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Bunny Wailer was a singer, songwriter and percussionist, born Neville O'Riley Livingston on April 10, 1947 in Kingston, Jamaica. He was founder and an original member of ska, rocksteady and reggae group The Wailers (formed 1963) along with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. The young Livingston spent his earliest years in the village of Nine Mile in St. Ann Parish. It was there that he first met Bob Marley, and the two toddlers became fast friends. The boys both came from one parent families; Livingston was being brought up by his father, Marley by his mother. Later, Bunny's father Thaddeus "Toddy" Livingston lived with Bob Marley's mother Cedella Booker and had a daughter with her named Pearl Livingston. Peter Tosh had a son, Andrew Tosh, with another of Bunny's sisters, Shirley, making Andrew his nephew
Livingston was underused as a writer and lead vocalist in The Wailers compared with Marley and Tosh. When Wailers regularly changed producers during the early reggae years in the late 1960s, Livingston continued to be a key part of the group's distinctive harmonies. He sang however lead on "Dreamland" (a cover of El Tempos' My Dream Island, which soon became Bunny's signature song), "Riding High", "Brainwashing" and on one verse of the Wailers' Impressions-like "Keep On Moving", both produced by Lee "Scratch" Perry. In 1971, he recorded the original version of Pass It On
Bunny Wailer toured with the Wailers in England and the United States, but soon became reluctant to leave Jamaica. He and Tosh became more marginalized in the group as the Wailers became an international success, and attention was increasingly focused on Marley. Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh subsequently left the Wailers to pursue solo careers. They were replaced by the I Threes, a move to broaden the base of success for the Wailers in the non-Jamaican market.
After leaving the Wailers, Bunny became more focused on his spiritual faith. He identified with the Rastafari movement, as did the other Wailers. He self-produced a number of his recordings after striking out on his own. He has also written much of his own material as well as re-recording a number of cuts from the Wailers catalogue. Bunny Wailer has recorded primarily in the roots style, in keeping with his often political and spiritual messages. The album "Blackheart Man" is a good example of his roots reggae style and the dub version,Dub d*sco vol 1 equally magnificent if hard to find. "Sings the Wailers" successfully reworks many of The Wailers songs with the backing of top Jamaican musicians, Sly and Robbie. He has also had success recording in the typically apolitical, more pop dancehall style. He has outlived his contemporaries in a culture where death by violence is commonplace.
Bunny Wailer has won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 1990, 1994 and 1996.
Bunny Wailer died on 2 March 2021.
ALBUMS WITH ORIGINAL MATERIAL
* ''Blackheart Man'' (1976) [[Island Records|Island]]/Solomonic
* ''Protest'' (1977) Island/Solomonic
* ''Struggle'' (1978) Solomonic
* ''Dubd'sco vol.1'' (1978) Solomonic
* ''In I Father's House'' (1979) Solomonic
* ''Bunny Wailer Sings the Wailers'' (1980) Island/Solomonic
* ''Dubd'sco vol.2'' (1981) Solomonic
* ''Rock 'n' Groove'' (1981) Solomonic
* ''Tribute'' (1981) Solomonic
* ''Hook Line & Sinker'' (1982) Solomonic
* ''Roots Radics Rockers Reggae'' (1983) [[Shanachie Records|Shanachie]]
* ''Live!'' (1983) Solomonic
* ''Marketplace'' (1985) Solomonic
* ''Rootsman Skanking'' (1987) Shanachie (international re-release of ''Rock And Groove'' edited version plus 3 extra tracks)
* ''Rule Dance Hall'' (1987) Shanachie
* ''Liberation'' (1989) Shanachie
* ''Time Will Tell: A Tribute to Bob Marley'' (1990) Shanachie (international re-release of ''Tribute'' + 2 extra tracks)
* ''Gumption'' (1990) Shanachie
* ''The Never Ending Wailers'' (1991)
* ''Dance Massive'' (1992)
* ''Just Be Nice'' (1993) [[RAS Records|RAS]]
* ''Hall of Fame: A Tribute to Bob Marley's 50th Anniversary'' (1996) RAS
* ''Communication'' (2000) Solomonic/Tuff Gong
* ''World Peace'' (2003) Solomonic
* ''Rub A Dub'' (2007) Solomonic
* ''Cross Culture'' (2009) Solomonic
* ''Combinations Vol.1'' (2009) Solomonic
* ''Blackheart Man (Remastered & Extended)'' (2009) Solomonic
* ''Reincarnated Souls'' (2013), VP - 3CD + 2DVD set
Ballroom Floor
Bunny Wailer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No one didn't tell you as to roam the streets
But that's what's happ'nin' when de rub-a-dubdin' gets sweet
Your locks so tight
You don't even know when it's morning
The music so right
You don't even care about the dawning
Or do you feel like you deh rock some more ?
For a strickly rub-a-dub for sure
And de dub an de waltz galore
So you skank 'til you weary but you got to stay awake
An' your waistline get dreary you couldn't give it a break
But you 'round the worldie and you rub-a-dubbin'
You head is skanking and you daylight jammin'
Now how does it feel to have been on the ballroom floor ?
Or do you feel like you deh rock some more ?
For a strickly rub-a-dub for sure
And de dub an de waltz galore, yeah now, yeah now
Hey!
No one didn't tell you as to roam de streets
But that's what's happ'nin' when de rub-a-dubbin' gets sweet
Your locks so tight
You don't even know when it's morning
The music so right
You don't even care about the dawning
How does it feel to have been on the ballroom floor ?
Or do you feel like you deh rock some more ?
For a strickly rub-a-dub for sure
And de dub an de waltz galore
The song "Ballroom Floor" is a classic reggae tune written by Bunny Wailer, one of Bob Marley's bandmates in The Wailers. The song is about the joy of dancing to rub-a-dub music, which is a subgenre of reggae music that originated in Jamaica in the late 1970s. The lyrics describe the feeling of being completely lost in the music and the dance, with no care for time or place. The song asks the listener how it feels to have been on the ballroom floor, suggesting that music and dance can be transformative experiences that transport us to another state of being.
The song has a catchy and upbeat rhythm, which perfectly captures the energy of the dancehall scene in Jamaica. The lyrics are simple yet effective, and Bunny Wailer's soulful voice gives the song a unique personality.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey!
Introducing the song
No one didn't tell you as to roam the streets
No one advised you to be wandering on the streets
But that's what's happ'nin' when de rub-a-dubdin' gets sweet
But that's what happens when the dub music is playing and it's enjoyable
Your locks so tight
Your dreadlocks are so tightly wrapped
You don't even know when it's morning
You stay up so late dancing that you lose track of time and don't realize when it's morning
The music so right
The music is perfect
You don't even care about the dawning
You don't care that it's dawn and you should probably go home
How does it feel to have been on the ballroom floor ?
How does it feel to have danced on the ballroom floor?
Or do you feel like you deh rock some more ?
Or do you feel like you want to keep dancing?
For a strickly rub-a-dub for sure
For strictly dancing to rub-a-dub music
And de dub an de waltz galore
And dancing to dub and waltz as well
So you skank 'til you weary but you got to stay awake
You dance until you're exhausted but you have to stay awake
An' your waistline gets dreary you couldn't give it a break
And even though your waist is hurting, you can't stop dancing
But you 'round the worldie and you rub-a-dubbin'
But you keep dancing and moving around
You head is skanking and you daylight jammin'
Your head is moving to the beat and you're still dancing even when the sun is up
Now how does it feel to have been on the ballroom floor ?
Again, how does it feel to have danced on the ballroom floor?
Or do you feel like you deh rock some more ?
Or do you feel like you want to keep rocking?
For a strickly rub-a-dub for sure
For strictly dancing to rub-a-dub music
And de dub an de waltz galore, yeah now, yeah now
And dancing to dub and waltz as well
Hey!
Ending the song
Contributed by Aaron A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@murianjohn7681
2023 and the music never gets old
@jeanclarke9106
LOVE, LOVE this song. The first time I heard it was on the radio over two decade ago, I was visiting Jamaica and in my hotel room. I jumped out of bed and shouted. YES I AM IN JA. Bless
@joanmullings9945
😅HA HAA HAAAAAAA JAMAICA
@jdoes1991
REST IN POWER BUNNY WAILER🕊🙏🏾❤️🇯🇲 Thank you for all that you have done for reggae.
@josephabbey6133
Bunny Wailer, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Burning Spear, Joseph Hill, and all you Root Reggae superstars, we Africans and black people thank you all for being our mouthpiece to champion our course. We still urge you on as you urge us on as you inspire us whenever we listen to your timeless music. Great Respect to you all.
@xxxabimijofloxxx
Give Bunny his flowers most underrated out of the group when he is just as talented as they were.
@annmarieclarke9107
He was the best singer of the trio, i although i heard peter singing in his sweeter voice you wouldnt believe it was him.i had that tune on a phone that i lost it.
@barbiechuvanai7025
You are missed BUNNY.
@GoodSoundz13
Album is must collection for any real reggae/dancehall fan! Who would agree with me
@charlesokingo1327
Real