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.
Rastafari
Lee "Scratch" Perry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Duān duān liū liū de zhào zài, Kāngdìng liū liū de chéng yō.
Yuè liang wān wān, Kāngdìng liū liū de chéng yō!
Lǐ jiā liū liū de dà jiě, rén cái liū liū de hǎo yō.
Zhāng jiā liū liū de dà gē, kàn shàng liū liū de tā yō.
Yuè liang wān wān, kàn shàng liū liū de tā yō!
Èrl ái liū liū de kàn shàng, huì dàng liū liū de jiā yō.
Yuè liang wān wān, huì dàng liū liū de jiā yō!
Shì jiān liū liū de nǚ zǐ, rèn wǒ liū liū de ài yō.
Shì jiān liū liū de nán zǐ, rèn nǐ liū liū de qiú yō.
Yuè liang wān wān, rèn nǐ liū liū de qiú yō!
The lyrics of Lee "Scratch" Perry's song Rastafari are in Chinese and depict various scenic locations and people. The opening lines describe a mountain range with flowing clouds and a town called Kangding with its winding streets. The next two stanzas introduce different people from different families. The first is a woman from the Li family, and the other a man from the Zhang family. The last two stanzas are about love, with the fifth stanza expressing love for a girl and how she makes life better, and the sixth is about a boy and how he plays ball and brings happiness.
Overall, the song provides a glimpse of everyday life with beautiful imagery and poetic language. It also evokes a sense of community by mentioning different families and their values. Beyond that, there is no explicit message, but the song seems to celebrate simple pleasures and relationships with others.
Line by Line Meaning
Pǎomǎ liū liū de shān shàng, yī duǒ liū liū de yún yō.
On the mountains, horses run tirelessly, while clouds flow like a stream.
Duān duān liū liū de zhào zài, Kāngdìng liū liū de chéng yō.
Buildings stand tall and proud, while the city of Kangding flows like a stream.
Yuè liang wān wān, Kāngdìng liū liū de chéng yō!
The moon shines bright, illuminating the flowing city of Kangding!
Lǐ jiā liū liū de dà jiě, rén cái liū liū de hǎo yō.
The elder sister of the Li family flows gracefully, along with the good people in this world.
Zhāng jiā liū liū de dà gē, kàn shàng liū liū de tā yō.
The elder brother of the Zhang family flows smoothly, as we watch him flow by.
Yuè liang wān wān, kàn shàng liū liū de tā yō!
The moon shines bright, as we watch him flow by!
Yīl ái liū liū de kàn shàng, rén cái liū liū de hǎo yō.
The one you love flows beautifully, along with the good people in this world.
Èrl ái liū liū de kàn shàng, huì dàng liū liū de jiā yō.
The one you like flows gently, creating waves as he flows by.
Yuè liang wān wān, huì dàng liū liū de jiā yō!
The moon shines bright, creating waves as he flows by!
Shì jiān liū liū de nǚ zǐ, rèn wǒ liū liū de ài yō.
Time flows by for the women, as my love also flows by.
Shì jiān liū liū de nán zǐ, rèn nǐ liū liū de qiú yō.
Time flows by for the men, as you also flow like a ball.
Yuè liang wān wān, rèn nǐ liū liū de qiú yō!
The moon shines bright, as you also flow like a ball!
Writer(s): Oliver Gangloff, Lee Perry, Romain Ferrey, Emmanuel Beriot
Contributed by Makayla R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@bohemiababy4264
Love it ❤
@StephHuegi
Mr Perry is the king of trippy dub ^_^
@diend84
Ogromny big up dla reggaedubstyle za umieszczenie tego kawałka :)
@xitapirata6418
long live good music
@milena6776
REST IN PEACE
@leinhagomes8331
Respect!!
@nannuakloup5425
Rastafari!!!!!
@cliffordgwada
Ishences burning through the night.
@sossuccessecose
Great !!
@bryanricardosanchezlopez377
Que música Qué música tan relajada hora