worth two in the bush

The weirdest and most beautiful song on an album already superlatively weird and beautiful, "Bird in Hand", comes out of the speakers like a smoky spell from another time. It's impressive to consider that Lee "Scratch" Perry pulled off this song using only a 4 track, and potential witness to his claim, "It was only four tracks written on the machine, but I was picking up 20 from the extra terrestrial squad. I am the dub shepherd."

The lyrics I first assumed were sung by Perry in a language possibly from the same extra terrestrials assisting him on the boards, or some African dialect, but after some research I discovered this interesting article. The song is sung by collaborator Sam Carty, and the lyrics were taken from the Hindi love song, "Milte Hi Aankhein", from a 1950 Bollywood movie. I have reposted the lyrics and their translation below:

Milte hi aankhein dil hua deewana kissi ka
Afsana mera ban gaya afsana kissi ka
Puchho na mohabbat ka asar, haay na puchho
Dam bhara mein koyi ho gaya, parwaana kisika
Afsaana mera ban gaya, afsaana kisika

As soon as our eyes met, somebody's heart went mad
My tale has happened, somebody's tale
Don't ask me love's effect, oh, don't ask
I took a breath and somebody happened, somebody's lover

Lee "Scratch" Perry & The Upsetters - Bird in Hand