What The Jamaican Word "Weddy" ("Weh Di") REALLY Means

L Roach, May 28, 2006

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Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest revision: title change 

This pancocojams post showcases a YouTube video of the January 1, 2005 hit dancehall song "Weh Di Time" by Bogle featuring Delly Ranks & Voicemail.

The lyrics to this song are included in this post along with some notes about various words that are part of those lyrics.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, linguistics, and entertainment purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Bogle for his cultural legacy. Thanks also to Delly Ranks & Voicemail for their music and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publisher of this video on YouTube.
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This song is also featured in this pancocojams post http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/02/what-jiggy-means-where-that-word-really.html  "What "Jiggy" Means & Where That Word REALLY Came From".

That post focuses on the term "jiggy", but also includes some information about the word "weddy" . That informationabout "weddy" is quoted in this Oct 2020 pancocojams post.

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LYRICS: WEH DI TIME
[composer/s Bogle, Delly Ranks, and Voicemail]  

[Intro: Bogle a.k.a. Mr. Wacky]

A LIE
Mr. Wacky this keepin' it jiggy with Delly and Voice Mail
Dem fi know that Boyzie
Eeeeeeeh? A lie!
Dem seh wow but a we but we tell dem
Don't ask somebody, ask everybody
Don't spill yuh guts, spill it out
Eeeeeeh?
We don't tek press...we judge we own concept

[Chorus: Voicemail]

It's a Jiggy time again
Jiggy Jiggy Jiggy Jiggy
A Jiggy time again
Aaaaaa lie
It's a weddy time again
Weddy weddy weddy weddy
A Weddy time again

[Verse 1: VoiceMail]
Bus di place, bus di place
Everybody unnu jus bus di place
Aaaright
Bus di place, bus di place
Follow Mr. Wacky and jus bus di place
Summer bounce, summer bounce
Follow Bwoyzie and do di summer bounce
Walk wid di bounce, walk wid di bounce
Follow Bogle and walk wid di bounce
Walk wid di bounce, walk wid di bounce
Watch Bwoyzie a walk wid di bounce

[Verse 2: Delly Ranks]

Dem a fan dem a off and a box dem off
Dem a telephone we a fax dem off
Dem a call dung di rain pon di gal dem
Dem a lightening and thunder di gal dem
Get Jiggy gal, get jiggy gal, get Jiggy gal, get Jiggy gal
Weddy weddy weddy weddy weddy weddy gal
Mi ready when you ready when you ready when you ready gal
Weddy weddy weddy weddy weddy weddy gal
Mi ready when you ready when you ready when you ready gal

 [Repeat Chorus]

 [Verse 3: Bogle]
After I tell dem don't spill dem guts, spell it
I give dem the place to run an dem can't run it
Hear dis, Heh Bogle, a lie, Eeeeeeh a lie
Afta mi tell dem seh a the best a dem
Dem mek mi affi tell dem seh a the worse a dem deh
All dem deh a weh all dem deh did deh, Eeeeeeh
Don't spill you guts spell it out, a lie
One ting wid we, we don't tek press
We judge we own concept
Afta I seh I gwaan kill dem softly
Right now dem mek mi affi flap dem back oh so badly
Eeeeeeh, a lie
A Missa Wacky dis keepin' it jiggy

 [Verse 4: VoiceMail]
Alright
Shankle dip, Shankle dip
Everybody watch Ice shankle dip
Shankle dip Shankle dip
Falla Missa Wacky and do shankle dip
Alright!
Walk wid di dip, walk wid di dip
Walk wid di dip
Everybody unnu walk wid dip
Walk wid di dip walk wid di dip
Falla Bogle walk wid di dip

[Verse 5: Delly Ranks]
Alright!
New style, new style
Style a style, and a style can't spoil
New style, new style
Watch Craigy dread him a do di new style

[Verse 6: Voicemail]
Alright!
Badda dabce badda dance
Falla Ding Dong do di badda dance
Badda dance badda dance
Missa Wacky him a do di badda dance

Missa Wacky him a do di badda dance
Inna you face Inna you face
Falla Bwoyzie and buss di place
Inna you face Inna you face
Watch Ice how him a done di place

[Repeat Chorus: (2x)]

online source:  https://genius.com/Voice-mail-weh-di-time-lyrics

Here's other information from that website:
"Song- Weh Di Time

artists -Voice mail Featuring Delly Ranx & Bogle

Release Date: January 1, 2005

Album: Ragga Ragga Ragga 2005"
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Note that "Mr Wacky" is another stage name for Bogle (Gerald Levy, born August 22, 1964 – died January 20,  2005).  

Here's some information about this Jamaican dance icon
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bogle_(dancer) 
"Bogle (22 August 1964 – 20 January 2005), born Gerald Levy, and also known as Bogle Dancer, Mr Bogle, Father Bogle, and Mr Wacky, was a Jamaican dancehall star, dancer and choreographer. Beenie Man called Bogle "the greatest dancer of all time"[1] and he is recognised as "part of the foundation and as an icon inside of dancehall culture."[2] Bogle created more dancehall moves than any other figure, he is best known for creating the Bogle dance which is named after him.[3] His stage name, Bogle, is a reference to Paul Bogle a National Hero of Jamaica."
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Here's information about Paul Bogle 
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Bogle
"Paul Bogle (1820 – 24 October 1865)[2] was a Jamaican Baptist deacon and activist. He is a National Hero of Jamaica. He was a leader of the 1865 Morant Bay protesters, who marched for justice and fair treatment for all the people in Jamaica. After leading the Morant Bay rebellion, Bogle was captured by government troops, tried and convicted by British authorities under martial law, and hanged on 24 October 1865 in the Morant Bay court house.[3]"...

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COMMENTARY ABOUT THE SONG "WEH DI TIME"
Read the lyrics that are given above for the hook for the song "Weh Di Time".
The hook basically is saying that those who think they know anything about (Jamaican dancehall dancer Bogle) are lying (about what they know). Furthermore, (the hook states), it's weh di time (it's time) for Bogle and his crew to speak for themselves and judge themselves, rather than accepting what other people's statements about and judgements of themselves.

The verses to this song also continue this position and exhorts people to get "jiggy" (to really party; "to get crunk"). I believe that most if not all of the dances that are mentioned by name in these verses are dances that Bogle (Mr. Wacky) created.

"Get jiggy" means "(to) party", and especially "to party hardy". "To party" and "to party hardy" have the African American Vernacular English meaning "to really party, to enjoy yourselve dancing and socializing at a house party, (night) club, and/or at another social gathering or social event."

The word "crunk" was created from combining the words "crazy" and "drunk", and means taking partying to a new and wild level.

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WHAT "WEDDY" MEANS IN THE SONG "WEH DI TIME"
The word "weddy" in the Dancehall song "Weh Di Time" is meant to remind people of (or to evoke) the similarly pronounced English word "ready". However, "weddy" doesn't have the same meaning as "ready".  

I believe that the word "weddy" in this song is another way of writing "weh di" (i.e. the song's title "Weh Di Time" ("Where is the time".) Furthermore, I believe that "Where is the time" actually means "Now is the time". Notice that there is no question mark in the title "Weh Di Time". 

"Weddy weddy" is the name of a Jamaican Dancehall dance. I haven't found any online documentation of that dance before the "Weh Di Time" record. The "weddy weddy" dance may have been created because of that term's inclusion in this song and subsequently became an signal and evocation for people to do that dance. 

"Weddy Weddy" (also known as "Weddy Weddy Wednesdays") are Jamaican entertainment events which provide a platform for Dancehall performers to showcase their songs and Dancehall fans to "get their dance on".  My guess is that the name "Weddy Weddy" was given to that event because of Bogle, Delly Ranks, and Voicemail's hit song "Weh Di Time". Here's some information about "Weddy Weddy" [events] from http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/weddy-weddy-comes-of-age_171240?profile=1120  "Weddy Weddy Comes Of Age" 
By Howard Campbell, Wednesday, July 31, 2019   
"Considered by some dancehall pundits as the genre's godfather, Winston “Wee Pow” Powell celebrates another milestone this evening with 15 years of Weddy Weddy, the weekly dance that has helped expose upcoming artistes and sound system selectors.

The event takes place at Stone Love headquarters, Burlington Avenue in Kingston, where Weddy Weddy's first songs were played in 2005."...
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Because of government restrictions due to Covid-19, "Weddy Weddy Wednesdays" events were moved to Thursday. 
From http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/entertainment/20200813/mckenzie-drops-hammer-entertainment-weddy-uptown-mondays-pick-new "McKenzie Drops The Hammer On Entertainment - Weddy, Uptown Mondays Pick New Days"
by Yasmine Peru, August 13, 2020, 
..."At least two promoters of weekly dances, whose events have been sidelined by the recently announced guidelines, are now preparing to shift into a new gear and make the best of the situation. Winston ‘Wee Pow’ Powell, promoter of the 16-year staple on the weekly calendar, Weddy Weddy Wednesdays, and Whitfield ‘Witty’ Henry of uber popular start-of-the-week party, Uptown Mondays, say they have no choice but to choose another day - Thursdays for Weddy Wednesdays and Fridays for Uptown Mondays. Both events are caught in the net of Mondays to Wednesdays, the days when entertainment activities cannot be staged. Powell and Henry told The Gleaner that their events are fully compliant.

 “Bwoy, this is rough, but we have to survive. We did everything according to the book, and followed all the protocols, but now we are the ones who are being made to suffer. I know that there are other promoters who have their event on a Thursday and I really don’t want to run in on their day. But at this point I don’t have much of a choice,” Powell shared with The Gleaner. “As soon as the new rules come into effect, the Weddy Weddy Wednesday will be staged on a Thursday, same place at Stone Love HQ.”...

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Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emT6teS9S6o&ab_channel=danceja for a 2014 YouTube video that shows Jamaican dancer LaTonya Styles demonstrating how to do the 
weddy weddy dance and twenty-one other Dancehall dance steps that were created by Bogle (aka Mr. Wackie). 

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