Harry Belafonte - Man Smart [Woman Smarter]

I say let us put man and a woman togedah

To find out which one is smahtah. (heh heh)

Some say men but I say, "No,

De women got de men dese days, you know."

[Chorus: Section 1]

Ah not me, but de people dey say

Dat we men are leading de women astray.

But I say dat de women of today

Smahtah dan de man in every way.

[Chorus: Section 2]

Dat's right, de woman is (uh) smahtah.

Dat's right, de woman is (uh) smahtah.

Dat's right, de woman is (uh) smahtah. Dat's right. Dat's right.

Ever since de world began

Woman was always teachin' man.

You listen to my bit attentively,

I goin' tell you how she smarter dan me.

[Chorus: Section 1]

Samson was de strongest man long ago.

No one could defeat him, as we all know,

Until he clash with Delilah on top of de bed (hey-uh) . . .

She told him1 all de strengt' was in de hair of his head.

[Chorus: Section 1]

[Chorus: Section 2]

You meet a girl at a pretty dance

T'inking dat you would stand a chance.

Take her home, t'inking she's alone.

Open de door . . . You find her husband home.

[Chorus: Section 1]

<<< exaggerated pause >>>

[Chorus: Section 2]

I was treatin' a girl independently.

She was makin' baby for me.

When de baby born and I went to see,

Eyes was blue . . . (sure) . . . It was not by me.

[Chorus: Section 1]

Oh yes, smahtah!

<<< additional verses2: >>>

In de Garden of Eden Adam built a home.

When he settle down, Eve start to roam.

Many a night he spent in pain.

Whenever Eve was able, she was raisin' Cain.

Garden of Eden was very nice.

Adam never work in Paradise.

Eve meet snake. Paradise gone.

She make Adam work from dat day on.

Methusaleh spent all his life in tears.

Did wit'out a woman for nine hundred years.

One day he decided to have some fun.

De poor man never live to see nine hundred and one.

1. The original transcription says "dem" (them) here. But it sure sounds like "him" to me.2. At this point, the song ends on the original "Calypso" album of 1956. I found a live performance that includes three additional verses. The first of these additional verses was not included in the transcription I found online; I have transcribed it myself. The other two were in that transcription I found online. In addition, the way he sings it in this live version, the Chorus differs by a word here and there from what he had previously recorded in the studio, but not significantly, so I say it's not worth it to retranscribe that bit.

• Artist:Harry Belafonte
• Album:ypso (1956)