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.
Police & Thieves
Lee "Scratch" Perry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh yeah!
Scaring the nation with their guns and ammunition
Police and thieves in the street
Oh yeah!
Fighting the nation with their guns and ammunition
From Genesis to Revelation
From Genesis to Revelation
The next generation will be hear me
And all the crowd comes in day by day
No one stop it in anyway
And all the peacemaker turn war officer
Hear what I say
Police, police, police and thieves oh yeah
Police, police, police and thieves oh yeah
From Genesis oh yeah
Police, police, police and thieves oh yeah
Scaring, fighting the nation
Shooting, shooting their guns and ammunition
Police, police, police and thieves oh yeah
Police, police, police and thieves oh yeah
Here come, here come, here come
The station is bombed
Get out get out get out you people
If you don't wanna get blown up
The lyrics to Lee "Scratch" Perry's song "Police & Thieves" can be seen as a commentary on the social and political climate of Jamaica in the 1970s, when crime rates were high and the police force was seen as corrupt and ineffective. Perry's lyrics speak to the tension between the police and the people they are meant to protect, with both sides resorting to violence and aggression. The chorus, "Police and thieves in the streets, oh yeah! Scaring the nation with their guns and ammunition, fighting the nation with their guns and ammunition" succinctly sums up this tension.
Perry also speaks to the idea that this conflict is cyclical, with each generation facing the same problems as the one before: "From Genesis to Revelation, the next generation will hear me." The fact that Perry references the Bible here could be seen as a nod to the idea that these types of conflicts have been happening for thousands of years and are a part of the human experience. Additionally, the line "And all the peacemaker turn war officer, hear what I say" could be interpreted as an indictment of the police force, suggesting that even those who start out with good intentions can be corrupted by the system.
Line by Line Meaning
Police and thieves in the streets
The streets are full of police officers and criminals who are fighting each other.
Scaring the nation with their guns and ammunition
These police officers and thieves are terrorizing the whole country by using guns and bullets.
Fighting the nation with their guns and ammunition
These gangs of police and thieves are engaged in a battle with the whole community using their weapons.
From Genesis to Revelation
Starting from the beginning to the end of the holy book, I am making this statement.
The next generation will be hear me
I am confident that the next generation will listen to me quietly.
And all the crowd comes in day by day
Everyday the number of people gathering to witness this chaos is growing.
No one stop it in anyway
No one is trying to stop this violence and destruction in any way.
And all the peacemaker turn war officer
Even the peace-loving citizens are turning into violent law enforcers due to the situation.
Hear what I say
Listen to my words carefully and take strong action to stop this chaos.
Police, police, police and thieves oh yeah
Repeating the phrase to emphasize the abundance of police officers and thieves.
Scaring, fighting the nation
The actions of these groups are causing fear and chaos throughout the country.
Shooting, shooting their guns and ammunition
They are actively firing their guns and bullets at each other.
Here come, here come, here come
Announcing the arrival of a new group of criminals or police officers.
The station is bombed
The police station has been attacked with a bomb or explosive.
Get out get out get out you people
Urging the citizens to leave the area immediately to protect themselves from harm.
If you don't wanna get blown up
If you want to avoid getting injured or killed in the explosion, you need to leave right now.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JUNIOR MURVIN, LEE PERRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tony Knaggs
RIP Lee Perry - you fucking genius.....
Anser Nivis Schnegans
True legend ....❤💛💚
Jake Muirhead
Like a lot of Gen X American white kids I was first introduced to this amazing song by The Clash. Now I know more about the true genius and beautiful spirit of reggae greats like Lee Scratch Perry. Rest In Peace.
Wanderer kyamani
There would never be reggea ska dub without scratch ...rip lion ....RIP legend ty ...
CitzaMatza
love this song, blessings!!!
Alex
by far my favourite lee scratch perry song
Brian Wilkinson
RIP LEGEND
Planetanitaac
Masterpiece
Ricky Avila
The real Rasta roots music
Victor Yañez Delarosa
Yeah...so sad he's gone, young too, he was a blessing on the earth , R.I.P