One of the most rock & roll acts out there, Barry Ashworth’s merry band of reprobates — the unstoppable Dub Pistols — are staying true to form with their sixth long-player. It’s called ‘White Lines’, although Barry is keen to stress that the title isn’t some sort of blatant drug reference. “It’s about the number of white lines we see on motorways and at airports when we’re travelling around all the time,” he says.
Bass. The Dubs continue to be one of the busiest bands on the circuit. Seemingly no music festival is complete without their riotous blend of ska, dub, hip-hop, electro, breakbeat, punk and drum & bass. Good times are guaranteed when the Dub Pistols blaze in to fire up the joint, and they’ll party all night — if you let them — until the motorway sun comes up with the morning light.
Over the years the Dubs have earned their ticket to ride the white line highway — and if you aren’t already hooked, baby, it’s nobody else’s fault. They originally grew out of the DJ sound system that Barry Ashworth started with cohort Jason O’Bryan in the mid-90s.
Along with contemporaries the Chemical Brothers and Fatboy Slim, the Dubs initially surfed the late ‘90s big beat wave with tracks like ‘Cyclone’, ‘Westway’ and ‘There’s Gonna Be A Riot’ before swerving into the more political ‘Six Million Ways To Live’ album after the Millennium and their first hook-up with unforgettable Specials frontman Terry Hall.
The procession of guest vocalists who’ve joined them in the intervening decade or so reads like a roll call of urban legends. UK hip-hopper Rodney P, late reggae great Gregory Isaacs, Freak Power man Ashley Slater, Beats International’s Lindy Layton, acid house original Justin Robertson, the sweet tones of Horace Andy, UK rapper Akala, TK from New York, Red Star Lion from the West Indies, Dan Bowskills… the list goes on. Despite these top collaborators, they’ve somehow still managed to remain a cohesive unit, and it’s for their riotous sense of fun, entertainment value and tireless ability to make crowds jump that the Dubs have carved a niche for themselves. Verily, they’re something of a phenomenon.
‘White Lines’ is more of a party album than the conscious vibes of previous LP ‘Worshipping The Dollar’, and also has its fair share of top-notch guests. Reggae don Earl 16, eminent hip-hopper Seanie T,Dark Horizon, Rodney P in-demand rhymer Serocee — as well as regulars TK, Darrison, Sir Real, Ashley Slater and Barry Ashworth himself on vocals — all make an appearance, as well as the dubwise horns of Tim Hutton.
She Moves
Dub Pistols Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yes suddenly rum is served to sophisticates because suddenly, Jamaican rum has regained its place among the great drinks of the world.
Arriba,
What chu talkin' 'bout esse,
Los banditos man, watch out,
(wooh)
My sombrero is so conchero
I'm sleepin' in the crack of a mattress,
Lookin' at the back of an actress,
Feelin' like a fat fish,
Ignore all the wackness,
Time moves around us,
And we move to high hats,
Bass lines and fat hits,
And in fact its,
Twisted and backwards,
One in the palm,
And two on the cactus,
(ouch)You me in the sack burning swift,
Playin' saxes,
Musical love games,
No shame in the practice.
And she move and sways,
To the sounds that we play,
Like palm trees on a bright sunny day,
And all around the world,
And they always come to play,
'Cause they're crazy and always amaze me,
And she move and sways,
To the sounds that we play,
Like palm trees on a bright sunny day,
And all around the world,
And they always come to play,
'Cause they're crazy and always amaze me.
(Brah)
I was down in Barbados,
Tryin' to lay low,
Little did I know about ?? ?? from Padro,
Send my last Pasos,
Some Argentina caso,
Love affairs with the night,
Movin' away slow,
She said baby don't go,
I said I don't know,
I just flow to the rhythm,
Leave them all loco,
I'm in Santa Cruz,
With the double dunkeroos,
Which one will I lose?
Which one will I choose?
(And she moves)x2
C-c-crazy [Babbling]
(Crazy and always amaze me)
(Aaah)
In Brooklyn,
They call me disco mark the mark,
In Berlin they call me military ego,
And in the UK,
I’m ?? TK,
And all around the world,
And I’m down with the people,
(Let’s get down) In Brooklyn,
They call me disco mark the mark,
In Berlin they call me military ego,
(Arriba, Arriba)And in the UK,
I’m ?? TK,
And all around the world,
And I’m chillin’ with my people.
The lyrics of Dub Pistol's "She Moves" are a mix of rap, pop, and reggae with a focus on the power of music to bring people from different parts of the world together. The song's opening lines refer to Jamaican rum's newfound popularity, and then the lyrics launch into an exploration of the singer's own experiences with music and love. The singer describes his own life and the way he moves through it, ignoring the negativity around him and focusing instead on music's positive influence. The song's central hook is about the way that "she" moves and sways to the sounds that the singer and his collaborators produce, indicating the universal appeal of music.
The lyrics are somewhat stream-of-consciousness, with the singer jumping from subject to subject in a non-linear way. He suggests he is sleeping with an actress and compares himself to a fish, insisting that he ignores all the "wackness" around him. He then focuses on the power of music to bring people together, noting that the people who come to hear his music are "crazy and always amaze" him. The lyrics also reflect the singer's own travels, as he describes being in places like Barbados and Santa Cruz.
Overall, the lyrics of "She Moves" suggest that music has the power to bring people together and make them forget their troubles. The singer is all about living in the moment and appreciating life as it comes, moving to the rhythms of the world and ignoring anything that does not serve him.
Line by Line Meaning
My sombrero is so conchero
I'm stylish in my sombrero hat and feel connected to the Chicano culture.
I'm sleepin' in the crack of a mattress, Lookin' at the back of an actress, Feelin' like a fat fish, Ignore all the wackness, Time moves around us, And we move to high hats, Bass lines and fat hits, And in fact its, Twisted and backwards, One in the palm, And two on the cactus, (ouch)
I'm living life unconventionally, sleeping in uncomfortable places and ignoring societal norms. I'm really enjoying the music that we're creating and the unconventional sounds that we're using.
You me in the sack burning swift, Playin' saxes, Musical love games, No shame in the practice.
We're playing music together and enjoying each other's company, with no shame or judgment on our love games.
And she move and sways, To the sounds that we play, Like palm trees on a bright sunny day, And all around the world, And they always come to play, 'Cause they're crazy and always amaze me,
Our music inspires people to dance and enjoy life, and we're constantly amazed by the energy and enthusiasm of our fans.
I was down in Barbados, Tryin' to lay low, Little did I know about ?? ?? from Padro, Send my last Pasos, Some Argentina caso, Love affairs with the night, Movin' away slow, She said baby don't go, I said I don't know, I just flow to the rhythm, Leave them all loco, I'm in Santa Cruz, With the double dunkeroos, Which one will I lose? Which one will I choose?
I was trying to lie low in Barbados, but ended up getting involved in a love affair with a woman from Padro. I'm struggling to choose between her and another woman from Santa Cruz.
C-c-crazy [Babbling]
Just some crazy babbling sounds.
In Brooklyn, They call me disco mark the mark, In Berlin they call me military ego, And in the UK, I’m ?? TK, And all around the world, And I’m down with the people, (Let’s get down) In Brooklyn, They call me disco mark the mark, In Berlin they call me military ego, (Arriba, Arriba)And in the UK, I’m ?? TK, And all around the world, And I’m chillin’ with my people.
I have different nicknames in different places, but at the end of the day, I'm down with the people and just enjoying life and music with them.
Contributed by Lily G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.