After going their separate ways, and each converting to the Rastafari movement, they reunited in Kingston and formed a vocal group. Funding for their first album came in the form of a grant from the Twelve Tribes of Israel branch of Rastafari after Hugh Booth, a member of the Twelve Tribes, had overheard the three men singing in a wooded area outside Kingston. Apple and Wiss were living in the area, which they had converted into a home.
Israel Vibration recorded three albums; "The Same Song", "Unconquered People", and "Why You So Craven" before temporarily disbanding in 1981 after recording sessions for the latter were left incomplete. The three men moved to the United States to seek professional health care and escape the growing Dancehall movement in Jamaica. In 1988, Gary "Dr. Dread" Himmelfarb, founder of RAS Records, urged the trio to reunite and record an album. Skelly, Apple, and Wiss were flown to Washington, D.C. to record a new album at Lion and Fox Recording Studios. "Strength of my Life", the group's fourth album and first of 18 CD releases on the RAS label, was met with great praise and is considered one of the few post-golden era touchstones of the roots reggae genre.
In 1997, Apple Gabriel left the group to pursue a solo career. Skelly and Wiss continue to record albums and tour the world as Israel Vibration, backed by longtime associates Roots Radics.
Brother's Keeper
Israel Vibration Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Greedy, glutenous and envious.
A friend in need is a friend indeed.
We're in this melting pot together,
So we must take heed.
Cast no stone, no man no perfect.
Let me see who can throw first blow.
Nuff got skeleton in hidden closet.
I am your brother. I am your keeper.
You're my brother. You're my keeper.
If there's a problem, let's try to solve it,
Before it gets too late.
This ya problem, do not ignore them,
Because this time it's gonna be great.
There's gonna be a war. Racial war.
Nation slauhtering nation.
There's gonna be a war. Racial war.
Nation raise against nation.
For the mercy of the children
Teach the children to unite.
For the mercy of the children
Black and white must unite.
No man is perfect beneath the sun.
We all get pay for the work that we done.
Wiping the matter from out of your eye.
Before you come pointing your finger pon I
I am you keeper because you're my brother.
You're my keeper because you're my brother.
You sure there's something you can do,
To help someone worse off than you.
Because he's your brother
And he can never be too heavy now.
The lyrics of Israel Vibration's "Brother's Keeper" emphasize the importance of treating each other with kindness and compassion, as we are all connected and responsible for each other's well-being. The opening lines convey a sense of disillusionment and frustration with the injustices that pervade society, such as greed and envy. The phrase "a friend in need is a friend indeed" suggests that true friendship is characterized by support and solidarity during difficult times.
The song then shifts to a message of unity and understanding, as the lyrics urge us to recognize that we are all flawed and imperfect beings, and that we should not judge or condemn each other. The call to "cast no stone" echoes the biblical story of Jesus and the adulterous woman, in which Jesus challenges a group of men who are ready to stone a woman accused of adultery by saying, "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." The lyrics also caution against harboring secrets or prejudices that can divide us, emphasizing the importance of honesty and transparency in relationships.
The song ends on a note of hope, emphasizing the need to work together to overcome the divisions and conflicts that threaten humanity. The repetition of the phrase "I am your brother, I am your keeper" reinforces the idea that we are all interconnected and responsible for each other's safety and well-being. The mention of a "racial war" suggests that the song may have been inspired by the racial tensions that were prevalent in Jamaica and other parts of the world during the 1970s and 80s, when Israel Vibration was first gaining popularity.
Line by Line Meaning
Man to man is so unjust.
People are treating each other unfairly.
Greedy, glutenous and envious.
People are only interested in their own material gain and feel jealous of others.
A friend in need is a friend indeed.
True friends are the ones who help you when you are in trouble.
We're in this melting pot together, So we must take heed.
We are all living in the same world and should be careful about how we treat each other.
Cast no stone, no man no perfect.
No one is perfect, so we should not judge others harshly.
Let me see who can throw first blow.
Let's see who is willing to start a fight.
Nuff got skeleton in hidden closet. This is something we all should know.
Many people have secrets that they keep hidden, and we should be aware of this fact.
I am your brother. I am your keeper.
We are all connected as brothers and should look out for each other.
You're my brother. You're my keeper.
We are all connected as brothers and should look out for each other.
If there's a problem, let's try to solve it, Before it gets too late.
We should work together to solve problems before they become too difficult to handle.
This ya problem, do not ignore them, Because this time it's gonna be great.
We should not ignore the problems we are currently facing because they are serious and need to be addressed.
There's gonna be a war. Racial war. Nation slaughtering nation.
There is a risk of a war breaking out between different races and nations, resulting in deaths and destruction.
There's gonna be a war. Racial war. Nation raise against nation.
There is a risk of a war breaking out between different races and nations, resulting in deaths and destruction.
For the mercy of the children Teach the children to unite.
We should teach children to come together and work towards common goals for their well-being.
For the mercy of the children Black and white must unite.
People of all races should come together for the sake of the children.
No man is perfect beneath the sun.
Everybody has flaws and makes mistakes.
We all get pay for the work that we done.
We are rewarded for the effort we put in.
Wiping the matter from out of your eye. Before you come pointing your finger pon I
Take care of your own problems before criticizing others.
I am you keeper because you're my brother.
We should look out for each other because we are connected as brothers.
You're my keeper because you're my brother.
We should look out for each other because we are connected as brothers.
You sure there's something you can do, To help someone worse off than you.
We should try to help those who are less fortunate than ourselves.
Because he's your brother And he can never be too heavy now.
We should help our brothers, no matter how difficult it may seem.
Contributed by Ryan S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Garvey Ufot
on Friday Evening
Oh may take a while, Rasta
Oh rabam rabam bastira
Give thanks that you can find it in this time
It′s Friday evening, can't even find a dime, yeah
I say I feel like committing a crime, nooo
Still I know Jah will never leave me behind, no way
Pickney deh a-yard, seh dem waan food
(Friday evening) hey, hey (so deceiving)
Wife a cuss landlord, seh dem get rude
(Friday evening) hey, hey (unbelieving)
I man a-find it hard, in a bad mood
Woah, yeah
Give thanks that you can find your fish and bread (Friday evening, yeah)
It′s Friday evening and I man belly well red (seh the system dread)
I man so hungry, I man a-get swell head, yeah
Can't 'member when I've eaten fish and bread, nooo, hey
Stera stera sterara tenam
Stare stera stare tera tena
Stera stera sterara stera
Woah, woah, woah yeh
Pickney deh a-yard, seh dem waan food
(Friday evening) hey, hey (so deceiving)
Wife a cuss landlord, seh dem get rude
(Friday evening) hey, hey (unbelieving)
I man a-find it hard, in a bad mood
Woah oh, woah oh
Give thanks that you can find your fish and bread (Friday evening, yeah)
It′s Friday evening and I man belly well red (seh the system dread)
I man so hungry, I man a-get swell head, yeah
Can't 'member when I've eaten fish and bread, nooo
Friday evening, yeah (Friday evening)
Can′t even find a dime (so deceiving)
Friday evening, yeah (Friday evening)
Can't really get what′s mine (unbelieving)
It's Friday evening, yeah (Friday evening)
I don′t enjoy it, anyway (Natty crying)
Friday evening, yeah (Friday evening)
Man feel like destroy it, hey, hey (nothing eating)
It's Friday evening (Friday evening)
Woah oh, woah oh, oh, oh, oh (so deceiving)
It's Friday evening (Friday evening)
Woah oh (unbelieving)
It′s Friday evening, yeah (Friday evening)
Weche
on back staba
You skin up your teeth with I and you don't like the rasta dreadlocks
Jacob said we inna tenament yard a bagga wolf de amongst the dread
Licky Licky laba laba susu susu
Demma backstabba
Me back bigger than your dartboard, ooh
You wet your mouth like I told u so
..........
Bredda Michael
on Ball Of Fire
Ahhh-ah-ah,
Ahh-ah,
Ahh-ah.
Say, say, say, now.
(CHORUS) 2X
Ball,
Ball of fire,
Ball of fire,
Gonna…
Clap up inna Babylon.
Ten thousand
Careless Ethiopians,
Went down…
Down inna ground…
Hey-hey,
Hey, Big man,
Your ‘ealth, nor your wealth can save you now (cyan’ save you)
Drivin' in your big limo trap,
Chauffeur-driven an’ you sittin' in di back (when you wake up in fire).
Inna dem a-time, I know,
Fire gonna burn mi den… (gonna burn mi easy).
I-a congo natty rastaman know
That it-a gonna be dread.
(CHORUS)
You can seh yuh know…
Ten thousand
Careless Ethiopians,
Went down…
Down inna ground…
Hey, Big Man
Your ‘ealth, nor your wealth can save you now. (cyan’ save you)
Drivin' in your big Cadillac,
You’re chauffeur-driven an’ you jammin' in di back (when you wake up in fire)
Where ya gonna run?
When this-a fire start to burn? (gonna burn mi easy).
Ten thousand careless Ethiopians,
Went down with Babylon.
(CHORUS)
Where ya gonna run? Where ya gonna run?
When this-a fire, this-a fire start to bu’n?
Ten thousand careless Ethiopians
Clap up inna Babylon.
To di rock,
Waan di Christ for ‘imself
When a fire isn’t the worst, it’s something else
Weh ya gonna run? Weh ya gonna run?
When this-a fire, this-a fire start to bu’n?
James Bouryiotis
on Why Worry
these are entirely different lyrics!
Paul Salcido
on I'll Go Through
These are not the lyrics!!!!
Mitchell Nobles
on Red Eyes
i love the music everything i go in the street..
Eh Shehu
on My Master's Will
good weed boy