From his website:
If you know reggae music, you know Clinton 'Basie' Fearon. Clinton Fearon is counted among Jamaica's most talented musicians by peers and professionals in the Reggae music industry. His infectious bass riffs, guitar licks, percussion accents and powerful vocals make Bassie a living legend amongst reggae musicians and fans.
As a youth, Bassie went to Kingston to eventually become the well-known bassist, vocalist and lyricist for The Gladiators as well as a house musician for Coxsonne Dodd’s Studio One and Lee “Scratch” Perry’s Black Ark Studio. Fearon recorded many of Perry's best known songs, including Roast Fish and Cornbread which features one of Fearon's most famous bass lines. He also composed some everlasting basslines for Yabby You, Jimmy Riley, Max Romeo, Junior Byles and many many others.
Pilot Johnson
Clinton Fearon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Slow down slow down you moving too
fast... x4
Youre flying us way too high
With no direction
You're flying us much too high
With no discretion
Take us back to earth back to humanity
Take us back to earth back to reality
Where we belong where we belong
Where we bound we must obey
We won't have it no other way
Where we bound we must obey
No more will you lead us astray
Too long in the driver's seat
Promoting wars and crimes then
Telling us that you care
New age civilization seem to be
The road to destruction and we
Won't take your drive no more
(solo)
(chorus)
(repeat)
Youre flying us way too high
With no direction
You're flying us much too high
With no discretion
Take us back to earth back to humanity
Take us back to earth back to reality
Where we belong where we belong
The song Pilot Johnson by Clinton Fearon is a metaphorical representation of the current state of the world, where leaders and people in power are taking decisions without considering the long-term consequences. The song is a plea to slow down and introspect before taking any drastic actions that can cause irreversible damage. The repetition of "slow down" in the chorus emphasizes the urgency of the message.
The pilot, in this case, represents the people in power who are driving the world towards destruction with their careless actions. Fearon wants them to take responsibility for their decisions and bring back a sense of humanity and reality in the world. The line "where we belong we must obey" suggests that the people in power are accountable to the citizens they serve, and they should not take that responsibility lightly.
The song also touches upon the issue of war, where leaders promote it without considering its impact on the people. Fearon believes that the new age of civilization is leading to destruction, and it's the responsibility of everyone to prevent that from happening. The solo in the middle of the song signifies that it's time to pause and reflect on the current state of affairs, and the chorus reinforces the importance of slowing down and bringing back accountability and responsibility.
Line by Line Meaning
Slow down Pilot Johnson slow down
The singer implores the titular Pilot Johnson to slow down.
Slow down slow down you moving too fast... x4
The singer repeats his plea for Pilot Johnson to slow down four times.
Youre flying us way too high
The singer accuses Pilot Johnson of flying the plane too high.
With no direction
The singer criticizes Pilot Johnson for not having a clear destination.
You're flying us much too high
The singer reiterates his criticism of Pilot Johnson's altitude.
With no discretion
The singer accuses Pilot Johnson of lacking judgment in his flying.
Take us back to earth back to humanity
The singer asks Pilot Johnson to return the plane to the ground and society as a whole.
Take us back to earth back to reality
The singer repeats his request for Pilot Johnson to return them to a grounded state.
Where we belong where we belong
The singer emphasizes the importance of being grounded and not being flown too high.
Where we bound we must obey
The singer asserts that they must follow the rules and limits of the world.
We won't have it no other way
The singer proclaims that they will not accept any other way of flying than one that follows the rules.
No more will you lead us astray
The singer asserts that Pilot Johnson has led them away from where they belong for the last time.
Too long in the driver's seat
The singer asserts that Pilot Johnson has been in control for too long.
Promoting wars and crimes then
The singer accuses Pilot Johnson of being complicit in destructive actions such as war and crime.
Telling us that you care
The singer asserts that Pilot Johnson has falsely claimed to care about those on the plane.
New age civilization seem to be
The singer criticizes new age civilization for its negative effects.
The road to destruction and we
The singer repeats his criticism of new age civilization, asserting that it will lead to destruction.
Won't take your drive no more
The singer proclaims that they will not accept Pilot Johnson's driving anymore.
(solo)
The music takes a solo break from the lyrics.
(chorus)
The chorus repeats, emphasizing the themes of the song.
(repeat)
The song repeats its structure and themes.
Contributed by Aaron T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Renato Almeida
Slow down Pilot Johnson slow down
Slow down slow down you moving too
fast... x4
Youre flying us way too high
With no direction
You're flying us much too high
With no discretion
Take us back to earth back to humanity
Take us back to earth back to reality
Where we belong where we belong
Where we bound we must obey
We won't have it no other way
Where we bound we must obey
No more will you lead us astray
Too long in the driver's seat
Promoting wars and crimes then
Telling us that you care
New age civilization seem to be
The road to destruction and we
Won't take your drive no more
Youre flying us way too high
With no direction
You're flying us much too high
With no discretion
Take us back to earth back to humanity
Take us back to earth back to reality
Where we belong where we belong
Renato Almeida
Slow down Pilot Johnson slow down
Slow down slow down you moving too
fast... x4
Youre flying us way too high
With no direction
You're flying us much too high
With no discretion
Take us back to earth back to humanity
Take us back to earth back to reality
Where we belong where we belong
Where we bound we must obey
We won't have it no other way
Where we bound we must obey
No more will you lead us astray
Too long in the driver's seat
Promoting wars and crimes then
Telling us that you care
New age civilization seem to be
The road to destruction and we
Won't take your drive no more
Youre flying us way too high
With no direction
You're flying us much too high
With no discretion
Take us back to earth back to humanity
Take us back to earth back to reality
Where we belong where we belong
OldDubDomain
Excellent tune :-) Nice one selecta.
mymax
...and the meaning of this song is very powerful! "new age civilization seem to be, the road to destruction". Johnson, representing capitalism and the imperialism of the US, drives much too high and too fast to preserve our beautiful world, our new standard of living isn't sustainable. The system says it controls everything but soon, the real problems will appear. We need to slow down (now) so the choc of the fall won't be too painful. Slow down, change the system not the climat and think about what you consume ...the only way is downsizing (, decrease, degrowth,...) to live in harmony with nature, our only mother.
J Banks
Love him
Francisco Castillo
buen metal
jahdaughter7
...he has so much to say - ...there is so much to learn...
Georges Abou Nabhan Junior
Holy mommy what a spiritual travel.
Francisco Castillo
buena salsa
yumyum2k5
Impossible to listen to this song and remain still.
jahdaughter7
@muteks86 thanks for uploading my bredren!!!