Keep The Faith / Cowboy Bath

3. Everyday moments of life and laughter

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

“

There were so many funny things during the eruption. Whereas everybody had water in their houses, everybody had to go back to the old days to fetch water in buckets and there was no showers, so you had to get what we called a ‘cowboy bath’, you have to get water and throw it over your head. That was funny. It was even a bit crazy that you had your nice house and your nice bed and everything, and here you are, you had to sleep on those army cots. That was crazy.

– Montserrat Resident, 2019

Montserratians enjoy the clean air and sea in the safer northern part of the island. Credit: Barry Lewis / Alamy

Keep The Faith (Zunky 'n Dem)

Keep The Faith

‘Montserrat
No fright
See the light
This volcanic situation will end
And we’ll rise again
Yes we’ll smile and dance once again

So don’t panic when the mud flow like a river
Every disaster must cease
Every disaster must cease
And don’t panic when the earthquakes make you shudder
After turmoil there’ll be peace
After turmoil there’ll be peace.
We won’t run and we won’t quit.
But we’ll learn to live with it
If we keep the faith.’

– Extract from Song 'Keep The Faith' by Zunky 'n Dem