Cover art for Small Axe by Bob Marley & The Wailers
Oct. 19, 19731 viewer22.2K views

Small Axe Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Why boasteth thyself
Oh, he-vil man
Playing smart
And not being clever, oh, no
I said you're working iniquity
To achieve vanity, yeah, if a-so a-so
But the goodness of Jah-Jah
I-dureth for-i-ver

[Chorus]
If you are the big tree
We are the small axe
Sharpened to cut you down (Well sharp)
Ready to cut you down, oh, yeah

[Verse 2]
These are the words
Of my master, keep on telling me, oh
No weak heart shall prosper, oh, no, they can't, eh, eh

[Refrain]
Whosoever diggeth a pit, Lord
Shall fall in it, shall fall in it
Whosoever diggeth a pit
Shall bury in it, shall bury in it
[Chorus]
If you are the big tree
We are the small axe
Sharpened to cut you down
Ready to cut you down

[Refrain]
Eh, whosoever diggeth a pit
Shall fall in it, fall in it, eh
Whosoever diggeth a pit
Shall bury in it, shall bury in it

[Chorus]
If you have a big tree
We have a small axe
Ready to cut you down (Well sharp)
Sharpened to cut you down, oh

[Outro]
If you are the big tree, let me tell you this
We are the small axe
Ready to cut you down (Well sharp)
Sharpened to cut you down
If you are the big tree
We are the small axe

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About

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Genius Annotation

This song was written about Clement Seymour “Coxsone” Dodd, former producer for The Wailers. The band developed a dissatisfaction for, and eventually ended their relationship with Coxsone, after he withheld money from the band, often paying them only £3 a week, even after multiple #1 singles in Jamaica.
Coxsone would later help form a new record label, Big Tree Records, hence the reference in the song.

Credits
Written By
Recorded At
Harry J's Recording Studio, Kingston, Jamaica
Release Date
October 19, 1973
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