Born in Kent, Judge Dread was the first White British recording artist to get a reggae hit in Jamaica. He got his stage name from a Prince Buster song, and his first hits were inspired by Prince Buster's single, "Big Five".
The Guinness Book of World Records credits Judge Dread for having the most banned songs of all time. Many of his lyrics have sexual connotations, with one song "Big Five" using rhyme to suggest lewd words while not actually saying them. A series of songs with "Big" followed by a number were some of his most notable hits — all of them featuring sexual and humorous lyrics. It is unlikely that you will ever hear his music on mainstream radio because of the nature of his lyrics.
Judge Dread died on stage in The Penny Theatre, Canterbury. At first, his collapse was thought to be part of his humorous and lively stage act, but it was quickly discovered that he was really dead.
In the 1970s, tabloid newspapers expressed concerns that young fans of the comic character Judge Dredd might buy Judge Dread's records by mistake, and hear things that may corrupt their minds.
Banana Throat Song
Judge Dread Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All the way to the sister's home
She like to bite it but she like a piranha
I want some left when I have to go home
(chorus)
Day-o, day-o
Morning come and me have to go home
This woman, she just won't leave me alone
1 inch, 2 inch, 3 inch, 4
She like banana and me give her more
5 inch, 6 inch, 7 inch, 8!
I want to rest but she just won't wait
(repeat chorus)
She cry for more banana but the banana gone
She wake it up and she jump right on
I give her more banana 'till she shout and scream
What good banana if you have no cream!
(repeat chorus)
The morning come and me take home the banana
The Mrs. says "Did you work all night?"
I say "yes" but she know I managed lying
She see the mark where the sister bite!
(chorus)
Day-o, day-o
The woman see it now she won't let me home
Day-o, day-o
This naughty woman she won't leave me alone
The Judge Dread song, "Banana Throat Song" is a humorous and innuendo-filled song about a man delivering bananas to his sister's house, only to be seduced by a woman there. The opening lines, "It's big and heavy but me carry the banana, all the way to the sister's home," establishes that the singer is delivering bananas, but the suggestive language implies that the bananas act as a metaphor for an illicit activity or an affair. The lyrics, "She like to bite it but she like a piranha, I want some left when I have to go home," further underline the notion of a sexual affair, indicating that the singer wishes to leave something for himself despite the woman's ravenousness.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Day-O," which is a reference to the Jamaican folk song "The Banana Boat Song," and is also known as "Day-O." It is believed that Judge Dread's use of this phrase is to further emphasise the lyrical metaphor of bananas representing something more than fruit. The verses of the song continue with further sexual innuendos, with the lines "1 inch, 2 inch, 3 inch, 4, she like banana and me give her more, 5 inch, 6 inch, 7 inch, 8! I want to rest but she just won't wait."
"Bannana Throat Song" is a tongue-in-cheek song, with humorous and suggestive lyrics, that has become a popular classic in the ska and reggae genre. It showcases Judge Dread's ability to find humour in even the most suggestive topics, and his talent for delivering comedic yet catchy and upbeat songs.
Line by Line Meaning
It's big and heavy but me carry the banana
The banana is too sizeable, but I am still moving it from one person's home to my sister's place
All the way to the sister's home
I am taking it to the residence of my sibling
She like to bite it but she like a piranha
The lady desires to indulge in eating it, and she does it violently
I want some left when I have to go home
I hope to have some remaining for myself when it's time for me to leave
Day-o, day-o
Reiteration of the song's chorus
Morning come and me have to go home
The dawn shows up, and it's time for me to head home
This woman, she just won't leave me alone
The lady in question relentlessly tries to get me to stay and spend the night
1 inch, 2 inch, 3 inch, 4
I am measuring the size of the banana in inches
She like banana and me give her more
The woman likes bananas, and I keep giving her a considerable amount
5 inch, 6 inch, 7 inch, 8!
I continue to measure the banana's size in inches
I want to rest but she just won't wait
I desire to take a break, but she is unwilling to let me do so
She cry for more banana but the banana gone
She starts crying for more bananas, but I've already run out of them
She wake it up and she jump right on
She stimulates the banana and then immediately indulges in it
I give her more banana 'till she shout and scream
I keep giving her more bananas until she is moaning and crying out
What good banana if you have no cream!
Bananas do not reach their full potential without cream
The Mrs. says "Did you work all night?"
My spouse asks me if I've been working all night
I say "yes" but she know I managed lying
I lie to her and pretend to say that I've been working although she is aware that it's not true
She see the mark where the sister bite!
She notices a bite mark on my body left by the woman I gave bananas to
The woman see it now she won't let me home
The lady I gave bananas to sees me leaving, and now she is preventing me from going home
This naughty woman she won't leave me alone
The woman is being mischievous and is still not allowing me to leave her place alone
Contributed by Nora J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.