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.

babylon
Nasio Fontaine Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Stop your wars mon!
Come on! Well, well, well.

Babylon a cause all the problems.
They mek the wars,
But you don't know how to solve dem.
Oh yeah, oh yeah!
Systems mek all the problems.

They mek the wars,
But don't know how to solve dem, oh no, oy!
Well it's that easy,
To fly overhead an' drop your bombs,
Upon the innocents.
Well it's that easy,
To fly overhead an' drop your bombs,
Upon the sufferers.

Let me tell you:
War! Is not your solution!
War! Is not your solution!
War and strive, is not the solution
Never was, never will be, so.

Babylon cause all the problems, oh Lord.
They mek the wars,
But you don't know how to solve dem.
Oh yeah, oh yeah!
Systems mek all the problems.
Suffering the innocent!
To their problems they got no solution.
Oh no, oh yeah!

(.)

Global Sheriff!
Mashing down the earth with your iron fist.
Coming with your fool's philosophy,
You think that war gonna bring you peace.
Let me tell you, now:
Blood! Drippin' down yuh dollars, now.
Blood! Runnin' down yuh hands.
Blood! Runnin' down your conscious.
They mek the wars, but you got no solution!

Babylon a cause all the problems, oh yeah.
Mek the wars,
But don't know how to solve dem.
Ey! Oh yeah.

Systesm mek all the problems.
Suffering the masses!
To their problems they got no solution.
Oh no, oh yeah!

Babylon a cause all the problems, oh yeah.
Stop the children and makin' more wars.
Stop your wars!

System cause all the problems.
Through your mix up, you got no solution.

Overall Meaning

Nasio Fontaine's song "Babylon" is a reggae song whose lyrics call for the end of war and violence. The song highlights how Babylon, which in Rastafarianism refers to the corrupt society and government, is responsible for all the problems in the world. The societal systems and, in particular, the political leaders, are solely responsible for the ongoing wars and strife, but they do not possess the solutions to these problems. Instead, the lyrics suggest that they perpetuate violence and bloodshed, and in doing so, they cause more suffering.

Throughout the song, the artist criticizes the notion of war and violence being a solution to conflicts. The song accuses those in power, represented as Babylon and systems, of being accountable for all the atrocities, including innocent lives lost and suffering inflicted on the masses. The artist draws an analogy between the blood from the victims of war trickling down the hands of those responsible, indicating the weight of the vicarious responsibility.

In conclusion, Nasio Fontaine's "Babylon" is a cry for peace and an attack on the political and social systems that perpetuate war and violence. The song emphasizes that these systems must be reformed to bring true peaceful solutions. The lyrics convey the importance of moral responsibility and accountability to elevate society and to end the suffering caused by war and violence.

Line by Line Meaning

Stop your wars mon!
Nasio Fontaine urges people to stop their wars.

Babylon a cause all the problems. They mek the wars, But you don't know how to solve dem. Oh yeah, oh yeah! Systems mek all the problems.
The Babylon system and other systems are responsible for causing problems, including wars, but they do not have the solution to solve them.

Well it's that easy, To fly overhead an' drop your bombs, Upon the innocents. Well it's that easy, To fly overhead an' drop your bombs, Upon the sufferers.
Nasio Fontaine is highlighting the ease at which people can drop bombs on innocent people during wars. He condemns this act of violence.

War! Is not your solution! War! Is not your solution! War and strive, is not the solution Never was, never will be, so.
Nasio Fontaine reiterates that war is not the solution to problems and it has never been one.

Suffering the innocent! To their problems they got no solution. Oh no, oh yeah!
The innocent people suffer due to the problems created by the Babylon system and other systems, but they have no solution to the problems either.

Global Sheriff! Mashing down the earth with your iron fist. Coming with your fool's philosophy, You think that war gonna bring you peace. Let me tell you, now: Blood! Drippin' down yuh dollars, now. Blood! Runnin' down yuh hands. Blood! Runnin' down your conscious. They mek the wars, but you got no solution!
Nasio Fontaine criticizes the Global Sheriff and their misguided notion that war can bring peace. He equates their actions to bloodshed and accuses them of having no solution to the problems they create through war.

Babylon a cause all the problems, oh yeah. Stop the children and makin' more wars. Stop your wars!
Nasio Fontaine blames Babylon for causing problems and calls for everyone to stop making wars, especially for the sake of the children.

System cause all the problems. Through your mix up, you got no solution.
Nasio Fontaine mentions that the system is responsible for the problems, but they do not have a solution to them.

Writer(s): 森雪之丞, 松任谷由実, 布袋寅泰

Contributed by Bella W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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