This song is a powerful statement of resistance, born from frustration with the concentrated power within the Jamaican music industry at the time. It uses the metaphor of a small axe to represent the underdog, capable of cutting down even the biggest trees, symbolizing established figures. The lyrics, "If you are a big tree, we are the small axe, sharpened to cut you down," directly convey this message of overcoming oppressive power structures. It was initially released as a single in 1970 and later re-recorded for the 1973 album Burnin'. At its heart, it plays like an anthem for challenging the giants.