David was born in Belmont, Trinidad on May 6, 1953. One of nine children, h… Read Full Bio ↴David was born in Belmont, Trinidad on May 6, 1953. One of nine children, he spent much of his early childhood with his grandmother, a spiritual Baptist, growing up near a pan yard and a Shango yard, in a neighbourhood where boys dreamed of being entertainers. He has been baptized three times: as a Baptist by his grandmother, as an Anglican by his mother and as a Catholic when he started school. It was at school that he discovered how much art, painting and sculpture really interested him. Rudder began singing at the age of 11 with a group called The Solutions. In 1977, he joined the brass band Charlie's Roots and began charting his musical career.

David became an apprentice to the late Ken Morris, a master craftsman known for his copper work and carnival designs. He still paints today and in fact he sees himself more as an artist rather than an entertainer.
David, along with Charlie's Roots, produces and performs for the Carnival productions of, what is arguably, the most innovative and controversial Carnival artist ever - Peter Minshall. Minshall's designs have been used in many major events, the most notable being the Barcelona Olympics of 1990 and most recently The Atlanta Olympics in 1996. Over the years Rudder's music has become intertwined with the yearly Minshall's theatric bands.

The Banana Death Song
David Rudder Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Well Uncle Sam use to visit the church of Banana
He use to go to church with a girl name Grenada
And then he went to church with a girl name Jamaica
He used to bow down to one Dominica

Overall Meaning

The Banana Death Song by David Rudder is a catchy calypso tune that speaks to the history of the banana industry and its subsequent downfall. In the first verse, Rudder references the United States, represented by the character Uncle Sam, visiting the "church" of Banana. This can be interpreted as the U.S. taking an interest in the cultivation and exportation of bananas from countries in the Caribbean and Latin America. The mention of Grenada and Jamaica further emphasizes this, as both countries were major banana producers in the 20th century.

However, the line "He used to bow down to one Dominica" can be interpreted in a few different ways. It could mean that the U.S. favored Dominica's banana exports above all others, or it could reference the political turmoil that Dominica faced in the 1970s and 80s. The U.S. had a contentious relationship with the country, with allegations of CIA involvement in an attempted coup in 1981.

Line by Line Meaning

Well Uncle Sam use to visit the church of Banana
Uncle Sam, a personification of the United States, used to rely heavily on the exporting of bananas, an industry based in the Caribbean region.

He use to go to church with a girl name Grenada
The United States had been actively involved with Grenada, one of the Caribbean nations that have a rich history of exporting bananas.

And then he went to church with a girl name Jamaica
The United States had shown interest in Jamaica, another Caribbean nation that is well-known for its abundant banana produce.

He used to bow down to one Dominica
The United States was entirely dependent on the banana harvest of the Caribbean, with Dominica being one of the prominent nations in the region that exported a large amount of bananas.

Contributed by Isabelle S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS