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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
Food
Bunny Wailer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Should there be famine, wars and strifes?
For like the ant should man proceed
To fulfill his want and need.
And that is food!
And without it you're in a devastating mood.
Oh yes that's food.
And that is food.
And without it you're in a mal nutritious mood.
Oh yes that's food.
You better treat it like you know you should.
You better give it just as much as you could.
It bread is for man to eat,
Why should he die from lack of meat?
For in the multitude of wine and laughter
He's suffering from hunger.
From want for food!
Now don't forget the Ethiopians,
Their afflictions should the world take a lesson from.
For if today is for them then tomorrow is for us
For in arms do we put our trust.
Instead of food!
The lyrics to Bunny Wailer's song Food are a call to recognize the importance of food as a basic human need. Wailer questions why with food being the "staff of life," there are still famines, wars, and strife. He believes that humans should learn from the ant, which works hard to gather food to fulfill its wants and needs. The lyrics suggest that not having access to food can lead to devastating moods and malnutrition.
The second verse of the song focuses on the idea that humans need meat and not just bread to survive. Wailer raises concerns about wealthy societies who indulge in wine and laughter while others suffer from hunger. He highlights the plight of Ethiopians and urges the rest of the world to take a lesson from their afflictions. The lyrics suggest that humans should place a higher priority on food than on weapons.
Overall, Bunny Wailer's lyrics in Food address the fundamental human need for food and question why there are still people around the world who do not have access to it. The song encourages everyone to treat food with the respect it deserves.
Line by Line Meaning
If food is the staff of life,
Food is essential for survival
Should there be famine, wars and strifes?
Why should there be hunger or conflict when food is a basic human need?
For like the ant should man proceed
Humans should learn from the ant's example of gathering food to provide for themselves
To fulfill his want and need.
To satisfy their desire and requirement for sustenance
And that is food!
Food is the answer to fulfilling bodily needs and desires
And without it you're in a devastating mood.
A lack of food can lead to disastrous consequences, both physically and emotionally
Oh yes that's food.
Food is an undeniable necessity
You better treat it like you know you should.
One should handle and use food responsibly and with respect
And without it you're in a mal nutritious mood.
A lack of nutritious food can cause negative physical and mental effects
You better give it just as much as you could.
One should provide themselves and others with as much food as possible
It bread is for man to eat,
Bread is one of the essential foods for human consumption
Why should he die from lack of meat?
Why should someone suffer or die because they cannot afford or find meat to eat?
For in the multitude of wine and laughter
People may enjoy indulging in luxury, entertainment, and excess like wine and laughter
He's suffering from hunger.
However, they may still be experiencing the pain and consequences of hunger
From want for food!
Because they lack food
Now don't forget the Ethiopians,
One should not ignore the plight of Ethiopian people who struggle with hunger and malnutrition
Their afflictions should the world take a lesson from.
The world should learn from their struggles and work to alleviate them
For if today is for them then tomorrow is for us
If one group of people suffers from hunger and lack of access to food today, it could be another group tomorrow
For in arms do we put our trust.
People should not rely on violence and warfare to solve problems but rather work together to ensure access to basic needs like food
Instead of food!
People should prioritize and prioritize finding solutions to hunger and malnutrition rather than conflict
Lyrics ยฉ BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: NEVILLE ORIL LIVINGSTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mr Moyo
An angelic crystal clear voice blended in nicely engineered sound of quality arrangement of instrument.Who isn't enjoying this beautiful music ?
Mpumi Valdo
One of the best songs ever and the bassline is amazingโคโค
Neat Technologiestz
My son and daughter now at ages of 8 and 5 respectively love this legendary song and can sing it entirely
Neat Technologiestz
Well engineered song....!!!!
Sim Ouanema
Good vibes โฎ๏ธ๐ฅโฎ๏ธ
Neat Technologiestz
Respect from Tanzania ๐น๐ฟ
Akeem Tarjad
Great artist
Althea Syewart
Its sad..how this lion sings such song yet his own children do otherwise..to thier own siblings in all truth.the I is Ms King..AS ZE SUFFER FOR NO REASON..JAH SEES ALL THINGS..RIP JUSTICE FOR SISTER JEAN