From the rugged green mountains of Dominica a passionate manifestation of R… Read Full Bio ↴From the rugged green mountains of Dominica a passionate manifestation of Rastafari comes forward in reggae. His name is Nasio Fontaine and his music has the power to flow into your consciousness and lift your energy. His voice has an unmistakable resonance and his lyrics speak to all Jah children.

Nasio was the youngest of seven children born to a Carib Indian mother and father of African descent, in the village of Carte-Bois, Dominica. The family lived in a one room wooden country house without running water or electricity. Before heading off to school, Nasio and his brothers and sisters walked miles to the Gwiyo River to fetch fresh water for the household.

When he was eight years old, Nasio began singing in the Bagatelle school and the village Catholic church. Nasio had a habit of making instruments out of everything he could find. "My Dad, Atto, made my very first instrument, a piece of board with fishing lines for strings; it meant everything to me." According to the village residents, Nasio was often the highlight of the annual school talent shows, and "a blessing to listen to".

Nasio’s musical inspiration comes from Rastafari but on the earthly plane, reggae greats such as Culture’s Joseph Hill, Burning Spear, Jacob Miller and of course Bob Marley. He is also influenced by Marvin Gaye, the Beatles, Curtis Mayfield, and Dominican Cadence music, like Chubby and the Midnight Groovers. He is very focused on what his music is saying, the message he wants to portray.

In the mid-1980s, Nasio moved from Dominica to the hustle and bustle of the island of St. Maarten where he recorded his first 12" single Born to Be Free (1986) and EP Babylon is Falling (1990). His first full length CD Reggae Power (1994) was followed by Wolf Catcher (1997) and Revolution (1999). He soon became a sensation by the power of the music and word of mouth alone.

Lovers of reggae music throughout the world know Nasio’s name, his voice and his conscious lyrics. He speaks of revolution, of waking up the sleeping consciousness of oppressed and freedom loving people across the Earth. In his own words, “the music is important; I want my music to be my contribution to the people of the world.” The world of Reggae and indeed the world of music needs a new voice, get ready to be "Living in the Positive" with Nasio Fontaine.

Riding On
Nasio Fontaine Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Promise is a comfort to a fool
But I ain't dumb (I see their deception)
Don't you try to show me like you right
Everybody knows you wrong
Well here comes tomorrow
So I place my bet (natty nah go lose sah)
What you give, man, that's what you'll get, yo!
Life is my concept, oh

(A) Oh problems and problems we riding on
Tribulation upon tribulation
Say we riding on
Come what may, come what may
Night and day we riding on, we riding on

Man through stormy weather yo!
We riding, on and on, we riding on
We riding on and on and on and on and on, yeah!

I ain't got no time to lose over spilled milks and
stumbling blocks (it's good over evil)
Turbulent times and the storm is ragin yet we will
survive
Many days can't find no bread
Many nights no place to rest my head, uhh (natty keep
on riding)
You never stand ina the fire, oh no, no
So you never get burn, ohh yeahh

Repeat A

Man, oppression couldn't hold us down
Couldn't push us around
Say we riding on, we riding on, oh yeah!

Repeat A

Well oppression couldn't hold us down, ohhy
Tribulation make I the better one, oh yeah (see the
people fighting, fighting)
Man, oppression make I the better one (natty keep on
rising)
Yeah, yeah
Make I the tougher, yo! (the heathen keep on fighting,
fighting)
Tribulation make I the better man (still natty keep on
rising)
Say we riding on, we riding on
We riding on and on and on and on and on, uhhh
We riding on
Man, oppression couldn't hold us down

Couldn't push us around
We riding on...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Nasio Fontaine's song Riding On speak of perseverance and resilience despite the odds. The first verse emphasizes his discernment, stating that he sees through the deception of others who try to convince him they are right. He places his bets on himself and his concept of life, suggesting that what you give is what you get. The chorus repeats the phrase "we riding on" several times, implying that no matter the problems or tribulations, they are pushing forward through it all. The second verse acknowledges turbulent times, with no food or shelter, but the mantra "natty keep on riding" indicates a determination to continue despite the challenges. The outro emphasizes that oppression couldn't hold them down, and tribulations only made them better.

The song's main message is one of resilience, demonstrating how a person can continue to push ahead despite the adversities they face. It is an anthem for those who face opposition and hardship, encouraging them to keep moving forward with the confidence that they can overcome their struggles. Additionally, it is also notable for its use of Rastafarian terminology, such as "natty," which means dreadlocks or a person who wears them. This language connects the song to the Rastafari movement in Jamaica, which has played an essential role in shaping reggae music and its message of freedom and equality.

Line by Line Meaning

Promise is a comfort to a fool
Foolish people take comfort in empty promises, but I am not stupid and can see through their deceit.

But I ain't dumb (I see their deception)
I am not naive and can see through the deception of others.

Don't you try to show me like you right
Do not try to convince me that you are right when everyone else knows that you are wrong.

Everybody knows you wrong
It is clear to everyone that you are wrong.

Well here comes tomorrow
The future is uncertain and unpredictable.

So I place my bet (natty nah go lose sah)
I am taking a chance and placing my bet, trusting that everything will work out in the end.

What you give, man, that's what you'll get, yo!
Your actions and decisions will determine what you receive in return.

Life is my concept, oh
I am in control of my own life and make my own decisions.

Oh problems and problems we riding on
Despite all of the problems we face, we keep moving forward.

Tribulation upon tribulation
We face one difficult situation after another.

Come what may, come what may
No matter what happens, we will persevere.

Night and day we riding on, we riding on
We keep moving forward, no matter what time of day or night it is.

Man through stormy weather yo!
We face difficult situations and circumstances.

We riding, on and on, we riding on
We keep moving forward, no matter what obstacles we face.

I ain't got no time to lose over spilled milks and stumbling blocks (it's good over evil)
I do not waste time worrying about small problems or obstacles because good will always triumph over evil.

Turbulent times and the storm is ragin yet we will survive
Even in the midst of turbulent times, we will persevere and survive.

Many days can't find no bread
At times, it is difficult to find enough resources to survive.

Many nights no place to rest my head, uhh (natty keep on riding)
At times, there is nowhere to go and no comfortable place to rest, but we keep moving forward.

You never stand ina the fire, oh no, no
If you never take risks, you will never achieve anything great.

So you never get burn, ohh yeahh
It is only by taking risks and facing challenges that one can achieve greatness without getting burned.

Man, oppression couldn't hold us down
Despite facing oppression, we persevered and were not defeated.

Couldn't push us around
Oppressors were unable to control us or our actions.

Tribulation make I the better one
Despite the difficulties we face, we become stronger and better people because of them.

Make I the tougher, yo!
Challenges make us tougher and better able to face future obstacles.

The heathen keep on fighting, fighting
Our enemies continue to fight against us.

Still natty keep on rising
Despite continued opposition, we keep moving forward and rising to the challenge.

Man, oppression make I the better one
Oppression and difficulty have made us better and stronger people.

Say we riding on, we riding on, oh yeah!
We keep moving forward, no matter what obstacles we face.

Oppression couldn't hold us down, ohhy
We were not defeated by oppression.

Tribulation make I the better one, oh yeah (see the people fighting, fighting)
Difficulty and tribulation have made us better people, and we continue fighting against our enemies.

Natty keep on riding
We keep moving forward, no matter what challenges we face.

We riding on and on and on and on and on, uhhh
We keep moving forward, no matter how long it takes.

Man, oppression couldn't hold us down
Oppression was not able to defeat us or our spirits.

Couldn't push us around
Oppression was unable to control us or our actions.

We riding on...
We keep moving forward, no matter what obstacles we face.

Writer(s): Hopeton Earl Hibbert, Nasio Fontaine

Contributed by Kaelyn M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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