54-46 (Was My Number)

(Frederick "Toots" Hibbert) Stick it up, mister! Can you hear what I'm saying now, yeah Get your hands in the air, sir! And you will get no hurt, mister, no no no I said yeah (I said yeah) Listen what they say (listen what they say) Can you hear me say, yeah? (yeah yeah) Listen what they say (listen what they say) Do you believe I would take such a thing with me And give it to a police man? I wouldn't do that, oh no (ooh, ooh) I wouldn't do that (ooh, ooh) And if I do that, I would say "Sir, Come on and put the charge on me" I wouldn't do that (ooh, ooh) I wouldn't do that (ooh, ooh) I'm not a fool to hurt myself So I was innocent of what they done to me They were wrong (ooh, ooh), oh yeah They were wrong (ooh, ooh) You give it to me one time (huh) You give it to me two times (huh-huh) You give it to me three times (huh-huh-huh) You give it to me four times (huh-huh-huh-huh) 54-46 was my number, was my number, man Right now, someone else has that number 54-46 was my number, well Right now, someone else has that number And I said yeah (I said yeah) Listen what they say (listen what they say) Can you hear me say, yeah? (yeah yeah) Listen what they say (listen what they say) Oh, work could not control me now Oh, no bars could not hold me now They hold I down and they lock-a you way They try to keep I for a year and a day But through the powers of the Most High God Got to turn me lose, I say 54-46 was my number, was my number, man Right now, someone else has that number, well 54-46 was my number, was my number, man Right now, someone else has that numb