Snow’s “Informer” is a piece of music that has been mystifying listeners for a long time. Although the song seems cheerful, the lyrics are somewhat perplexing. Snow’s “Informer” features a Jamaican dialect, and deciphering the words can be challenging, particularly if you’re not accustomed to this dialect. However, upon closer inspection, the lyrics of Snow’s “Informer” may be decoded to reveal more profound and more cryptic meanings behind the words.
The narrative in Snow’s “Informer” tells the story of someone being incarcerated for drugs-related felonies. The interpretation of the lyrics, however, is not as superficial as it appears. The song’s deeper significance appears in the fourth stanza. Before we dig deeper, let’s have a look at some of the key phrases utilized in the song’s opening stanza, which, on the surface, may appear innocuous.
The song’s opening stanza repeats the phrase “informer.” Snow addressed the individual, who he refers to as the informer, in the song’s opening lines. In Jamaican Creole, the term “informer” refers to someone who betrays or tattles on others. In the song, this person is said to have reported on the protagonist, leading to his arrest and consequent troubles.
This issue opens doors to further analysis of the song’s nuanced lyricism. Snow’s usage of the term “informer” and other Jamaican slack language terms carries with it a strong socio-political inference. In his song, Snow addresses the corrupt Jamaican officials who have frequently relied on informants to capture Jamaican drug traffickers. Snow’s dialect, therefore, embodies a broader class struggle element and raises awareness of the relative injustice in Jamaica’s justice system.
The lyrics go on to discuss the accused protagonist’s unfair treatment systematically. “I’ll lick your boom boom down” exemplifies the kind of slang Snow employs; nevertheless, the idiom means that something will degrade or demolish you. The author is saying that the police were brutal and aggressive during the arrest. This interpretation is based on the verbal and physical traumas that the protagonist experienced.
Summing up, Snow’s “Informer” is a powerful song with a large social commentary that speaks to a corrupt system that supports drug traffickers, relies on betrayal and snitching, and treats suspects inhumanly. Knowing the hidden meanings of Snow’s lyrics will help you appreciate and enjoy the song better.
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