970)

54 Technical School (1970)

53 Heart Transplant (1969)

52 The Message (2001)

51 Cry for a Change (1975)

50 Raycan (1970)

49 Star Black (1974)

48 Until (1985)

47 One people (2001)

46 Pull Together (1973)

45 Stand Up Grenada (1979) (actually Viva Grenada)

44 Anguilla Crisis (1969)

43 Jouvert Competition (1981)

42 Nationalism (1981)

41 Treat me nice (1969)

40 Dance from Antigua (1977)

39 Send you king (1974)

38 Viv Richards (1976)

37 We are the ones (1977)

36 Spirit of Carnival (1985)

35 Rock and Prance (1977)

34 Summer Festival (1980)

“Some are wearing tear up pajamas

Big boots and sneakers

With oversized trousers

Zip up panties

Half slip and nighties

Like if they don’t plan to go home”

33 Kangaroo Jam (1979)

32 Lucinda (1974)

31 Push (1982)

30 Jamming (1978)

29 Hari Kari (1987)

28 Jouvert Rhythm (1987)

27 Alive and Kicking (1982)

26 Uneasy Head (1978)

25 Benna Music (1978)

24 Nobody go run me (1976)

23 Illusion (1977)

22 Forward Together

21 Hand in Hand (1993)

20 This Land (1974)

19 Awake the Youths (1975)

18 Day of Reckoning (2003)

17 Not by Might (1979)

16 Heaven Help Mankind (1993)

15 Handwriting (2001)

14 True Antiguan (1987)

13 AIDS (1988)

12 Unity (1978)

11 Share the Honey (1992)

10 My Pride and Joy (2001)

9 Afro Antiguans (1972)

8 Love and Understanding (1977)

7 Power and Authority (1976)

6 When (1976)

5 Inspite of all (1976)

4 The Fire After (1988)

3 Lamentation (1973)

2 Our Pledge (1981)

1 Tourist Leggo (1976)

*

Respect to the writers – Marcus Christopher, Shelly Tobitt, Fd, and Stanley Humphreys; and arrangers like Jagger Martin and others, and Short Shirt himself easily one of the more influential Antiguans and Barbudans of the 20th century – such was the power of his art. For more, see our songwriters database and our song lyrics database, as well as this Ghetto Vibes review, this and this review of O’Marde’s Nobody Go Run Me, which was longlisted in 2015 for the Bocas Prize.

As with all content on Wadadli Pen, except otherwise noted, this is written by Joanne C. Hillhouse (author of The Boy from Willow Bend, Dancing Nude in the Moonlight, Musical Youth, With Grace, Lost! A Caribbean Sea Adventure/Perdida! Una Aventura en el Mar Caribe, and Oh Gad!). All Rights Reserved. If you enjoyed it, check out my page on WordPress, and/or Facebook, and help spread the word about Wadadli Pen and my books. You can also subscribe to the site to keep up with future updates. Thanks.