By the roots of mi heart and the hills of mi land,
I sing of The Pinnacle, where firm we stand.
I. The Hilltop Callin’
Up deh so, high inna di breeze,
Where di cane fields whisper ’bout ancestral seas,
Where di blue of di sky meet di green of di earth,
And time tek a pause fi remember worth—
There rise The Pinnacle, watching di Bay,
Like a lion on di rock, proud in him way.
Montego Bay, yuh cradle mi name,
Yuh birth warriors and prophets, and never feel shame.
Tourists pass through, but wi spirit dem miss,
Cah di soul of dis land is deeper than bliss.
Dis yah nuh nuh resort poem, no brochure tings—
Dis ah chant from mi belly, wid ancestral wings.
II. Where Drum Beat and Root Speak
When mi step pon Pinnacle, mi hear dem voice:
“Leonard Howell did mek a righteous choice.”
Mi hear Kumina spirits move through breeze,
Maroon horns call from di cockpit trees.
Mi feel Marcus Garvey in di wind’s command,
Saying “Rise up, black child, tek up yuh stand.”
Mi see Miss Lou laugh under bamboo shade,
An’ Nanny of di Maroons still never afraid.
Bob a strum chords from ‘nother time,
“Don’t let dem fool yuh,” echo in rhyme.
This is di ground where truth cyaah hide—
Where bush doctor mix herbs an’ di spirits abide.
III. Yuh Cyan’t Buy Dis
Bank cyaah buy it, and law cyaah fence it,
Pinnacle cyan’t sell out—no man coulda rent it.
It nuh live in deed, or stamp, or seal,
But in livity, love, and ancestral feel.
The Pinnacle, yuh see, is not just a place,
Is a spirit that dance in every Jamaican face.
From Gully to Garden, from Sam Sharpe Lane,
Di struggle, di laughter, di joy and di pain—
All rise like mist in early dawn light,
Telling stories of people who continue to fight.
IV. When Di Stars Talk Patwa
Up deh so in di cool night air,
When di moon bend low an’ di hilltop bare,
Yuh can hear di stars dem reason in patwa,
‘Tis like heaven tek lessons from Jamaica.
“Mi bredren,” seh Mars to Venus bright,
“Look how dem down deh still full a might.
Di fire still burn, di culture still live—
Dem teach di world how fi tek and give.”
For true, wi dance when wi sad, wi sing through pain,
Wi build whole nations from sugar cane.
Di Pinnacle is where di stories steep,
Where ancestors talk when wi fast or sleep.
V. Mi See a Vision
Mi see Pinnacle school weh youth dem learn,
Bout roots and rights and how fi discern.
Mi see a Rasta wid chalice in hand,
Blessing di land wid di Nyabinghi band.
Mi see a sistren plant callaloo neat,
Teaching likkle ones ‘bout food dem eat.
Mi see music rise like sun pon zinc,
Bassline deep like when soul start think.
Mi see no siren, no war, no fear,
Just hilltop peace, like Zion near.
Montego Bay tek a new kind of fame—
Not just cruise ships, but ancestral flame.
VI. Honour Fi Mi People Dem
Big up di craftswoman by Harbour Street,
Her hand tell tales with every stitch neat.
Big up di fisherman out a Mobay pier,
Who chant Psalms while throw net clear.
Big up di youthman in jungle side,
Who cyaah read book but full of pride.
Him know di herbs, di stars, di sign,
And him still build hope from nought but time.
Big up Miss Iris weh fry di bammy,
And know more history than man weh ‘ave Grammy.
Big up di elder who nevah lef yard,
But guard culture like spiritual guard.
VII. Rain Pon Pinnacle
Rain fall soft pon Pinnacle face,
Blessing di trees and washing disgrace.
Fi every time dem burn wi down,
Wi spring up back, more firm, more sound.
Fire cyaah out wi memory light,
Wi dreams still blaze in darkest night.
Di Pinnacle is wi, di Pinnacle grow
In every Jamaican who truly know—
That wi born fi greatness, carved from stone,
Even when wi fight, wi nuh fight alone.
VIII. Last Chant
So come up yah, come walk wid mi—
Where mango trees meet poetry.
Come feel what Babylon cyaah define,
A love dat deep, it cross bloodline.
Come hear how wind talk in gospel tone,
Come see di place where pride get grown.
Come stand up firm, come tek yuh fill,
Come touch The Pinnacle inna Mobay hill.
Chorus (if sung):
This yah The Pinnacle, high and free,
Whe spirit stronger than di deepest sea.
Mobay heart, Jamaica soul,
Where past and future always unfold.
Author’s Note:
The Pinnacle is more than a place. It is a metaphor for the rise of the Jamaican people, our culture, our resistance, and our legacy. From Montego Bay’s history of slavery and rebellion to its hills of hope and tourism of today, The Pinnacle reminds us to live upright, grounded in truth, and reaching for higher heights—every time.