Rumor
Anthony B Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning | Line by Line Meaning

Intro:
Whoooooaaaaaa
Emperor Selassie
Liveth and reigneth in ah you and I
Sit up pon the throne in ah Mount Zion
My Lord

Chorus

Rumor dem ah spread say Selassie dead
How the body fe function without head
Say Marcus Garvey and Emmanuel gone
Without the trinity say life couldn't gwan

Verse 1
In ah Psamls 87 that's where me see clear
His foundation is in the Holy Mountains
Glorious things are spoken of thee
Mention Africa and Babylon to me
Ethiopia city of the Almighty
The most high was born there His Magesty
All my springs are in thee
Unnuh better sing this song to be free

Repeat Chorus

Verse 2
You know I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I fear no evil that mean me no haffe fret
Selassie is my shield and my guide
And Him will always be by my side
Iniquity see me haffe run and hide
Blaspheme a talk bout Selassie died
Dem had no pride

Repeat Chorus

Verse 3
Stop for a while and look inna youself
Lace unnuh shoes and buckle unnuh belt
Wash in His blood wunna will forever have health
Dis the trinity, like butter unnuh ah guh melt
Unnuh better uplift unnuh self and be wise
Now is the time wunna all realise

Off ah wunna face tek off the disguise
Sing along

Repeat Chorus, then repeat Verse 1

Overall Meaning

In "Rumor" by Anthony B, he speaks against rumors that suggest that Emperor Selassie, Marcus Garvey, and Emmanuel are dead. The chorus suggests that such rumors are unfounded and that they are seemingly spread out of malice. Anthony B argues that the trinity of Selassie, Garvey, and Emmanuel is necessary for life to continue. He cites a biblical reference in Psalms 87 that affirms the importance of the Holy Mountains and mentions Africa and Babylon. He then talks about Ethiopia, the birthplace of Selassie, as the city of the Almighty. Anthony B suggests that Selassie is his guide and shield, and he has no fear in walking through the valley of the shadow of death. He warns against blasphemy and suggests that people should uplift themselves and be wise rather than being swayed by lies.

Line by Line Meaning

In ah Psamls 87 that's where me see clear
In Psalm 87, it is made clear that Ethiopia, the city of the Almighty, is the birthplace of the most high, and where all of Anthony B's spiritual springs come from.

His foundation is in the Holy Mountains
The foundation of Anthony B's faith lies in the Holy Mountains of Ethiopia.

Glorious things are spoken of thee
Anthony B recognizes the greatness of Ethiopia and the glory that it holds in his faith.

Mention Africa and Babylon to me
Anthony B acknowledges the significance of Africa and Babylon in his faith and spirituality.

Ethiopia city of the Almighty
Anthony B recognizes Ethiopia as a holy city for his faith.

The most high was born there His Magesty
Anthony B believes that the most high was born in Ethiopia, showcasing its importance to his faith.

All my springs are in thee
Anthony B's spiritual strength and inspiration come from Ethiopia.

Unnuh better sing this song to be free
Anthony B believes that singing songs of his faith are freeing and essential for spiritual growth.

Rumor dem ah spread say Selassie dead
There have been rumors that Emperor Selassie is dead.

How the body fe function without head
Anthony B questions how the body can function without a head, referencing the importance of Selassie to his faith.

Say Marcus Garvey and Emmanuel gone
Anthony B acknowledges that Marcus Garvey and Emmanuel are no longer alive.

Without the trinity say life couldn't gwan
Anthony B believes that without the holy trinity, life would not be possible.

You know I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Anthony B believes he is guided and protected by Selassie in difficult times.

I fear no evil that mean me no haffe fret
Anthony B does not fear evil because he knows he is protected by Selassie.

Selassie is my shield and my guide
Anthony B sees Selassie as his protector and guide.

And Him will always be by my side
Anthony B believes that Selassie will always be with him.

Iniquity see me haffe run and hide
Anthony B believes that sin and evil will always hide in the presence of Selassie.

Blaspheme a talk bout Selassie died
Anthony B sees talk of Selassie's death as blasphemy.

Dem had no pride
Anthony B believes those who spread rumors of Selassie's death have no respect or pride for their faith.

Stop for a while and look inna youself
Anthony B believes that one should take time to reflect on their spirituality and faith.

Lace unnuh shoes and buckle unnuh belt
Anthony B believes that preparing oneself physically is important to preparing oneself spiritually.

Wash in His blood wunna will forever have health
Anthony B believes that washing oneself in the blood of Selassie will bring everlasting health and spirituality.

Dis the trinity, like butter unnuh ah guh melt
Anthony B believes that denying the holy trinity will lead to weakness and lack of spirituality.

Unnuh better uplift unnuh self and be wise
Anthony B believes that one should uplift themselves and gain wisdom through their faith.

Now is the time wunna all realise
Anthony B believes it is important for everyone to realize the significance of their faith now.

Off ah wunna face tek off the disguise
Anthony B believes that one should remove the mask or facade they put on for the world and truly embrace their faith.

Contributed by Aiden F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Anthony B is the stage name of Keith Blair (born March 31, 1976), a Jamaican musician.

Blair grew up in rural Clarks Town in the northwestern parish of Trelawny. His deeply religious family life (his mother was a Seventh-day Adventist and his grandmother a Revivalist) imbued him with a profound spirituality. During his youth, his favorite singers were reggae legends Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer, musicians who strongly influenced his own style. Read Full BioAnthony B is the stage name of Keith Blair (born March 31, 1976), a Jamaican musician.

Blair grew up in rural Clarks Town in the northwestern parish of Trelawny. His deeply religious family life (his mother was a Seventh-day Adventist and his grandmother a Revivalist) imbued him with a profound spirituality. During his youth, his favorite singers were reggae legends Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer, musicians who strongly influenced his own style. Peter Tosh's influence can definitely be heard in Anthony B's vocal delivery and revolutionary stance.

Anthony B adopted Rastafarian beliefs as a teenager, a decision which was not well-received by his family. The stubborn and determined Anthony B refused to give up his new religion and his dreadlocks and moved to the home of his aunt and uncle in the Kingston suburb, Portmore.

While attending high school, Anthony B debuted as a deejay for the local sound system, Shaggy Hi-Power. In 1988, he befriended reggae artists such as Determine, Mega Banton, Ricky General and Terror Fabulous.

At this point in the reggae industry, singing "slack" songs about women was the popular thing to do. Anthony B did not believe in degrading women and chose to pen politically-slanted songs rather than so-called "gyal chunes." He hooked up with Little Devon the Half Pint sound-a-like singer he made his debut single "The Living is Hard" on the Wizard label in 1993. Anthony B tried many different producers but found that none of them fit his style of music. Finally, Anthony B teamed up with Richard "Bello" Bell, creating hits such as Fire Pon Rome, Raid Di Barn, Rumour, and Repentance Time. Anthony B's 1996 debut album Real Revolutionary was highly acclaimed in the reggae community. In late 1997, Anthony B released Universal Struggle which showed that Anthony B had a consistent, high-calibre talent. Anthony B has released a large number of albums since that time including 1999's Seven Seals and 2004's Untouchable which featured collaborations with artists including Wyclef Jean.

Anthony B tours extensively in Europe and North America and is known for his fiery, high-energy performances.

Anthony B is a member of the Bobo Ashanti branch of the Rastafarian movement. "Bobo Dreads", as they are known, are recognizable by their long robes and turbans. The strong Afrocentric pride and the other Rastafarian beliefs (or "overstandings" as Rastafarians prefer to call them) which Anthony B holds are reflected in his songs.

Discography

* Predator & Prey (1996, Alpha Enterprises)
* Real Revolutionary / So Many Things (1996, Greensleeves)
* Universal Struggle (1997, VP Records)
* Seven Seals (1999, VP Records)
* That's Life (2001, VP Records)
* More Love (2001, AO ! Records)
* Live On The Battlefield (2002, Jahmin' Records)
* Reggae Max (2002, Jet Star)
* Street Knowledge (2003, Nocturne)
* Judgment Time (2003, 2B1 Records)
* Smoke Free (2003, Bogalusa Records)
* Voice Of Jamaica vol. 2 (2003, Nocturne)
* Wise Man Chant (2004, Black Scorpio)
* Justice Fight (2004, Nocturne)
* Untouchable (2004, Togetherness Records)
* Power Of Creation (2004, Nocturne)
* Black Star (2005, Greensleeves)
* My Hope (2005, AL.TA.FA.AN. / Minor 7 Flat 5)