Perry began his career in the late 1950s working with Clement Coxsone Dodd's sound system. He eventually performed a variety of important tasks at Studio One as well as recording about thirty songs, but the pair eventually stopped working together due to personality and financial conflicts.
Working with Joe Gibbs, Perry continued his recording career, but once again, financial problems caused conflict. Perry broke ranks with Gibbs and formed his own label, Upsetter, in 1968. His first single "People Funny Boy", which was an insult directed at Gibbs, sold very well. It is notable for its innovative use of a sample (a crying baby) as well as a fast, chugging beat that would soon become identifiable as "reggae" (the new sound did not really have a name at this time). During the 1970s, Perry released numerous recordings on a variety of record labels that he controlled, and many of his songs were popular in both Jamaica and the U.K. He soon became known for his innovative production techniques as well as his eccentric character.
In the early 1970s, Perry was one of the producers whose mixing board experiments resulted in the creation of dub. In 1973, Perry built a studio in his back yard, The Black Ark, to have more control over his productions and continued to produce notable musicians such as Bob Marley & the Wailers, Junior Byles, The Heptones, and Max Romeo. With his own studio at his disposal, Perry's productions became more lavish, as the energetic producer was able to spend as much time as he wanted on the music he produced. It is important to note that virtually everything Perry recorded in The Black Ark was done using rather basic recording equipment; through sonic sleight-of-hand, Perry made it sound completely unique. Perry remained behind the mixing desk for many years, producing songs and albums that stand out as a high point in reggae history. By 1978, stress and unwanted outside influences began to take their toll: both Perry and The Black Ark quickly fell into a state of disrepair. Eventually, the studio burned to the ground. Perry has constantly insisted that he burned the Black Ark himself in a fit of rage, but it was most likely an accident caused by faulty wiring. After the demise of the Black Ark in the early 1980s, Perry spent time in England and the United States, performing live and making erratic records with a variety of collaborators. It was not until the late 1980s that Perry's career began to get back on solid ground again, after working with British producers Adrian Sherwood and Neil Fraser, better known as Mad Professor.
Perry lived in Switzerland for a while with his wife Mireille Campbell-Rüegg and two children. He continued to record and perform to enthusiastic audiences in Europe and North America late into his life. His later music is a far cry from his reggae days in Jamaica; many saw this part of Perry's career as more of a performance artist in several respects. In 2003, Perry won a Grammy for Best Reggae Album with the album Jamaican ET. He teamed up with a group of Swiss musicians and perform under the name Lee Perry and the White Belly Rats. in 2015, Perry’s recording studio in Switzerland was damaged by a fire that destroyed various unreleased recordings and some of his stage gear. In 2020 Perry moved with his wife to Jamaica, where he died on 29 August 2021.
Babylon
Lee "Scratch" Perry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
War inna babylon, tribal war inna Babylon
Let me tell, it sipple out deh
A wha' you seh, it sipple out deh, oh yeah
War inna babylon, tribal war inna Babylon
It sipple out deh, wha' you seh, it sipple out deh, oh yeah
De baba men nuh like de dreadlocks man
De po-lice men nuh like de dreadlocks man
De dreadlocks man nuh like de po-lice man, no
So war inna babylon, tribal war inna Babylon
Let me tell, it sipple out deh
A wha' you seh, it sipple out deh, oh yeah
War inna babylon, tribal war inna Babylon
Let me tell, it sipple out deh
A wha' you seh, it sipple out deh, oh yeah
When come pride then cometh shame
A man pride shall bring him low, yeah, oh yeah
Honour shall uphold the humble in spirit
And you know it's true, yeah , oh yeah
War inna babylon, tribal war inna Babylon
A wha' you seh, it sipple out deh
So wha' fe do ? we slide out deh, oh yeah
War inna babylon, tribal war inna Babylon
A wha' you seh, it sipple out deh
So wha' fe do ? mek we slide out deh, oh yeah
True, true, true, it sipple out deh
So wha' fe do ? mek we slide out deh, oh yeah
true, true, true, it sipple out deh
let me tell, we slide out deh
Marcus garvey prophecise, say:
"One mus' live 10 miles away, yeah, in this time"
I-man satta at the mountain top
Watching Babylon burning red hot, red hot
War inna babylon, tribal war inna Babylon
A wha' you seh, it sipple out deh
So wha' fe do ? we slide out deh, oh yeah
War inna babylon, tribal war inna Babylon
A wha' you seh, it sipple out deh
So wha' fe do ? mek we slide out deh, oh yeah
True, true, true, it sipple out deh
So wha' fe do ? mek we slide out deh, oh yeah
true, true, true, it sipple out deh
let me tell, we slide out deh
The song "Babylon War Dub" by Lee "Scratch" Perry & The Upsetters talks about the ongoing war and conflicts in Babylon, which can be interpreted as a metaphorical representation of the real-life struggles of the people. The use of the repetitive phrase "it sipple out deh" in the song signifies the spread of conflicts and tensions in the society. "Babylon" is often used as a symbol of societal oppression, representing the corrupt and oppressive system aimed at suppressing the people's freedoms and rights.
The song discusses the ongoing conflict and tension between the different societal groups, such as the baba men and dreadlocks man, and the police and dreadlocks man. The lyrics suggest the presence of a tribal war within Babylon, which can be linked to the social and economic divides within the society. The song portrays the negative impacts of pride and highlights the importance of humility in upholding one's honor and spirit.
The song's lyrics also include references to the prophecies of Marcus Garvey, a Jamaican political leader and activist who advocated for black nationalism and pan-Africanism. The lyrics reference the belief that people must live at least ten miles away from Babylon in times of conflict, suggesting that the people should seek to distance themselves from oppressive systems and live in a more peaceful environment.
Overall, "Babylon War Dub" discusses themes of conflict, oppression, tribalism, and the importance of humility and separation from oppressive systems.
Line by Line Meaning
It sipple out deh!
It's spreading out there!
War inna babylon, tribal war inna Babylon
There's war in Babylon, a tribal war in Babylon
Let me tell, it sipple out deh
I'm telling you, it's spreading out there
A wha' you seh, it sipple out deh, oh yeah
What do you say? It's spreading out there, oh yeah
De baba men nuh like de dreadlocks man
The older generation doesn't like the Rastafarians with dreadlocks
De dreadlocks man nuh like de baba man, no
The Rastafarians with dreadlocks don't like the older generation either
De po-lice men nuh like de dreadlocks man
The police don't like the Rastafarians with dreadlocks
De dreadlocks man nuh like de po-lice man, no
The Rastafarians with dreadlocks don't like the police either
When come pride then cometh shame
Pride comes before a fall
A man pride shall bring him low, yeah, oh yeah
A person's pride will bring them down, yeah, oh yeah
Honour shall uphold the humble in spirit
Honor will uphold those with a humble spirit
And you know it's true, yeah , oh yeah
And you know it's true, yeah, oh yeah
So wha' fe do ? we slide out deh, oh yeah
What should we do? Let's slip away from there, oh yeah
True, true, true, it sipple out deh
It's really true, it's spreading out there
let me tell, we slide out deh
Let me tell you, we're slipping away from there
Marcus garvey prophecise, say:
Marcus Garvey prophesied, saying:
"One mus' live 10 miles away, yeah, in this time"
"One must live ten miles away, yeah, in this time"
I-man satta at the mountain top
I, myself, sit at the top of the mountain
Watching Babylon burning red hot, red hot
Watching Babylon burn, red hot
So wha' fe do ? mek we slide out deh, oh yeah
What should we do? Let's slip away from there, oh yeah
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LEE PERRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind