Israel Vibration is a reggae harmony trio, originating from Kingston, Jamai… Read Full Bio ↴Israel Vibration is a reggae harmony trio, originating from Kingston, Jamaica. Lascelle "Wiss" Bulgin, Albert "Apple Gabriel" Craig, and Cecil "Skeleton" Spence all overcame adversity in the form of childhood polio and went on to be one of the most successful roots groups to form in Jamaica in the late 1970s. The trio initially met at a rehabilitation center.

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.

Pay the Piper
Israel Vibration Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sooner or later someone going have to pay

You take I on your trip
On your stinky slave ship
Some of us survive
While others take their lives

I say

Time to pay the piper
Mr. Rip and Run Off
A long time you and your guy dem
Dem a grab and a laugh
Time to pay the piper
Mr. Rip and Run Off
A long time you and your guy dem
Dem a grab and a laugh

The jews making claims for their Holocaust
The Indian a claim fe the land that they lost
What about the Nina, the Pinta, the Santa Maria?
And de Africans slaves that you raid from Africa
What about the Nina, the Pinta, the Santa Maria?
And the gold and the diamonds you rob from Africa

That's why I say
Time to pay the piper
Mr. Rip and Run Off
A long time you and your guy dem
Dem a grab and a laugh
Time to pay the piper
Mr. Rip and Run Off
A long time you and your guy dem
Dem a grab and a laugh

You take away me roots
You take away me culture
Fly down like a scavenger
Acting like a vulture, oh yeah!

The jews making claims for their Holocaust
The Indian a claim fe the land that they lost
What about the Nina, the Pinta, the Santa Maria?
And the gold and the diamonds you rob from Africa
What about the Nina, the Pinta, the Santa Maria?
And de Africans slaves that you raid from Africa

That's why I say
Time to pay the piper
Mr. Rip and Run Off
A long time you and your guy dem
Dem a grab and a laugh
Time to pay the piper
Mr. Rip and Run Off
A long time you and your guy dem
Dem a grab and a laugh

You take away me roots
You take away me culture
Fly down like a scavenger
Acting like a vulture, oh yeah!

You so gravilicious, malicious and covetious
And with you dirty greed
Greater than you need
You so gravilicious, malicious and covetious
And with your dirty greed
Greater than you need, oh yeah!

Time to pay the piper
Mr. Rip and Run Off
A long time you and your guy dem
Dem a grab and a laugh
Time to pay the piper
Mr. Rip and Run Off

A long time you and your guy dem
Dem a grab and a laugh

Overall Meaning

The first line of the song, "Sooner or later someone going have to pay", sets the tone for the song's message: that those who have committed wrongdoings will have to eventually face the consequences. The lyrics then delve into examples of historical injustices, particularly the slave trade, Native American genocide, and the theft of African resources. Israel Vibration confronts the oppressors ("Mr. Rip and Run Off" and "dem guy dem"), demanding that they "pay the piper" for their actions. The line "You take away me roots, you take away me culture" refers to the effects of colonialism and slavery, which not only stripped people of their freedom but also their cultural heritage.

Overall, "Pay the Piper (Rip and Run Off)" is a call for justice and reparations for the oppressed. It highlights the hypocrisy of those who claim to be victims of historical atrocities but fail to acknowledge or take accountability for their own actions. Through its powerful lyrics and reggae beat, the song urges listeners to recognize the ongoing impact of colonization and slavery and to seek redress for those historical wrongs.

Line by Line Meaning

Sooner or later someone going have to pay
Eventually, somebody will have to take responsibility for their actions.

You take I on your trip
You took me on your journey.

On your stinky slave ship
On your smelly vessel for capturing and transporting slaves.

Some of us survive
Some of us managed to make it through.

While others take their lives
While others did not survive and chose to take their own lives instead.

I say
I assert.

The jews making claims for their Holocaust
Jewish people are asking for recognition and compensation for the atrocities committed against them during the Holocaust.

The Indian a claim fe the land that they lost
Native Americans are demanding recognition and restitution for the land that was taken from them.

What about the Nina, the Pinta, the Santa Maria?
What about the European explorers who plundered and pillaged other countries?

And de Africans slaves that you raid from Africa
What about the African people who were taken from their homes and forced into slavery?

That's why I say
That's why I contend.

You take away me roots
You robbed me of my heritage.

You take away me culture
You stripped me of my customs and traditions.

Fly down like a scavenger
You visit like a scavenger.

Acting like a vulture, oh yeah!
Behaving like a bird of prey.

You so gravilicious, malicious and covetious
You are very greedy, spiteful, and envious.

And with you dirty greed
And your selfish hunger.

Greater than you need
Exceeding what is necessary.

Time to pay the piper
Time to take responsibility for your past actions.