Brown's first recording was "Lips of Wine" recorded for Derrick Harriott (The Musical Chariot), but this was not released initially. He then recorded for Coxsone Dodd at Studio One, and Dodd released Brown's first single, "No Man is an Island". Brown recorded two albums for Dodd, No Man is an Island and If I Follow my Heart (the title track penned by Alton Ellis). Around this time, Brown recorded material for Lloyd Daley ("Baby Don't Do It" and "Things in Life") and material for Derrick Hariott, which was eventually released as the Super Reggae and Soul Hits album. He also worked for Earl Hayles and the Charmaine label early in his career. He had a Top 10 hit in the United Kingdom in 1977. This led to his contract with A&M Records, and to the formation of his own label, DEB records, which produced several hits, including many by Junior Delgado.
His first big hit was "Money In My Pocket" on the Joe Gibbs label, and by the late 1970s, Brown had recorded and performed chart-toppers such as "Sitting & Watching", "Wolves and Leopards", "Here I Come" and "Revolution"; many featuring Sly and Robbie as the rhythm section. As the dancehall era of the 1980s arrived, Brown frequently recorded with King Jammy and Gussie Clark. His song "Revolution" is featured on the reggae radio station K-JAH Radio West in the 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto San Andreas. According to some sources, Brown became addicted to crack cocaine, which affected his career and may have lead to his premature death. Jamaican Prime Minister P. J. Patterson and opposition leader Edward Seaga of the Jamaica Labour Party both spoke at Brown's funeral, which was held on July 17, 1999 in Kingston, Jamaica. The service, which lasted for three hours, also featured live performances by Maxi Priest, Shaggy, and five of Brown's sons. Brown was then buried at Kingston's National Heroes Park.
Rasta Children
Dennis Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All downpressers, aggressors and transgressors.
I and I a Rasta children.
I and I a Rasta children.
I and I come from Zion.
I and I come from Zion.
Enduring the strife and tribulation.
I and I no check for vanity.
I and I a deal with humanity.
Enduring the strife and tribulation,
With Jah, guidance and protection.
To lead the children out of Babylon,
To the promised land, Mount Zion.
Mount Zion! Mount Zion!
For Zion high is the place for I,
For I and I to dwell.
Fire, fire, fire a go burn Babylon,
For this is a living hell.
So gather the babe and suckling,
To reach to the promised land, yeah,
Far, far away, far, far away. Far, far away, far, far away.
For I and I a Rasta children.
I and I a Rasta children.
We come from Zion.
We come from Zion.
Living down here in Babylon,
Enduring the strives and tribulation.
I and I no check for vanity.
I and I a deal with humanity.
Enduring the strives and tribulation,
With Jah, guidance and protection.
To lead the children out of Babylon,
To the promised land, Mount Zion.
Mount Zion, yeah, Mount Zion oh-oh.. oh yeah, yeah!
Zion high, Zion high.
Zion high is the place for I, I say.
Said I and I a Rasta children.
I and I a Rasta children.
We come from Zion.
We come from Zion.
Living down here in Babylon,
Enduring the strife and tribulation.
I and I no check for vanity.
I and I a deal with humanity.
Enduring the strife and tribulation,
With Jah, guidance and protection.
To lead the children out of Babylon,
To the promised land, Mount Zion.
Mount Zion, yeah. Mount Zion.
In Dennis Brown's song "Rasta Children", the lyrics express a message of empowerment and hope for the Rasta community living in Babylon, a metaphor for the oppressive and corrupt world. The song begins with a call to action for Rastafarians to resist and stand up against those who oppress and harm others, with the lines, "Kill, cramp and paralyse, all downpressers, aggressors and transgressors." Then the chorus repeats the phrase, "I and I a Rasta children" and "I and I come from Zion", implying a spiritual connection with the divine and a shared ancestry.
Throughout the song, Brown encourages Rasta children to stay true to their roots and to reject the vanity of the world in favour of dealing with humanity. The song also touches on the struggles faced by the Rasta community, living in Babylon and enduring tribulations, but they do so with guidance and protection from Jah, leading the children out of Babylon and to the promised land, Mount Zion. The song's message of unity, spiritual strength, and empowerment is particularly significant, as it highlights the oppression faced by the Rasta community, who are often marginalized by society, ostracized, and even persecuted due to their beliefs, music, and lifestyle.
Line by Line Meaning
Kill, cramp and paralyse,
All downpressers, aggressors and transgressors.
May harm come upon those who oppress, attack, and violate others.
I and I a Rasta children.
We are Rastafarian people.
I and I come from Zion.
We originate from the spiritual homeland of Rastafarianism.
Living down here in Babylon,
Enduring the strife and tribulation.
We exist in a world of chaos and hardship.
I and I no check for vanity.
I and I a deal with humanity.
We are not concerned with superficial things and instead prioritize our connection with others.
With Jah, guidance and protection.
To lead the children out of Babylon,
To the promised land, Mount Zion.
We rely on the guidance and protection of God to lead us and our fellow Rastafarians to the spiritual promised land.
Mount Zion! Mount Zion!
The spiritual promised land we strive towards.
For Zion high is the place for I,
For I and I to dwell.
We long to live in the spiritual realm of Zion.
Fire, fire, fire a go burn Babylon,
For this is a living hell.
Babylon, or the material world, is a painful and oppressive existence.
So gather the babe and suckling,
To reach to the promised land, yeah,
Far, far away, far, far away. Far, far away, far, far away.
We must gather our young and innocent to lead them towards the spiritual realm of Zion, where peace and harmony exist.
Contributed by Savannah J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Fer Herwaarden
I always search lyrics, so I thought, let's share them here:
Lyrics:
I and I a Rasta children
I and I a Rasta children
I and I come from Zion
I and I come from Zion
Living down here in Babylon
Enduring the strife and tribulation
I and I no check for vanity
I and I a deal with humanity
Enduring the strife and tribulation
With Jah, guidance and protection
To lead the children out of Babylon
To the promised land, Mount Zion
Mount Zion! Mount Zion!
For Zion high is the place for I
For I and I to dwell
Fire, fire, fire a go burn Babylon
For this is a living hell
So gather the babe and suckling
To reach to the promised land, yeah
Far, far away, far, far away. Far, far away, far, far away
For I and I a Rasta children
I and I a Rasta children
We come from Zion
We come from Zion
Living down here in Babylon
Enduring the strives and tribulation
I and I no check for vanity
I and I a deal with humanity
Enduring the strives and tribulation
With Jah, guidance and protection
To lead the children out of Babylon
To the promised land, Mount Zion
Mount Zion, yeah, Mount Zion oh-oh.. oh yeah, yeah!
Zion high, Zion high
Zion high is the place for I, I say
Said I and I a Rasta children
I and I a Rasta children
We come from Zion
We come from Zion
Living down here in Babylon
Enduring the strife and tribulation
I and I no check for vanity
I and I a deal with humanity
Enduring the strife and tribulation
With Jah, guidance and protection
To lead the children out of Babylon
To the promised land, Mount Zion
Mount Zion, yeah. Mount Zion
Fer Herwaarden
I always search lyrics, so I thought, let's share them here:
Lyrics:
I and I a Rasta children
I and I a Rasta children
I and I come from Zion
I and I come from Zion
Living down here in Babylon
Enduring the strife and tribulation
I and I no check for vanity
I and I a deal with humanity
Enduring the strife and tribulation
With Jah, guidance and protection
To lead the children out of Babylon
To the promised land, Mount Zion
Mount Zion! Mount Zion!
For Zion high is the place for I
For I and I to dwell
Fire, fire, fire a go burn Babylon
For this is a living hell
So gather the babe and suckling
To reach to the promised land, yeah
Far, far away, far, far away. Far, far away, far, far away
For I and I a Rasta children
I and I a Rasta children
We come from Zion
We come from Zion
Living down here in Babylon
Enduring the strives and tribulation
I and I no check for vanity
I and I a deal with humanity
Enduring the strives and tribulation
With Jah, guidance and protection
To lead the children out of Babylon
To the promised land, Mount Zion
Mount Zion, yeah, Mount Zion oh-oh.. oh yeah, yeah!
Zion high, Zion high
Zion high is the place for I, I say
Said I and I a Rasta children
I and I a Rasta children
We come from Zion
We come from Zion
Living down here in Babylon
Enduring the strife and tribulation
I and I no check for vanity
I and I a deal with humanity
Enduring the strife and tribulation
With Jah, guidance and protection
To lead the children out of Babylon
To the promised land, Mount Zion
Mount Zion, yeah. Mount Zion
Yvonne Brown
Written by Yvonne Brown and Cherry Clarke.
Sete Sertões Imagens
Hino eterno.
Fabricio Artemão
Melhor vibe curti esse som acompanhado com a santa Kaya🙏♥️
Young T
Give thanks and praise for sharing such uplifting vibes
sugerlipsx Jamie wright
Love is simple and easy ☝️🔥❤️😁
Tigerjuhhh
Aye. And it be good for everyone.
La vieja C a t s
Mi preferida, junto a revolution, son magia y energía total 🎶🎇💆♀️🇧🇴✌️🎶🎶
PAZUZU LIKE ME
Peace for ever around the world, thank's Ja :)
Samara Atkins
True legend..