Prologue


In the early hours of January 1st 2003, in the district of Aston in Birmingham, 
England, four inseparable girlfriends laugh and joke with each other as they 
head toward a New Year party.  Within hours they had been gunned down in 
a hail of machine gun crossfire as rival gangs traded more than 30 9mm 
shots.  Two of them were killed, the other two were seriously wounded and 
are still recovering from their injuries.  The girls were only seventeen and 
eighteen years old, their killers are still at large.

In urban (inner-city) areas across Britain, carrying a gun has become a 
status symbol among black youngsters, especially black men, something that 
is designed to inspire respect.  It has nothing to do with drugs; it is all about 
bravado.  The New Year’s Day shootings and black Britain’s growing gun 
culture has sent frightening ripples of thought to every black parent, that we 
may outlive our children.

During the aftermath of January 1st 2003, Birmingham’s black community are 
fighting back, we are saying, “Enough is enough!”  This is where DANGER! is 
coming from… 



I beg you look before you leap and creep before you walk
Humble before you talk and don’t bother skylark
Don’t be no fool, go to school and learn de golden rule y’know

DANGER!
I tell you yout’ man
When you pick up dat gun you mess wid danger

DANGER!
Yes yout’ man
When you shoot dat gun you turn a killer

Coz when you shoot dat gun and take somebody life
You give their family pure grief and strife
It’s better you get down on yuh knees and pray
Ask almighty Jah for health and guidance everyday

Don’t mess with danger
No, no, no, no, no don’t turn a killer
Don’t mess with danger
No, no, no, no, no don’t turn a killer

I tell you yout’ man, badness nuh pay
Ah de truth yout’ man, hear what I say
Don’t bother go around making disturbances
Don’t bother go around giving black people bad name
Yuh tink dat shooting gun is a blasted game?
When you take somebody life or leave dem lame
Black ah kill black and dat is a damn shame
And too much mother ah cry baaling Jesus name

Don’t mess with danger
No, no, no, no, no don’t turn a killer
Don’t mess with danger
No, no, no, no, no don’t turn a killer

From the prison to the morgue to the cemetery
That’s how I know bad man enter you see
Everyday dem get up and play wid dem gun
Soon one day dem fun ah guh done
These killings make mothers cry
Right now is the time
For you to turn your mind
Away from these gang killing crimes

Don’t mess with danger
No, no, no, no, no don’t turn a killer
Don’t mess with danger
No, no, no, no, no don’t turn a killer

I tell you yout’ man, badness nuh pay
Ah de truth yout’ man, hear what I say
Nuh bother go around making disturbances
Nuh bother go around giving black people bad name
Yuh think dat shooting gun is a blasted game?
When yuh take somebody life or leave dem lame
Black ah kill black, try and understand 
Dat dis is not a part of Jah-Jah plan

Don’t mess with danger
No, no, no, no, no don’t turn a killer
DANGER!
I tell you yout’ man
When you pick up dat gun you mess wid danger

DANGER!
Don’t do it yout’ man
When you shoot dat gun you turn a killer

Don’t mess with danger
No, no, no, no, no don’t turn a killer