Bunny Wailer (born as Neville Livingston on 10 April 1947 in Kingston, Jama… Read Full Bio ↴Bunny Wailer (born as Neville Livingston on 10 April 1947 in Kingston, Jamaica-2 March 2021) was a three-time Grammy Award winner, singer, percussionist and devoted Rastafarian, known for the reggae classic Dreamland. He is founding member of reggae group The Wailers with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. Bunny, Marley's step brother, toured with the band in England and USA after the success with the 1973 albums Catch A Fire and Burnin', but meant it was against Rastafari to perform for almost only white people and left Wailers 1973. He then made a number of solo reggae albums. Blackheart Man (1976) is a good example of his religious roots reggae, and Rock 'n' Groove (1981) of solid uptempo Sly & Robbie based reggae. He started to tour internationally again and is regarded as one of the most important reggae artists ever. Bunny Wailer has won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 1991, 1995 and 1997.
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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

Let Him Go
Bunny Wailer Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

'd like to say!
Natty come from jail 'cause Natty get bail
Natty, Natty come from jail 'cause Natty get bail

You frame him and said he's done, the things he didn't do
You rebuke him, you scorn him, and you make him feel blue

But you got to let him go, got to let him go

Let him go, I beg you let him go
Let him go, let him, let him go, why oh?
I said to let him go - why oh?
Let him go, I beg you let him, let him go
Let him go, let him go
I said to let him go, let him, let him go, why oh?
I said to let him go and mi say, why oh?

Natty come from jail 'cause Natty get bail
Natty come from jail 'cause Natty get bail

Remember he is wise, remember he is strong
I call that he is young and he will live long

So you got to let him go, got to let him go
Let him go
Let him go, let him, let him go, why oh?
I said to let him go, I'd say, why oh?
Let him go, got to let him go
I beg you let him, let him go
Let him go, let him, let him go, why oh?
I said to let him go,
I'd say, why oh, why oh, why oh, why oh, why?

You nuh know how you make the dread feel ya
When you take away his bag of sensimila
I know that time will tell
Though you lock him in a rottin' old cell

You got to let him go, got to let him go
Let him go

I beg you let him go, let him go
Let him, let him go, why oh?

Overall Meaning

Bunny Wailer's song "Let Him Go" is a song about the injustice and the unfair trial of Natty, a man who has been framed for a crime he didn't commit. Natty has been jailed, mistreated and made to feel blue, but the singer begs for him to be released. The song calls for justice and fairness, emphasizing the importance of letting go of those who have been wrongly convicted.

The first verse is an introduction to the story of Natty. The repetition of "Natty come from jail 'cause Natty get bail" emphasizes the importance of being released from jail after being falsely accused of a crime. The second verse focuses on the injustice that has been done to Natty, with the accusers falsely accusing him and making him feel down. The chorus is a plea to release Natty, with the repetition of "Let him go" emphasizing the importance of justice and fairness.

The third verse speaks about Natty's wisdom and strength, despite being young, and how he will live long. The last verse talks about the pain Natty is going through, with his sensimila (marijuana) taken away from him. The chorus is repeated again, begging for Natty to be released and for justice to be served.

Overall, the song is a call for justice and fairness. It emphasizes the importance of treating others with respect and dignity, and the need for people to stand up against injustice.

Line by Line Meaning

I'd like to say!
The singer wants to talk about something important.

Natty come from jail 'cause Natty get bail
The man named Natty was released from jail because he was given bail.

You frame him and said he's done, the things he didn't do
Someone wrongly accused Natty of a crime he didn't commit.

You rebuke him, you scorn him, and you make him feel blue
The accuser not only accuses Natty, but also scolds him and makes him feel sad.

But you got to let him go, got to let him go
Despite being accused of a wrongdoing, Natty must be let go.

Let him go, I beg you let him go
The singer pleads to let Natty go free.

Remember he is wise, remember he is strong
Natty is a wise and strong person.

I call that he is young and he will live long
Natty, despite being accused and imprisoned, is still young and has a long life ahead of him.

You nuh know how you make the dread feel ya
You don't understand how it feels to be in Natty's position.

When you take away his bag of sensimila
Natty's possession of marijuana was a reason for his imprisonment.

I know that time will tell
The singer is certain that time will prove Natty's innocence.