During 1974 and 1975 Big Youth continued to record for other producers, as Glen Brown, The Abyssinians ('I Pay Thee', 'Dreader Than Dread'), Yabby You ('Yabby Youth' – later known as 'Lightning Flash (Weak Heart Drop)'), Bunny Wailer ('Bide'/'Black on Black') and Joe Gibbs ('Medecine Doctor'). His LP, Dread Locks Dread, was released 1975 and produced by Prince Tony Robinson.
However, Big Youth had also started releasing his own self-produced recordings on the "Negusa Nagast" and "Augustus Buchanan" labels in Jamaica. His first self-produced LP was Reggae Phenomemnon in 1974. His self-productions continued with the 1976 albums Natty Cultural Dread and Hit The Road Jack, using his own musicians, usually the Soul Syndicate band. Now Big Youth changed his deejay style to be more of a singjay than a toaster; even if his vocal range was never the greatest, his singing sides continued to improve in musical quality, and began to become as common as his DJ tunes. He signed to Virgin Records' Frontline label in 1977, and his first release on the label was the Isaiah First Prophet of Old album, and he also appeared in the feature movie Rockers. Together with U-Roy, I-Roy, Dennis Alcapone, Prince FarI, and Dillinger, Big Youth is one of the immortal early Jamaican reggae toasters which have inspired generations of following Jamaican dancehall deejays and American rappers.
The name of the band Sonic Youth is in part a tribute to Big Youth.
"Yes, me come inna de music as Rasta, me a de original rastaman who enter it." Big Youth, Italy, 2001
"Deejays were closest to the people because there wasn't any kind of establishment control on the sound systems". Big Youth in The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music
Discography
* Chi Chi Run - Fab 1972 (including just three Big Youth songs)
* Screaming Target - Trojan 1973
* Reggae Phenomenon - Augustus Buchanen 1975
* Dreadlocks Dread - Klick 1975
* Natty Cultural Dread - Trojan 1976
* Hit the Road Jack - Trojan 1976
* Isiah First Prohphet of Old - Nicola Delita, Caroline 1978
* Progress - Nocola Delita 1979
* Rock Holy - Negusa Negast 1980
* Some Great Big Youth - Heartbeat 1981
* Chanting Dread Inna Fine Style - Heartbeat 1982
* Live at Reggae Sunsplash - Genes 1984
* A Luta Continua (The Struggle Continue) - Heartbeat 1986
* Manifestation - Heartbeat 1988
* Jamming in the House of Dread - Danceteria 1990
* Higher Grounds - JR, VP Records 1995
* Save the children - Declic 1995
* Reggae Gi Dem Dub - Nicola Delita
* Natty Universal Dread 1973–1979 - a 3-CD-Box-set with Big Youth's major works during the 70's, released in 2001.
Papa Was a Rolling Stone
Big Youth Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Cause that was the day that my daddy died.
I never got a chance to see him; never heard nothin' but bad things about him.
Mama I'm depending on you to tell me the truth.
Mama just looked at him and said, "Son,
Papa was a rollin' stone.
Wherever he laid his head was his home.
Papa was a rollin' stone.
Wherever he laid his head was his home.
And when he died, all he left us was alone."
Hey, Mama, is it true what the say, that Papa never worked a day in his life?
And Mama, they talk all around town say that
Papa had three outside children and another wife
And that ain't right.
Heard them talkin' about Papa doing some storefront preachin'
Talkin' about saving your souls and all the time weak, dealin' in death
And stealin' in the name of the Lord
Mama just hung her head and said,
Papa was a rollin' stone.
Wherever he laid his head was his home.
And when he died, all he left us was alone."
Papa was a rollin' stone.
Wherever he laid his head was his home.
And when he died, all he left us was alone."
Hey, Mama, I heard Papa call himself a jack of all trades.
Tell me, is that what sent Papa to an early grave?
Folks say Papa would beg; borrow or steal to pay his bills.
Hey, Mama, folks say Papa was never much on thinkin';
Spend most of his time chasin' women and drinkin'!
Mama, I'm depending on you to tell me the truth.
Mama just hung her head and said, "Son,
Papa was a rollin' stone.
Wherever he laid his head was his home.
And when he died, all he left us was alone."
Papa was a rollin' stone.
Wherever he laid his head was his home.
And when he died, all he left us was alone."
Papa was a rollin' stone.
Wherever he laid his head was his home.
And when he died, all he left us was alone."
Papa was a rollin' stone.
Wherever he laid his head was his home.
And when he died, all he left us was alone."
The lyrics to Big Youth's song "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" tell the story of a son who never really knew his father and is seeking the truth about him after his death. The song starts with the son reminiscing about the day his father died and how he never really had a chance to know him since he always heard bad things about him. The son then turns to his mother, hoping to learn more about his father, and asks if it's true that his father never worked and had other wives and children. However, the mother just confirms that his father was a rolling stone and left nothing but loneliness behind.
The chorus repeats the phrase "Papa was a rollin' stone" as if it's a mantra, reinforcing the idea that his father was constantly on the move and never settled down. The second verse continues with the son's questioning, asking if his father's lifestyle led to his early death due to his inability to handle the stress of life. The son then reveals more rumors he's heard about his father, such as his tendency to chase women and drink. However, despite this knowledge, the son is still depending on his mother to provide him with the truth about his father.
Overall, the song speaks to the pain and confusion of not knowing one's father and how it can impact someone's life. Big Youth's emotive delivery and powerful lyrics make this a poignant and engrossing song that lingers with the listener long after it's over.
Line by Line Meaning
It was the third of September; that day I'll always remember,
'Cause that was the day that my daddy died.
The day of September 3rd was one that stuck in my mind forever. That was the day my dad passed away.
I never got a chance to see him; never heard nothin' but bad things about him.
I never had the opportunity to meet him, and all I've ever heard were negative things about him.
Mama I'm depending on you to tell me the truth.
I'm placing my trust in you, Mom, to tell me the whole story.
Mama just looked at him and said, "Son,
Papa was a rollin' stone.
Wherever he laid his head was his home.
And when he died, all he left us was alone."
Mom only replied by saying that my dad was a wanderer. He never had a true home, and when he passed away, he left us with nothing but loneliness.
Hey, Mama, is it true what the say, that Papa never worked a day in his life?
Mom, I've heard rumors that Dad never held a job. Is there any truth to that?
And Mama, they talk all around town say that
Papa had three outside children and another wife
And that ain't right.
People in town gossip about how my dad had multiple affairs, children outside of our family, and even another wife. That's not acceptable.
Heard them talkin' about Papa doing some storefront preachin'
Talkin' about saving your souls and all the time weak, dealin' in death
And stealin' in the name of the Lord
I've heard people discussing my dad preaching at storefronts, but they also claim he was hypocritical. He'd talk about saving souls but was often involved in shady dealings and even stealing in the name of God.
Mama just hung her head and said,
Mom couldn't say anything else; she just looked sad.
Hey, Mama, I heard Papa call himself a jack of all trades.
I heard my dad say he was skilled in many things. Is that why he died early?
Tell me, is that what sent Papa to an early grave?
Folks say Papa would beg; borrow or steal to pay his bills.
Did pursuing so many things cause my father's early death? People also say he would beg, borrow, or even steal to pay his bills.
Hey, Mama, folks say Papa was never much on thinkin';
Spend most of his time chasin' women and drinkin'!
Mama, I'm depending on you to tell me the truth.
Mom, I've heard people say that dad wasn't very intelligent and spent most of his time chasing after women and drinking. Please tell me if there's any truth to these rumors.
Mama just hung her head and said, "Son,
Papa was a rollin' stone.
Wherever he laid his head was his home.
And when he died, all he left us was alone."
Once again, Mom had nothing else to say but that Dad was someone who wandered from place to place. He never had a true home, and when he died, he left behind only loneliness.
Papa was a rollin' stone.
Wherever he laid his head was his home.
And when he died, all he left us was alone.
These lines repeat throughout the song, emphasizing just how much my dad was a wanderer and how his death only left us feeling lonely.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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