Israelites
Desmond Dekker & The Aces Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Get up in the morning, slaving for bread, sir
So that every mouth can be fed
Poor me Israelites Aah

Get up in the morning, slaving for bread, sir
So that every mouth can be fed
Poor me Israelite
My wife and my kids, they packed up and leave me
Darling, she said, I was yours to be seen
Poor me Israelite

Shirt them a-tear up, trousers is gone
I don't want to end up like Bonnie and Clyde
Poor me Israelite

After a storm there must be a calm
They catch me in the farm
You sound your alarm
Poor a-poor a-poor me Israelite

I said I get up in the morning, slaving for bread, sir
So that every mouth can be fed
Poor me Israelite Aah

I said my wife and my kids, they are packed up and leave me
Darling, she said, I was yours to be seen
Poor me Israelites Aah

Look Me shirts them a-tear up, trousers are gone
I don't want to end up like Bonnie and Clyde
A-poor a-poor me Israelites Aah

After a storm there must be a calm
They catch me in the farm
You sound your alarm




Poor me Israelite
A-poor a-poor a-poor me Israelites Aah

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Desmond Dekker's song Israelites speak to the struggles of being a working-class citizen in Jamaica during the mid-1960s. It depicts the daily grind of waking up early to work hard for a living to provide for oneself and their family. The term "slaving for bread" metaphorically represents the hard and tedious work that people must do just to put food on the table. The word "Israelites" was used as a reference to the struggles of the working-class black population who identified with the biblical Israelites' oppression and exodus from Egypt. They were also seeking freedom from colonialism and poverty.


The second stanza tells the story of a man who lost his wife and kids. They left him because he wasn't making enough money to support them, leaving him heartbroken and lonely. The third stanza talks about the man's clothes being torn and gone, similar to the notorious criminal duo Bonnie and Clyde. It represents the fear of becoming a victim of violence or crime while living in poverty. The final stanza speaks of the struggle of living under constant fear and pressure. The metaphorical storm represents the hardships of life, and the calm signifies the hope for a brighter future. But, at the end of the day, life often catches up, and the working-class population is left fighting for survival.


Line by Line Meaning

Get up in the morning, slaving for bread, sir
I wake up early in the morning to work hard and earn bread, sir.


So that every mouth can be fed
It is my responsibility to work hard so that everyone in my community can have food to eat.


Poor me Israelites Aah
Unfortunately, I am one of the many struggling Israelites.


My wife and my kids, they packed up and leave me
My wife and kids have left me, and it's just me struggling to survive.


Darling, she said, I was yours to be seen
My wife left me with the knowledge that I never truly appreciated her in the way I should have.


Shirt them a-tear up, trousers is gone
My clothes are torn and gone; I have nothing left.


I don't want to end up like Bonnie and Clyde
I don't want to die a violent death like Bonnie and Clyde did.


After a storm there must be a calm
I hope that things will soon calm down and become better for me and my community.


They catch me in the farm
Unfortunately, I have been caught doing something wrong on the farm.


You sound your alarm
You tell others that I have been caught doing something wrong.




Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Desmond Dekker

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@JohnnyNowhere

@@gerardjachymiak5822 Who me? Seventeen is awfully young to be concerned about what to do. I was twenty-one and still had no clue, and was hitch-hiking through the Mid West. My cousin - she joined the USAF at seventeen and toured the world. I became a songwriter and she became a combat medic. I was playing bars while she was saving lives and getting shot at.

You tell me - who made the right choice?

We both did what we were drawn toward - and as different as our paths were - we both went into our chosen careers with all that we had.

I ended up a third-tier songwriter, and she got shot by a Taliban sniper, became diabetic, and retired from the Air Force. Who made the right choice?

We both did.

Neither of us have regrets. That's all that matters. Find what you love, and kick it in the ass with all you have. Take chances.

One day you, too, will be 65. Don't waste your life worrying. Life only lasts for a few moments. Carpe Diem.



All comments from YouTube:

@GrandmaRose9000

That moment when you realize you've been singing the wrong lyrics since 1969.

@jahuti5065

I think we all were. "Darling, she said, I was yards too greasy" was my favourite line.

@PinnaclePete

At least I was able to get the,
"I don't want to end up like Bonnie and Clyde" part right. πŸ˜‚

@iandowney4630

It’s β€œpoor” and not for…? Okay πŸ˜‚
I think the toughest line is (as I can sort of hear it) : β€œshuck them a tearup choses ago”…which isn’t remotely close to what the lyrics are. In fact, it makes zero sense 🀣 I was pretty good at lip syncing , though πŸ˜‚!
Thanks for the correct lyrics…in March of 2024 πŸŽ‰ Better late than never.

@thedarkknight1971

oohhh oohh... Ma Vitalite... 😏
πŸ˜ŽπŸ‡¬πŸ‡§

@joe8016

Omg...so it's not "me ears are alight" just wow. All these years

3 More Replies...

@andrewbull3537

This is how music should sound , when it starts you smile and dance !!!!! , even if you dance bad ....YOU DANCE !!!!!
thanks mr dekker πŸ‘
Peace out ✌

@komah

Who's still here in 2024?

See you in 2034

@BarneyDunn

I'll be there. See you then.

@ilovebabybelle

See you then 😌🌞

More Comments

More Versions