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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
Here In Jamaica
Bunny Wailer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come and hear what I have to say
Come and listen and I will tell you
What is the talk of the town today
And every corner that you may walk
You see a group of people balk
They're not skylarkin' they're talkin'
'bout what's happening here in Jamaica
Can't get no work off hustling
And man, when you take a stock
Can't cook no rice and dumpling
And will soon end up in a shack
Can't pay no rent, 'cause you don't have a cent
No government account, it's already spent
So you end up borrowing, begging or stealing, here in Jamaica
Some a dem long, long treat bad
And they don't care a thing about that
Desperation is getting so bad
You either bite the bullet or get flat
And if a-you should die before his day
Who are responsible don't want to pay
I am not jokin', I'm talkin' 'bout what's happening here
In Jamaica
--Whoa Yea--
Why don't you take us onward to Africa
Where we can sit and eat and chat
For it is no use dying in Jamaica
'cause we can't afford a burial spot
Remember Marcus Garvey predicted that day
When all black people shall be going away
To the land of our forefathers, and our mothers
Right here in Ethiopia
Oh what a glorious morning
When we shall leap out of Babylon
There shall be singin', dancin' and rejoicing
With the dawn of the rising sun
And all the Africans, home and abroad
Just like the Israelites we shall be glad
To leave our worries, trials and crosses, here in Jamaica
so, come along every goodie
Come and hear what I have to say
Come and listen and I will tell you
What is the talk of the town today
And to every corner that you may walk
You see a group of people balk
They're not skylarkin' they're talkin'
'bout what's happening here in Jamaica
I am not jokin' , I'm talkin' 'bout what's happening here in Jamaica
They're not skylarkin' they're talkin' 'bout what's happening here in Jamaica
In Bunny Wailer's song "Here in Jamaica," he paints a somber picture of the difficult economic conditions facing many Jamaicans. He implores listeners to pay attention to what is happening in Jamaica, as people struggle to make ends meet and some resort to desperate measures. The lyrics suggest that many people cannot find legitimate work and must resort to "hustling." They cannot afford basic necessities like food and rent, and some may even turn to begging or stealing. The situation is so dire that some cannot even afford a burial spot if they were to pass away.
Wailer's message is clear: the Jamaican people are suffering and something needs to be done to address the economic inequality and poverty they face. He suggests that perhaps leaving Jamaica for Africa may be a solution, echoing the sentiment of Marcus Garvey's Back to Africa movement. The final verse imagines a brighter future, where all Africans can come together and leave their worries behind.
Overall, the song is a powerful commentary on the struggles of those living in poverty in Jamaica and a call to action for those who can help to make a difference.
Line by Line Meaning
Come along every goodie
All people are welcome here
Come and hear what I have to say
I have something important to share
Come and listen and I will tell you
I want to share my knowledge with you
What is the talk of the town today
I want to discuss current events
And every corner that you may walk
Every place you go
You see a group of people balk
People are upset and complaining
They're not skylarkin' they're talkin'
They're not playing around, they're serious
'bout what's happening here in Jamaica
They're discussing the issues going on in Jamaica
Can't get no work off hustling
Can't find work and turn to illegal means to make ends meet
And man, when you take a stock
When you take a close look at your situation
Can't cook no rice and dumpling
Can't afford to eat well
And will soon end up in a shack
And will soon become homeless
Can't pay no rent, 'cause you don't have a cent
Can't pay rent because you don't have any money
No government account, it's already spent
Government assistance is insufficient
So you end up borrowing, begging or stealing, here in Jamaica
Resort to desperate measures to survive
Some a dem long, long treat bad
Some people are treated poorly for a long time
And they don't care a thing about that
Those in power don't care about the struggles of the poor
Desperation is getting so bad
The situation is becoming increasingly dire
You either bite the bullet or get flat
You either tough it out or give up and fail
And if a-you should die before his day
And if you die young
Who are responsible don't want to pay
Those responsible refuse to take responsibility
I am not jokin', I'm talkin' 'bout what's happening here
This is a serious situation that needs attention
Why don't you take us onward to Africa
Why don't we go back to our ancestral homeland
Where we can sit and eat and chat
Where we can live freely and easily
For it is no use dying in Jamaica
No point in continuing to suffer and struggle here
'cause we can't afford a burial spot
Can't even afford a proper burial
Remember Marcus Garvey predicted that day
Marcus Garvey foresaw this situation
When all black people shall be going away
When all black people return to Africa
To the land of our forefathers, and our mothers
Back to our ancestral homeland
Right here in Ethiopia
The ideal destination is Ethiopia
Oh what a glorious morning
How wonderful it will be
When we shall leap out of Babylon
When we leave behind our oppressive circumstances
There shall be singin', dancin' and rejoicing
We will celebrate our freedom
With the dawn of the rising sun
At the beginning of a new era
And all the Africans, home and abroad
All African people, wherever they may be
Just like the Israelites we shall be glad
We will feel like the Israelites who escaped slavery
To leave our worries, trials and crosses, here in Jamaica
To leave behind our struggles and hardships in Jamaica
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@o.d.m_lyrics
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For Kenyans, TILL NUMBER: 520959
Till Name: GAMER'S CENTRE
@maxwellkipkoech8712
My Kenyan people where are you??
@talicbronze2319
LIstening from N.America, thousands of miles away from nyumbani😭
@fredrickmwengi7370
Where else is reggea music listened more than in kenya??not only happening in jamaica but in kanairo also
@user-lm6bp7bj7i
GAMBIA 🇬🇲
@brianmithia2930
Kabisa 🇰🇪🙏👍
@user-jy6jn4gj1z
It is no wonder that Bunny Wailer won grammy awards after the departure of the other two legends.
His music sinks into the soul and revives the dwindling spiriti. RIP, the legend Bunny Wailer!
RIP
@brianmithia2930
Powerful👍
@Soft_Rock_Collection_2023
Thank you for your timeless contributions Bunny Wailer.
You will never be forgotten. ❤
@Paul-sq7nz
Man I remember listening to this song in 1994 while in Kenya..such good memories