Boothe seemed, at the time, to have the makings of an international, long-lasting, hit maker, certainly when compared to most of the other latter-day reggae acts. His smoother style gave him a wider appeal, rather like UB40 and Aswad. Boothe's choice of songs also showed the breadth of his musical taste. But for all that, he only managed one more hit in the UK Chart, "Crying over You", which made Number 11.
In more recent times, Boothe has also recorded for Bunny Lee, Phil Pratt, King Jammy, Pete Weston, Jack Ruby, Hugh "Red Man" James, Castro Brown, and Tappa Zukie. Plus in 1995, he teamed up with Shaggy, for a new styled version of his old track, "The Train Is Coming", which appeared on the soundtrack of the film, Money Train.
A double-disc overview of Boothe's Trojan years, Crying over You, was released by the label in 2001.
Boothe's official Web site is at www.kenboothemusic.com
Down by the River
Ken Boothe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Waiting for the good Lord to pass my way
(Oh yeah) I'll be down by the river
Singing songs of joy on this lovely day
(Oh yeah)
Three singing birds told me
By sunrise he's always there in the morning
I heard about this little tale long time ago
But never had the faith to believe in my soul (yeah)
Now mother sent to me three little birds
Singing a son convincing me it was so
Now I'm on my way
Anyone come to see me this day
Tell them I'll be gone for the day
(Oh yeah) I'll be down by the river
Waiting for the good Lord to pass my way
(Oh yeah) I'll be down by the river
Singing songs of joy on this lovely day
(Oh yeah)
I heard about this little tale long time ago
But never had the faith to believe in my soul (yeah)
Now mother sent to me three little birds
Singing a son convincing me it was so
Now I'm on my way
Anyone come to see me this day
Tell them I'll be gone for the day
(Oh yeah) I'll be down by the river
Waiting for the good Lord to pass my way
(Oh yeah) I'll be down by the river
Singing songs of joy on this lovely day
(Oh yeah)
The lyrics of "Down by the River" by Ken Boothe expresses the idea of taking some time out of one's busy schedule to connect with nature and the divine. It opens with the singer declaring that he will go down by the river and wait for the Lord to pass his way. This is an expression of his faith and his desire to connect with the divine power that he believes controls the universe. He plans to sing songs of joy on this lovely day, indicating that being close to the river and the natural surroundings is a source of happiness and inspiration for him.
The second verse talks about how the singer heard of a little tale a long time ago, but he never had the faith to believe it in his soul until he heard three singing birds. These birds have convinced him that the tale is true, which might suggest that he has taken this as a sign from God. He is now on his way to the river to wait for the Lord to pass his way, and he tells anyone who comes to see him that he will be gone for the day. In doing so, he is prioritizing spending time in nature and connecting with God over anything else.
Overall, the lyrics of "Down by the River" are a beautiful representation of the power of nature and spirituality. The song highlights the importance of taking some time out of one's busy schedule to connect with the natural world and the divine, which can provide a source of peace and inspiration.
Line by Line Meaning
(Oh yeah) I'll be down by the river
I am going to be next to the body of water.
Waiting for the good Lord to pass my way
I will wait for the intervention of God in my life.
(Oh yeah) I'll be down by the river
Again, I will be next to the body of water.
Singing songs of joy on this lovely day
I will express happiness through music on this beautiful day.
(Oh yeah)
A vocalization of enthusiasm.
Three singing birds told me
I received a message from birds using their songs.
By sunrise he's always there in the morning
The Lord is always present in the morning.
Praying And blessing the day
He is praying and asking for blessings on the new day.
I heard about this little tale long time ago
I was told a story a while back.
But never had the faith to believe in my soul (yeah)
I did not have the belief in my heart to accept it as truth.
Now mother sent to me three little birds
My mother sent me three birds as a sign.
Singing a son convincing me it was so
The birds sang a song that convinced me it was real.
Now I'm on my way
I am now on my journey.
Anyone come to see me this day
If anyone comes to look for me today.
Tell them I'll be gone for the day
Let them know that I will be away for the day.
Contributed by Reagan O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Kayleigh Cudine
This version has always given me goosebumps
ledatape
Masterpiece! The whole Let's Get It On LP is incredible... every track a blinder! cheers for the upload!
monica n
I love this version ... been looking for it for years ... thank you
delroy washington
Great version of this song by Mr Booth
Richard Mcfarlane
loved this version
Paul Snider
Merry Clayton (the woman who sang the "rape, murder" hook in "Gimme Shelter") cut a sweet soul version of "Southern Man" which appears on her self-titled LP; well worth checking out.
John O’groats
Paul Snider incredible tune
Marrepasdenom
My favourite singer singing my other favourite singer, yes please :) However I have too admit that Neil Young's version has my preference. Good vibes still!
cozyade
you made my day finding this tune.... many thanks....
Mike Felix
Whaaaat unbelievable nugget here