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.
Mud Up
Israel Vibration Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pon the frontline it blood-up blood-up
Babylon you fi ease-up ease-up
You just a push and a squeeze-up squeeze-up
Cast away your evil spell
Jah will pour some water in the well
'Cause you so greedy-greedy
You rob the poor and needy-needy
You and your fancy talking
You cool and deadly walking
You Furmans them stalking, brutalizing and shooting
Dramatizing pon the televee
How the police them a batter we
People mek we unite-unite
'Cause this ya street fight right
Babylon just a bust-up we head
We little children shot down and dead
Where it begin? When will it end!
When lion and tiger become friend
And a him a back-up back-up
Pull me over and a ruff-up tuff-up
Expensive car and gold a shock-out
Jealousy rage, start rip-out rip-out
Work so hard just to survive you see
But the Babylon a envy me
'Cause him system design
Fi hold me down and keep me behind
Move you red eye back-off a mine
You just a grunt and a dig like a swine
You fi ease-up ease-up
You just a squeeze-up squeeze-up
Penalizing harassing each day
Trying to take I freedom away
The lyrics to Israel Vibration's song "Mud Up" narrate the social injustice and corruption faced by civilians at the hands of the Babylon system. The term "mud-up" is used to describe the state of chaos and violence in which the system has plunged society. The opening lines, "So the system mud-up, pon the frontline it blood-up blood-up," indicate the excessive use of force and violence by the Babylon system on the people. The song talks about the need for people to unite and fight against the oppression by the system, which has caused innocent children to lose their lives, and the poor and needy to suffer.
The song highlights how Babylon's greed has driven them to rob the needy, and in their fancy talking and cool deadly walking, they brutalize and shoot innocent citizens. The media is also complicit in dramatizing police violence towards the people. The lyrics appeal for unity among the people to fight against the system, which is out to bust their heads and take away their freedom. The song insists that the greed and jealousy of Babylon need to be put aside before society can progress and bring an end to the mud-up.
Line by Line Meaning
So the system mud-up
The system is corrupted and needs reform
Pon the frontline it blood-up blood-up
In the struggle for justice, there has been a lot of violence and death
Babylon you fi ease-up ease-up
Babylon (corrupt government) should ease up and stop their oppression
You just a push and a squeeze-up squeeze-up
You're only applying force and pressure without reason
Cast away your evil spell
Stop enforcing corrupt values and actions
Jah will pour some water in the well
God will bring justice and fairness to replace the corruption
Cause you so greedy-greedy
You're excessively and selfishly motivated by monetary gain
You rob the poor and needy-needy
You unfairly take resources and opportunities from those in need
You and your fancy talking
You make hollow and insincere promises
You cool and deadly walking
You appear nonchalant and unbothered by the harm you're causing
You Furmans them stalking, brutalizing and shooting
You employ tactics of stalking, brutalizing and shooting of individuals or communities for your gain
Dramatizing pon the televee
The media dramatizes and exaggerates news stories to attract viewership
How the police them a batter we
The police are brutalizing and attacking the people
People mek we unite-unite
People should come together to fight against the oppressors
Cause this ya street fight right
This is a necessary fight against the corrupt government that oppresses people on the streets
Babylon just a bust-up we head
Babylon is being unreasonably violent towards us
We little children shot down and dead
Children are being killed by violence on the streets
Where it begin? When will it end!
The problem of violence and corruption feels ongoing and never ending
When lion and tiger become friend
When unexpected and seemingly impossible alliances are formed
And a him a back-up back-up
He's only backing up his own interests and not working towards changing the system for better
Pull me over and a ruff-up tuff-up
Police pulls me over without reason and roughs me up
Expensive car and gold a shock-out
People flaunt their wealth, causing envy and resentment
Jealousy rage, start rip-out rip-out
Jealousy causes anger and destruction
Work so hard just to survive you see
Life is a struggle and many work hard just to make ends meet
But the Babylon a envy me
Oppressors envy the little progress made by those they oppress
Cause him system design
The corrupt system is intentionally designed to keep certain people behind
Fi hold me down and keep me behind
The system is working to keep me oppressed and restrained
Move you red eye back-off a mine
Stop being jealous and trying to ruin my progress
You just a grunt and a dig like a swine
You're acting like a pig by cabling in the dirt rather than acknowledging my worth
You fi ease-up ease-up
You must ease up and stop your oppressive actions
You just a squeeze-up squeeze-up
You're putting excessive pressure and using force without reason
Penalizing harassing each day
The oppressor is creating undue difficulty in the lives of people by penalizing and harassing them
Trying to take I freedom away
They're striving to snatch away the basic human right that is freedom
Contributed by James W. 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