He was born Desmond Adolphus Dacres in St. Andrew, Jamaica and grew up in Kingston, where he attended the Alpha Boys' School. After his mother took ill and died, his father moved him to St. Mary's, and then to St. Thomas, where he apprenticed as a tailor before returning to Kingston and taking a job as a welder, singing around his workplace while his co-workers encouraged him. In 1961 he auditioned for Coxsone Dodd (Studio One) and Duke Reid (Treasure Isle). Neither were impressed by his talents, and the young man moved on to Leslie Kong's Beverley record label, where he auditioned before Derrick Morgan, then the label's biggest star.
With Morgan's support, Dekker was signed but did not record until 1963 because Leslie Kong wanted to wait for the perfect song, which "Honour Your Father and Mother" was felt to be.
“Honour Your Father and Mother” was a hit and was followed by “Sinners Come Home” and “Labour for Learning,” as well as a name change (from Desmond Dacres to Desmond Dekker). His fourth hit, however, made him into one of the island's biggest stars. It was “King of Ska,” a rowdy and jubilant song on which Dekker was backed by The Cherrypies (also known as The Maytals). The song remains well known among ska fans. Dekker then recruited four brothers, Carl, Patrick, Clive and Barry Howard, who became his backing band, The Four Aces.
Dekker and the Howards recorded a number of hits including “Parents,” “Get Up Edina,” “This Woman,” and “Mount Zion.” Until 1967 Dekker's songs were polite and conveyed respectable, mainstream messages. In that year, however, he appeared on Derrick Morgan's “Tougher Than Tough,” which helped begin a trend of popular songs glamourizing the violent rude boy culture. Dekker's own songs did not go to the extremes of many other popular tunes though he did introduce lyrics which resonated with the rude boys starting with one of his best-known songs, “007 (Shanty Town)”. The song established Dekker as a rude boy icon and also became an established hero in the United Kingdom's mod scene. “007 (Shanty Town)” was a Top 15 hit in the UK, and he toured that country with a posse of mods following him.
Dekker continued with songs in the same vein such as “Rude Boy Train” and “Rudie Got Soul”, as well as continuing with his previous themes of religion and morality in songs like “It's a Shame”, “Wise Man”, “Hey Grandma”, “Unity”, “It Pays”, “Mother's Young Girl” and “Sabotage.” His “Pretty Africa” is a long-standing favourite among his fans and may be the earliest popular song promoting repatriation. Many of the hits from this era came from his debut album, 007 (Shanty Town).
In 1968 Dekker's “Israelites” was released, appearing on both the U.S. and UK singles chart, and eventually topping the latter and peaking in the Top Ten of the former. He was the first Jamaican performer to enter U.S. markets with pure Jamaican music, though he never repeated the feat. Equally, the track became the first reggae song to top the UK chart. That same year saw the release of “Beautiful and Dangerous,” “Writing on the Wall,” “Music Like Dirt”, “Bongo Girl,” and “Shing a Ling.” In the same year, Dekker was mentioned as "Desmond" by his friend Paul McCartney in The Beatles' song "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da", when it was released on 'The White Album'.
1969 saw the release of “It Mek,” which first saw only lukewarm success but was re-recorded and became a hit both in Jamaica and the UK. He also released “Problems” and “Pickney Gal,” both of which were popular in Jamaica but saw only limited success elsewhere.
Mid career (the 1970s)
In the 1970s Dekker spent most of his time touring and moved to the UK, where he continued to record. Among his best known releases of this period was “You Can Get It If You Really Want,” written by Jimmy Cliff, which Dekker had not wanted to record but was convinced to do so by Leslie Kong. Dekker's recording of the song uses the same instrumental backing track as Cliff's original.
Kong, whose production had been an instrumental part of both Dekker's and Cliff's careers, died in 1971 and both his protegés lost direction for a period before returning to music.
Dekker continued recording, but with only limited success until he began working with the production duo Bruce Anthony in 1974. His first hit with the pair was 1975's “Sing a Little Song” which climbed in to the British Top Ten. Dekker was unable to follow its success, however, and did not chart in the UK for some time (except for the Top Ten re-charting of “Israelites” in 1975). Dekker also found only a limited audience in Jamaica.
At the end of the 1970s Dekker signed with Stiff Records, a punk label linked with the Two-Tone movement, a fusion of punk and ska. He recorded an album called Black & Dekker which featured his previous hits backed by The Rumour, Graham Parker's backing band. His first single was “Israelites,” a Top Ten Belgian hit, and was followed by “Please Don't Bend,” Jimmy Cliff's “Many Rivers to Cross” and “Book of Rules.” His next album was Compass Point, produced by Robert Palmer. Though Compass Point did not sell well, Dekker was still a popular live performer and he toured with The Rumour.
Later life
In the early 1980s, as the Two Tone movement died out, he saw his fortunes dwindle and he was declared bankrupt in 1984. Only a single live album was released in the late 80s, but a new version of “Israelites” reawakened public interest in 1990, following its use in a Maxell advertisement. He re-recorded some old singles, and worked with The Specials for 1992's King of Kings', which used hits from Dekker's musical heroes, including Derrick Morgan.
He also collaborated on a remix version of his classic “Israelites” with reggae artist Apache Indian.
Death
Desmond Dekker died of a heart attack on 25 May 2006, at his home in Thornton Heath in the London Borough of Croydon , England, aged 64. He was preparing to headline a world music festival in Prague. Mr. Dekker was divorced and is survived by a son and daughter.
0.0.7
Desmond Dekker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
0-0-7
At ocean eleven
And now rudeboys have a go wail
Cause them out of jail
Rudeboys cannot fail
Cause them must get bail
A Shanty Town
Dem a loot, dem a shoot, dem a wail
A Shanty Town
Dem rudeboys get a probation
A Shanty Town
And rudeboy bomb up the town
A Shanty Town
0-0-7
0-0-7
At ocean eleven
And the rudeboys a go wail
Cause them out of jail
Rudeboys cannot fail
Cause them must get bail
Dem a loot, dem a shoot, dem a wail
A Shanty Town
Dem a loot, dem a shoot, dem a wail
A Shanty Town
Dem rudeboys get a probation
A Shanty Town
And rudeboy bomb up the town
A Shanty Town
Police get taller
A Shanty Town
Soldier get longer
A Shanty Town
Rudeboy a weep and a wail
A Shanty Town
The song "0.0.7" by Desmond Dekker tells the story of the rudeboys' presence in Ocean's Eleven and Shanty Town. The repeated phrase "0.0.7" refers to James Bond's code number and the idea of the rudeboys being daring and dangerous. The rudeboys are out of jail and are on probation, but they are not deterred from causing trouble. They are looting, shooting, and causing chaos in Shanty Town, which is a poor area that is being terrorized by the rudeboys. The police and soldiers are trying to stop the rudeboys, but they are still causing havoc.
The lyrics, although simple, paint a picture of a community suffering from the actions of violent young men. The rudeboys seem to have nothing to lose and are willing to risk everything for their illicit activities, even if it means going back to jail. The song highlights the challenges of poverty, crime, and violence in urban areas and how they impact the community at large. The chorus, with its repetition of "A Shanty Town," emphasizes the dire situation the residents find themselves in, with little help from the authorities.
Line by Line Meaning
0-0-7
Referring to James Bond's '007' spy code, implying that the actions of the rudeboys are like a secret mission.
0-0-7
Repeating the spy code, indicating that the situation is critical and requires attention.
At ocean eleven
Referencing the popular heist movie 'Ocean's Eleven', suggesting that the rudeboys are carrying out a daring and risky plan.
And now rudeboys have a go wail
The rudeboys are celebrating their freedom and expressing their joy through singing.
Cause them out of jail
The rudeboys are now released from prison or police custody.
Rudeboys cannot fail
The rudeboys are confident in their power and ability to succeed in their criminal activities.
Cause them must get bail
The rudeboys believe that they can always get bail, even if they get arrested again.
Dem a loot, dem a shoot, dem a wail
The rudeboys are engaged in looting, shooting, and singing in joy; all of which indicates their disruptive behavior and disregard for the law.
A Shanty Town
Referring to a poor and crowded urban area, often associated with high crime rates and poverty.
Dem rudeboys get a probation
The rudeboys have been given probation rather than being sent back to prison, expressing leniency on the part of the authorities.
And rudeboy bomb up the town
The rudeboys explode a bomb in the town, indicating their disregard for public safety and causing destruction.
Police get taller
Possible reference to the increase in police presence and authority following the rudeboys' actions.
Soldier get longer
Possible reference to the deployment of the army to deal with the situation caused by the rudeboys.
Rudeboy a weep and a wail
The rudeboy is now crying and singing in frustration or sadness because of being caught or punished for their actions.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DESMOND DEKKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@janicejames1953
Someone in 2024 listening to this
@janicejames1953
Im here
@VajrabhairavaSamantabhadra
We are always here..eh🇨🇦
@janmeuleman8470
Yes, ever since the early seventies.
@JeanClarke-hi3gc
Wow wow.love it.
@janicejames1953
Who grow up with this song
@Lizoki
Was in Jamaica in 1966 for the Commonwealth Games. This song was being played literally everywhere - you couldn’t avoid it. Great times! Got home and the UK were just being introduced to it and the kids here went crazy for it too. A great Summer!! Great memories
@ervineokuboh7459
I went to Barbados in November 1966 with my mother and aunt to see my grandmother. I was 8 years old at the time. On the way to Barbados, we stopped off at Kingston and I can clearly remember hearing this tune booming out as our ship docked at Kingston harbour, as people were mashing up the floor dancing ! Brilliant tune and great memories !
@kenkovar2647
wow
@rebeccaw1674
Great story!