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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
Can
Bunny Wailer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Right from the start
Don't play no tricks
Don't break my heart
Told me you loved me
And I said why
You think I'm gonna cry
[Chorus]
Can't you see
What you're doing to me
I am bound
You've got to set me free
You jerk on my heart
Shatter my brain
If you have conscience
Ain't that a shame
Told me you loved me
To make my cry
And I said I don't know why
[Chorus]
Then if you love me
Don't treat me so bad
I could give you something you never had
See you sitting up there
And you're looking so mad
Your imagination is making you sad
[Chorus]
Bunny Wailer's song "Can" is a poignant tale of a lover who had been deceived with false love. The song begins with the lover telling Bunny Wailer that she loved him right from the start and asked her not to break his heart. Bunny Wailer knew his lover's actions were not genuine from the start as he sings, "Don't play no tricks, Don't break my heart."
In the chorus, Bunny Wailer pleads for his lover to see what she is doing to him. He is bound and wants to be set free. He sings, "Can't you see what you're doing to me? I am bound. You've got to set me free." Bunny Wailer's lover played with his heart and shattered his brain. He tells her that if she has any conscience, it is a shame to play with others' emotions.
The song ends with Bunny Wailer telling his lover if she truly loves him, she should not treat him so badly because he could give her something she never had. He urges her to stop imagining things and making herself sad. The song ends with the chorus repeating Bunny Wailer's plea that his lover should set him free.
Line by Line Meaning
Told me you loved me
You used the words 'I love you' when we first started dating.
Right from the start
You said it right away, before we really knew each other.
Don't play no tricks
Don't deceive me or manipulate my emotions.
Don't break my heart
Don't hurt me or make me feel unloved.
And I said why
I questioned your reasoning for telling me you love me.
You think I'm gonna cry
You believe that I will be emotional and upset.
Can't you see
Don't you realize or understand.
What you're doing to me
The negative effects you are having on me emotionally.
I am bound
I feel trapped and unable to leave this situation.
You've got to set me free
You need to let me go so I can move on.
You jerk on my heart
You tug at my heartstrings and play with my emotions.
Shatter my brain
You cause me mental and emotional distress.
If you have conscience
If you are capable of feeling guilt or shame.
Ain't that a shame
It's sad or unfortunate.
To make my cry
You admitted to misleading me in order to make me emotional.
Then if you love me
If you truly care for me.
Don't treat me so bad
Don't mistreat me or take advantage of my feelings.
I could give you something you never had
I have something valuable to offer that you have never experienced before.
See you sitting up there
I observe you sitting and contemplating.
And you're looking so mad
You appear angry or upset.
Your imagination is making you sad
You are possibly creating negative scenarios in your mind and feeling upset as a result.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Toy Caldwell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@reggaeville
WATCH THE NEWS @ https://youtu.be/gJS8msXj4qU
REST IN POWER BUNNY WAILER 🙏
April 10, 1947 - March 2, 2021
@alisaalis9218
Rest in peace
@nixonkwanzaatimothy286
JAH Bunny I just heard that the Most High called for you to come home! Rasta soldier for life please enjoy your journey home! Love you roots Maa Kheru!🙏🏾
@matthewshemwell8364
I hope he is OK wot a ledgend xx
@brotherdj777
If Bunny wailer believed in Jesus Christ he is definitely in heaven, because Jesus is the only way to heaven.
@bounty125th7
Bunny Wailers voice is like a fine cigar...Legend
@tommylove9270
"LEGEND"!!!
@thijsweijters1065
RRROUGH
@sharonbartley808
His voice is turned up like fire
@abigailakpatsu1810
Like a smooooth wine😍