The Israelites.....Desmond Dekker

by freebyrdflyingLondon, Greater London, England, UK

Dec 2011 1,579 Views 6 Comments

....Reggae Time...

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Comments (6)

JohnnyNuck•Dec 9, 2011•Leduc, Alberta Canada

one of my favs ! Try it loud and in the dark

freebyrdflyingOP•Dec 9, 2011•London, Greater London, England UK

JohnnyNuck: one of my favs ! Try it loud and in the dark

Have done ...many times....It was a very big hit this song,though Desmond /D.was'nt popular,as people thought him "ugly"...Due to the way he pulled faces when he sang......I never saw him as "ugly" at all.......

slimjim201x•Dec 9, 2011•West Dublin, Dublin Ireland

Dunno FBF by its very title it struck me as bit well weird..
now of course never one to make a comment without research..wiki

"Israelites" is a song written by Desmond Dekker and Leslie Kong that became a hit for Dekker's group, Desmond Dekker & The Aces. Although few could understand all the lyrics, the single was the first UK reggae number one and the second to reach the US top ten. It combined the Rastafarian religion with rudeboy concerns, to make what has been described as a "timeless masterpiece that knew no boundaries".

Pitchfork Media placed it at number 10 on its list of "The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s".

The song starts:

“ Get up in the morning, slaving for bread, sir,
So that every mouth can be fed.
Oh, oh, me Israelites. ”

It was one of the first ska songs to become an international hit, despite Dekker's strong Jamaican accent which made his lyrics difficult to understand for audiences outside Jamaica. The opening line, "Get up in the morning, slaving for bread, sir" was often misheard, one example being "Wake up in the morning, baked beans for breakfast". In 1969 it reached the Top Ten in the United States, peaking at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. It hit number one in the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Jamaica, South Africa, Canada, Sweden and West Germany. The song came almost two years after Dekker first made his mark with the rude boy song, "007 (Shanty Town)".

Interesting political music.my favorite kind ..

freebyrdflyingOP•Dec 10, 2011•London, Greater London, England UK

slimjim201x: Dunno FBF by its very title it struck me as bit well weird..
now of course never one to make a comment without research..wiki

"Israelites" is a song written by Desmond Dekker and Leslie Kong that became a hit for Dekker's group, Desmond Dekker & The Aces. Although few could understand all the lyrics, the single was the first UK reggae number one and the second to reach the US top ten. It combined the Rastafarian religion with rudeboy concerns, to make what has been described as a "timeless masterpiece that knew no boundaries".

Pitchfork Media placed it at number 10 on its list of "The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s".The song starts:

“ Get up in the morning, slaving for bread, sir,
So that every mouth can be fed.
Oh, oh, me Israelites. ”
It was one of the first ska songs to become an international hit, despite Dekker's strong Jamaican accent which made his lyrics difficult to understand for audiences outside Jamaica. The opening line, "Get up in the morning, slaving for bread, sir" was often misheard, one example being "Wake up in the morning, baked beans for breakfast". In 1969 it reached the Top Ten in the United States, peaking at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. It hit number one in the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Jamaica, South Africa, Canada, Sweden and West Germany. The song came almost two years after Dekker first made his mark with the rude boy song, "007 (Shanty Town)".

Interesting political music.my favorite kind ..

YES!!.....No matter what way you look at it....or pick it up....It made No.1...in 7 countries....and I Thankyou S.J.....for all that print out....

Let's hear it,one more time....

"Get up in de mornin'
Slavin' for bread Sir...................

twinself•Dec 10, 2011•..., Majjistral Malta

freebyrdflying: ....Reggae Time...

I remember this one very well..!! It stood out being so *different*!

freebyrdflyingOP•Dec 11, 2011•London, Greater London, England UK

twinself: I remember this one very well..!! It stood out being so *different*!

Thankyou twinself,You have inspired a little poem.Here it is....

"Cold and Heartless,to a world,unseeing the situation....
Yes,there is enigma,to be solved....
No,but not for us to find solution.....
Trying to guide from afar,the Soul that is misguided....But we deal from a *different pack of cards....
Where the deck is all one-sided..........
But slowly,very slowly....The cards are turning over...
Here is opportunity,to change the game forever..............."

.....