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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
Who Feels It
Bunny Wailer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But it common they know because they feel
And who feels it know it
Who feels it knows it
No don't sit by your window
Gazing at the streets
Sorrying for your self cause you've got nothing to cat
Git up and move and start trying trying trying.
Just git up and move
Get right in the groove
Get right in the groove
For linger you linger, cry you must cry
Now don't point your fingers and you'll get bye
Don't be no moonshine-darling and sit down and cry.
Please don't you give up now before you give it a try
Before you give it a try
Before you give it a try, try, try
And don't you give up now don't give
Up now don't give up now. don't you
Give up now before you give it a try
Before you give it a try, try, try.
Papa no want, no want no want,
No want, no more bondage
For its a long time he's been in slavery.
Mama no want, no want no want,
No more pain, pain and worry
For its a long time now she's been unhappy
And Who feels it knows it
Who feels it knows it
Every night and every day
Who feels it knows it
By their blood and sweat they pay
Who feels it knows it yea
But linger you linger cry you must cry
No don't point you fingers and you'll get bye
Don't be no moon-shine darling and sit down and cry
And please don't you give up now before you give it a try
Before you give it a try come on
Give it a try, try, try.
Before you give it a try come on
Give it a try, try, try,
And don't you give up now don't you
Give up now don't give up now
Before you give it a try, before you
Give it a try, try, try
Give it a try, try, try
In Bunny Wailer's song Who Feels It, the artist addresses the complex issue of struggling through life and enduring hardship. The beginning of the song talks about how every man thinks their own problems are the most difficult but in reality, everyone faces struggles and can relate to each other. The repeated phrase "who feels it knows it" emphasizes that the only way to truly understand someone else's struggles is to have experienced similar hardships yourself.
The song encourages listeners to not give up and to keep trying, even when things seem impossible. The lyrics acknowledge that it's okay to cry and feel pain, but that we shouldn't dwell on our problems and should instead try to find the light within ourselves to move forward. The verses alternate between addressing individuals (using "you") and a more universal audience (using "papa" and "mama") to show that the struggle to find happiness and overcome hardship is something that affects everyone.
Overall, the song is a call to action to keep going even when things seem impossible, to support each other and to not judge others' struggles. Bunny Wailer encourages listeners to find hope and not give up before trying to find a solution to their problems.
Line by Line Meaning
Every man thinks his burdens the heaviest
Each person believes that their problems are the most difficult to bear
But it common they know because they feel
However, it is a common experience because everyone feels that way
And who feels it know it
The only ones who truly understand the pain are those who experience it themselves
No don't sit by your window
Don't waste time feeling sorry for yourself
Gazing at the streets
Staring aimlessly without purpose or motivation
Sorrying for your self cause you've got nothing to cat
Feeling worthless and sorry for oneself because of a lack of resources
There's a light within you, so let it shine
You have the potential to overcome your problems and succeed
Git up and move and start trying trying trying.
Take action and work hard to achieve your goals
For linger you linger, cry you must cry
Prolonging your pain will only make you more miserable
Now don't point your fingers and you'll get bye
Stop blaming others for your problems and move forward with your life
Don't be no moonshine-darling and sit down and cry.
Don't be a coward and give up without trying
Please don't you give up now before you give it a try
Don't quit before even attempting to succeed
Papa no want, no want no want,
No want, no more bondage
For its a long time he's been in slavery.
Father desires freedom from the oppressive chains that he has been under for a long time
Mama no want, no want no want,
No more pain, pain and worry
For its a long time now she's been unhappy
Mother wants relief from the hurt and anxiety she has been experiencing for a long time
And Who feels it knows it
Every night and every day
Who feels it knows it
By their blood and sweat they pay
Who feels it knows it yea
Those who have experienced hardship understand it fully and have paid the price with their hard work and effort
Before you give it a try come on
Give it a try, try, try.
Take the chance and make an effort to succeed
And don't you give up now don't you
Give up now don't give up now
Before you give it a try, before you
Give it a try, try, try
Don't quit or lose hope before even attempting to achieve your goals
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: NEVILLE ORIL LIVINGSTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@khemaunghkannu4495
Simply beautifully composed. A song to alleviate the stress and burdens that some of us entertain in the course of life, as guest in our minds!
@lawrencenjawe1935
Originally released in the 60s by the original Wailers and written by Marley
@melaninwarrior6420
R.I.P my brother and travel well.🙏🏿
@FRECKS11
This is Bunny Wailer at his best. Later music has been mixed. He needs to get back to his Roots. Jah Guide.
@kobigambo5271
Takes me back to Kaloleni. RIP Uncle Ben.
@aaqilian
yeah i tend to agree, but he also decided to do a lot of poppy shit to , i guess, try to stay relevant. hasnt worked out really cuz he aint all that active or prominent despite his legacy. so you might be right. same wit steel pulse. in the 90s they went poppy to try to grow they fan base but discovered hey its our roots music that the ppl dig, so lets go back to that, and they did, and have been growing and producing great music ever since
@lawrencenjawe1935
I agree with you regarding Steel Pulse. Deceived by record labels who wanted them moulded as pop icons. 10 good years wasted b/t late 80s and mid 90s leaving some of us to wonder what might have been if they pursued the Roots course.
@lancechiddick1599
this is for the massives