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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
Want To Come Home
Bunny Wailer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They wanna come home, brothers come home.
Blood, skin and bone and flesh.
They wanna come home, sisters come home.
And its a long time brothers we nuh rest.
We wanna come home, brothers come home.
And now that we have survived this test.
We wanna come home, sisters come home.
Come home, come home, come home.
We wanna come home to Africa, come home.
Our backs are bruised and sore.
We wanna come home, brothers come home.
But still we have got our souls.
We wanna come home, sisters come home.
We are longing for our mother’s breast.
We wanna come home, brothers come home.
With lumps of anxiety in our chest.
We wanna come home, sisters come home.
Come home, come home, come home.
We wanna come home to Africa, come home.
Oh John! Bring the pick axe and the shovel
and the fork and the machete and a file everything.
We going to the quarry with the boss man!
Hey Mister Prison Warder! I’ll be leaving you soon!
My sentence will soon be ended and I’ll be gone, gone,
gone!
Come home, come home. come home.
We wanna come home to Africa, come home.
I and I a trample down Babylon.
We wanna come home, brothers come home.
To struggle for the African liberation.
We wanna come home, sisters come home.
You got your brothers and your sisters in the West.
They wanna come home, brothers come home.
Blood, skin and bone and flesh.
They wanna come home, sisters come home.
Come home, come home, come home.
We wanna come home to Africa, come home.
In Bunny Wailer’s song Want To Come Home, the lyrics express the desire of Africans in the diaspora to return to their homeland, Africa. The song begins by acknowledging the presence of Africans in the Western Hemisphere and their yearning to return home. Using the imagery of blood, skin, bone, and flesh, Bunny Wailer emphasizes the deep connection that these Africans have with Africa. The repetition of “we wanna come home” highlights the urgency of their desire to return. Bunny goes further to say that the longing to return has been a long time coming, and after surviving the test that came with being away, their hearts are set on Africa.
The second verse goes further to emphasize the depth of the longing by stating that their backs are bruised and sore but they still have their souls intact, indicating that the brutality of slavery and the hardships suffered have left physical marks but have not diminished their spirits. The mention of anxiety lumps in the chest connotes the restless and unsettling feeling of not being in their true home. The third verse mentions the physical tools necessary for them to reach Africa and their eagerness to work towards their freedom. Finally, the chorus reiterates the desire for Africans to come back to their roots and fight for the liberation of Africa.
Line by Line Meaning
You got your brothers and your sisters in the West.
There are many African descendants in the West (America, Europe, etc.) who want to return to Africa.
They wanna come home, brothers come home.
These African descendants want to return to their ancestral homeland of Africa.
Blood, skin and bone and flesh.
These African descendants have the same heritage and DNA as Africans and are therefore connected to the land and its people.
And its a long time brothers we nuh rest.
It has been a long time since the African descendants were taken from their homeland, and they have been restless and longing to return ever since.
And now that we have survived this test.
Despite their struggles and hardships in the West, these African descendants have survived and are now ready to return home to Africa.
Come home, come home, come home.
The repeated phrase is a call to action for all African descendants who want to return home to Africa.
Our backs are bruised and sore.
The African descendants have suffered physical and emotional pain while living in the West.
But still we have got our souls.
Despite their struggles, the African descendants have maintained their spiritual and cultural identity as Africans.
We are longing for our mother’s breast.
The African descendants are longing for the nourishment and care of their motherland, Africa.
With lumps of anxiety in our chest.
The African descendants are anxious about the process of returning home, but they are determined to overcome any obstacles in their way.
Oh John! Bring the pick axe and the shovel
and the fork and the machete and a file everything.
We going to the quarry with the boss man!
The singer is preparing to do physical labor in order to return to Africa, and is calling for others to join them.
Hey Mister Prison Warder! I’ll be leaving you soon!
My sentence will soon be ended and I’ll be gone, gone,
gone!
The artist compares their stay in the West to a prison sentence, and is eager to leave and return to Africa.
I and I a trample down Babylon.
The singer is determined to overcome societal obstacles in order to return to Africa, referring to the oppressive Western society as Babylon.
To struggle for the African liberation.
Returning to Africa is seen as an act of liberation for the African descendants, and they are willing to fight for their freedom and the freedom of Africa.
Contributed by Luke I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Charmain Bowen
Nice song Bro
boogie melody
The great bunny a True legend
Desmond Sinoia
I loved your music. R.I.P Bunny
Dahaille X
R.I.P Neville Livingston ❤💛💚
Chiduo Zayumba
Come home to Africa brothers and sisters in the West 👍