Myton had previously been a member of The Tartans in the late 1960s (along with Prince Lincoln Thompson, Devon Russell and Lindburgh Lewis), and Ras Michael's group, and had recorded with Thompson's Royal Rasses in the mid-1970s. He formed the Congos, initially as a duo with Johnson, recording the single "At the Feast" for Lee "Scratch" Perry. Perry expanded the group to a trio with the addition of Burnett, this line-up recording the classic roots reggae album Heart of the Congos in 1977 at Perry's Black Ark studio. The album featured illustrious backing singers such as Gregory Isaacs, The Meditations, and Barry LLewellyn and Earl Morgan of The Heptones. The album has been described as "the most consistently brilliant album of Scratch's entire career".
Perry's previous productions by Max Romeo and Junior Murvin had been huge commercial successes thanks to a deal with Island Records, but Perry was in dispute with Island at the time the Congos' album was finished, so it was released on his own Black Ark label, limiting its success overseas, and causing a rift with the group. The Congos went their own way, organising a limited pressing of the album themselves. United Kingdom label Go Feet eventually reissued the album in 1980, and although the group had recorded new material since leaving Perry, Heart of the Congos proved a hard act to follow and their other releases suffered as a consequence. Albums such as Congo Ashanti were sparser and sounded ordinary compared to Perry's kitchen-sink-and-all massive productions.
Burnett quit the group, soon followed by Johnson, who embarked on a solo career. Myton continued to record as The Congos with various other musicians until the mid-1980s.
In the mid-1990s, The Congos reformed, with Myton and Burnett joined by Lindburgh Lewis, several albums following in subsequent years. In 2005 Myton recorded Give Them the Rights with a host of backup singers and star session players such as Sly and Robbie and Earl "Chinna" Smith, very much in the spiritual 70s roots vein. In 2006, the UK reggae revival label Blood and Fire released the album Fisherman Style featuring a remixed version of the classic cut "Fisherman" from Heart of the Congos plus such legends as Horace Andy, Big Youth, Dillinger, Prince Jazzbo, Luciano, Freddie McGregor, Gregory Isaacs, Max Romeo, Mykal Rose, Dean Fraser, Sugar Minott, and U-Roy doing their own new versions over the original rhythm.
In 2002, they appeared on the album The Slackers and Friends by the ska/reggae band The Slackers.
In 2008, The Congos appeared in the independent feature film, Wah Do Dem which captures them performing "Fisherman," and "Congoman Chant," under a full moon at Helshire Beach outside Kingston.
In 2009, Myton, Burnett, and Johnson reunited with Perry to record the album Back in the Black Ark, which, despite its title, was recorded at Myton's studio in Portmore and at Mixing Lab, Kingston.
Fisherman
The Congos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
keep on rowing your boat
lots of hungry belly pickney they a shore, millions of them
living in a bumbo hut
in a little hole sea-port town
three kids on the floor
and another one to come make four
day by day i man step it
along the sea shore
hail brother John, have you got any wenchman
yes brother Peter, wenchman, sprat and mackaba
row fisherman row keep on rowing your boat
brotherman brotherman
row fisherman row
we've got to reach on higher grounds
Simon, Peter, James and John come a shore
to feed the hungry belly ones
so, row fisherman row
keep on rowing your boat
lots of hungry belly pickney they a-shore, millions of them
Quaju Peg the collie-man
sell the best collie in sea port town
Quaju Peg the collie man
ha the best collie weed in town
row fisherman row
keep on rowing your boat
we've got to reach on higher grounds
rain is falling
we've got to reach on higher grounds
The Congos’s “Fisherman” is a song about poverty, struggle and perseverance. The lyrics depict the daily reality of some Jamaicans who depend on fishing to provide for their families. The opening lines set the scene with an instruction for the fisherman to keep rowing his boat despite the challenges he faces, primarily the need to provide food for the many hungry children on the shore. The song creates a vivid picture of the lives of those living in poverty in Jamaican sea-port towns, with bumbo huts as the living quarters and an overwhelming number of children both living and on the way.
The rest of the song expresses the hope and determination of the people to continuously row their boats towards a better life. The lyrics highlight the fact that “Simon, Peter, James, and John” are not just biblical names but also names of fishermen in the sea-port town. They are coming ashore to feed the hungry ones and the fishermen call out to them for help. In the end, the song serves as a motivational message for people going through tough times to stay focused, keep rowing their boats and aim for higher grounds.
Line by Line Meaning
Row fisherman row
Keep rowing, fisherman
keep on rowing your boat
Don't stop rowing your boat
lots of hungry belly pickney they a shore, millions of them
There are many hungry children on the shore waiting for fish to eat
living in a bumbo hut
The children are living in a small, inadequate shack
in a little hole sea-port town
This town is small and poor
three kids on the floor
There are three children lying on the floor
and another one to come make four
There is another child on the way, which will make four in total
day by day i man step it
I walk along the seashore every day
along the sea shore
Next to the ocean
hail brother John, have you got any wenchman
Hello, brother John. Do you have any crab or lobster to sell?
yes brother Peter, wenchman, sprat and mackaba
Yes, brother Peter. I have crab, sardines, and fish for sale
brotherman brotherman
Addressing someone as a friend or ally
we've got to reach on higher grounds
We need to strive for better things
Simon, Peter, James and John come a shore
These four biblical apostles came ashore
to feed the hungry belly ones
To give food to those who are hungry
so, row fisherman row
Keep rowing the boat, fisherman
Quaju Peg the collie-man
Referring to someone who sells marijuana
sell the best collie in sea port town
He sells the best marijuana in town
ha the best collie weed in town
He knows he has the best marijuana in town
rain is falling
It's raining
Contributed by Elena W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.