Originally formed in 1997 for Easy Star Records’ first recordings, the All-Stars primarily existed as a studio entity until releasing Dub Side of the Moon. The success of that album led to the formation of a touring version of the collective. The core of the touring line-up has remained relatively intact, including Ras Iray (bass/vocals), Junior Jazz (guitar/vocals), Ive-09 (drums) and Jeremy Mage (keyboards) in the rhythm section. Tamar-kali and Menny More provide additional lead and backing vocals, while the group is filled out by the Chronic Horns (Jennifer Hill on saxophone & flute and Buford O’Sullivan on trombone). The band is always mixed live by a dub engineer, usually Marcos Ferrari or Jocko Randall (of John Brown’s Body). Other members of the musical collective, such as Victor Rice (Victor Rice Octet, Version City All-Stars and bassist on Dub Side of the Moon), reggae legend Ranking Joe, trumpet player Pam Fleming (of the Burning Brass), singers Kirsty Rock (of Trumystic) and Stephanie McKay, Groove Collective’s Jay Rodriguez, Antibalas’s Stuart Bogie, John Brown Body’s Josh Driscoll, and even Ticklah and Michael G join the All-Stars on specific gigs, adding their abilities to the already talented ensemble.
The Easy Star All-Stars—in any combination of members—have been a resounding success. The band has played at numerous major festivals or headlined their own shows in the U.S., U.K., France, Italy, Chile, Poland, Turkey, Mexico, Argentina, Israel, Croatia, Ireland, Egypt, Brazil, and beyond.
As individuals, the band’s vocalists and instrumentalists have toured and recorded with Burning Spear, Toots and the Maytals, Jimmy Cliff, Gil Scott-Heron, The Toasters, The Meditations, Bernie Worrell, DJ Logic, MC Solaar, King Django, Antibalas, The Scofflaws, Diana King, Dennis Brown, Monty Alexander, Sister Carol, and many others. Each of these musicians gets a chance to shine in the typical Easy Star set, whether it is through soloing, composing, or singing, or simply through playing an essential part in this tight-knit collective. Each line-up may result in slightly different sounds for this unique reggae band, but regardless of who plays, the one thing that never changes is that the Easy Star All-Stars deliver a fun, exciting, and different show every time out.
Let Down
Easy Star All-Stars Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Starting and then stopping, taking off and landing
The emptiest of feelings, disappointed people, clinging on
To bottles 'cause when it comes it's so, so, so disappointing
Let down and hanging around
Crushed like a bug in the ground
I say let down and hanging around
Shell smashed, juices flowing, wings twitch, legs are going
Don't get sentimental, don't, it always ends up drivel
One day, one day, I am gonna, I am gonna grow wings, a chemical reaction
Hysterical and useless, hysterical and
Let down and hanging around
Crushed like a bug in the ground
I say let down and hanging around
Let down and hanging, let down and hanging, let down and hanging
You know, you know where you are with, you know where you are with
Floor collapsing, falling, bouncing back
One day, one day, I am gonna grow wings, it's a chemical reaction
Hysterical and useless
I say let down and hanging around
Crushed, crushed like a bug in the ground
Let down and hanging around
The song Let Down by Easy Star All-Stars is a cover of the original song by Radiohead. The lyrics describe a feeling of disappointment and disillusionment with the world. The first verse describes the mundanity of everyday life, with references to transportation and routine actions like starting and stopping. The second half of the verse speaks to the disappointment felt by people, who cling to bottles (perhaps of alcohol) as a coping mechanism. The chorus then reflects this feeling of being let down, with the imagery of being crushed like a bug on the ground.
Line by Line Meaning
Transport, motorways and tram lines
A reference to the modernity and vastness of the world we live in with advanced transport systems.
Starting and then stopping, taking off and landing
The constant, repetitive motion of life and how it can feel like we're always just getting started or stopping without making progress.
The emptiest of feelings, disappointed people, clinging on
A feeling of disappointment that can make people resort to self-destructive behavior to cope.
To bottles 'cause when it comes it's so, so, so disappointing
The artist is using alcohol as a means of escape because of how disappointing life can be.
Let down and hanging around
Feeling dejected and aimless with no clear direction in sight.
Crushed like a bug in the ground
A feeling of being utterly defeated and powerless in the face of disappointment.
Shell smashed, juices flowing, wings twitch, legs are going
A metaphor for the discomfort of change and growth, and how it can cause turmoil before resulting in progress.
Don't get sentimental, don't, it always ends up drivel
A warning against getting too emotional during difficult times, as it often leads to irrational thinking and behavior.
One day, one day, I am gonna, I am gonna grow wings, a chemical reaction
A hope and belief that one day the artist will grow and change into something new and better.
Hysterical and useless, hysterical and
A recognition of the irrational and harmful behavior that can arise from an overwhelming sense of disappointment.
You know, you know where you are with, you know where you are with
A repetition of the phrase to emphasize the stability and familiarity that can come from understanding one's situation, even if it is disappointing.
Floor collapsing, falling, bouncing back
The tumultuous nature of life, including setbacks and struggles followed by resilience and recovery.
Contributed by Charlie E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Nicole Mitchell
Transport
Motorways and tramlines
Starting and then stopping
Taking off and landing
The emptiest of feelings
Disappointed people
Clinging onto bottles
And when it comes it's so so disappointing
Let down and hanging around
Crushed like a bug in the ground
Let down and hanging around
Shell smashed, juices flowing
Wings twitch legs are going
Don't get sentimental
It always ends up drivel
One day I am gonna grow wings
A chemical reaction
Hysterical and useless
Hysterical and
Let down and hanging around
Crushed like a bug in the ground
Let down and hanging around
Let down and hanging
Let down
Let down
You know, you know where you are with
You know where you are with
Floor collapsing, floating
Bouncing back and
One day I am gonna grow wings
A chemical reaction
(You know where you are)
Hysterical and useless
(You know where you are)
Hysterical and
(You know where you are)
Let down and hanging around
Crushed like a bug in the ground
Let down and hanging around
CANAL AVULSO
Transport
Motorways and tramlines
Starting and then stopping
Taking off and landing
The emptiest of feelings
Disappointed people
Clinging onto bottles
And when it comes it's so so disappointing
Let down and hanging around
Crushed like a bug in the ground
Let down and hanging around
Shell smashed, juices flowing
Wings twitch legs are going
Don't get sentimental
It always ends up drivel
One day I am gonna grow wings
A chemical reaction
Hysterical and useless
Hysterical and
Let down and hanging around
Crushed like a bug in the ground
Let down and hanging around
Let down and hanging
Let down
Let down
You know, you know where you are with
You know where you are with
Floor collapsing, floating
Bouncing back and
One day I am gonna grow wings
A chemical reaction
(You know where you are)
Hysterical and useless
(You know where you are)
Hysterical and
(You know where you are)
Let down and hanging around
Crushed like a bug in the ground
Let down and hanging around
StevieAgnew_Number1
this allows a very lost, very cynical man to feel pretty good for 5 minutes. What a cover.
Cubicdissection
I know it’s been a while since you posted his but I hope you’re doing all right, friend.
Fartun L
and woman
anarseniciste
Before I listened to that track, if someone told me there could be a deep-felt non-humoristic ska cover of Radiohead's Let Down, I would have laughed myself silly... but there it is. This must be one of the greatest song cover of all times, just far enough from the mark with the same overwhelming feeling of helplessness, only warmer. Makes me want to dance and cry at the same time. Respect and RIP Toots.
Yo mamma
It's a chemical reaction.
anarseniciste
@Yo mamma yup, I can feel my wings growing already
Chris Gee
Nailed it 👊🏼
JBECKS
Rest in Power, Toots Hibbert. You were brilliant and this song exemplifies that.
bprman
the best story about Radiodread is that the year it came out, Radiohead had it on heavy rotation on their tour bus - love the story below about Jonny Greenwood asking for it on a radio call in, too...just sublime
amino1
Lol I didn't know that. I requested it on the radio, too, and they played it!