Early music and with the Wailers
Tosh was born in Westmoreland, the westernmost parish of Jamaica. He was abandoned by his parents and "shuffled among relatives". When McIntosh was fifteen, his aunt died and he moved to Trenchtown in Kingston, Jamaica. He first learned guitar after watching a man in the country play a song that captivated him. He watched the man play the same song for half a day, memorizing everything his fingers were doing. He then picked up the guitar and played the song back to the man. The man then asked McIntosh who had taught him to play; McIntosh told him that he had. During the early 1960s, as an aspiring musician, Tosh went to vocal teacher Joe Higgs, who gave free music lessons to young people. Through his contact with Higgs, Tosh met Robert Nesta Marley (Bob Marley) and Neville O'Reilly Livingston (Bunny Wailer). He then changed his name to Peter Tosh and the trio started singing together in 1962. Higgs taught the trio to harmonise and while developing their music, they would often play on the street corners of Trenchtown.
In 1964 Tosh helped organise the band the Wailing Wailers, with Junior Braithwaite, a falsetto singer, and backup singers Beverley Kelso and Cherry Smith. Initially, Tosh was the only one in the group who could play musical instruments. According to Bunny Wailer, Tosh was critical to the band because he was a self-taught guitarist and keyboardist, and thus became an inspiration for the other band members to learn to play. The Wailing Wailers had a major ska hit with their first single, "Simmer Down", and recorded several more successful singles before Braithwaite, Kelso and Smith left the band in late 1965. Marley spent much of 1966 in Delaware in the United States with his mother, Cedella (née Malcolm) Marley-Booker, and for a brief time was working at a nearby Chrysler factory. He returned to Jamaica in early 1967 with a renewed interest in music and a new spirituality. Tosh and Bunny were already Rastafarians when Marley returned from the US, and the three became very involved with the Rastafari faith. Soon afterwards, they renamed the musical group the Wailers. Tosh would explain later that they chose the name Wailers because to "wail" means to mourn or to, as he put it, "...express one's feelings vocally". He also claims that he was the beginning of the group, and that it was he who first taught Bob Marley the guitar. Also according to Bunny Wailer, the early Wailers learned to play instruments from Tosh.
During the mid-1960s Tosh, along with Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer, were introduced to Danny Sims and Johnny Nash who signed the three artists to an exclusive recording contract on Sims' and Nash's JAD Records label as well as an exclusive publishing agreement through Sims' music publishing company, Cayman Music. Rejecting the up-tempo dance of ska, the band slowed their music to a rocksteady pace, and infused their lyrics with political and social messages inspired by their new-found faith. The Wailers composed several songs for the American-born singer Nash before teaming with producer Lee "Scratch" Perry to record some of the earliest well-known reggae songs, including "Soul Rebel", "Duppy Conqueror", and "Small Axe". The collaboration had given birth to reggae music and in 1970 bassist Aston "Family Man" Barrett and his brother, drummer Carlton Barrett, joined the group. They recorded the album The Best of The Wailers, which was produced by Leslie Kong and released in 1971.[citation needed]
In 1972, Danny Sims assigned the balance of the JAD Records recording contract with the band to Chris Blackwell and Island Records company and released their debut, Catch a Fire, in 1973, following it with Burnin' the same year. The Wailers had moved from many producers after 1970 and there were instances where producers would record rehearsal sessions that Tosh did and release them in England under the name "Peter Touch".
In 1973, Tosh was driving home with his girlfriend Evonne when his car was hit by another car driving on the wrong side of the road. The accident killed Evonne and severely fractured Tosh's skull. After Island Records president Chris Blackwell refused to issue his solo album in 1974, Tosh and Bunny Wailer left the Wailers, citing the unfair treatment they received from Blackwell, to whom Tosh often referred with a derogatory play on Blackwell's surname, 'Whiteworst'. Tosh had written many of the Wailers' hit songs such as "Get Up, Stand Up", "400 Years", and "No Sympathy". Tosh began recording and released his solo debut, Legalize It, in 1976 with CBS Records company, and Treasure Isle. The title track soon became popular among endorsers of cannabis legalization, reggae music lovers and Rastafari all over the world, and was a favourite at Tosh's concerts.
That was his last album from the Wailers, Island Records. In 2013, a book co-written by French scholar Dr Jeremie Kroubo Dagnini and American Lee Jaffe, his former associate, says Tosh was part of a smuggling operation that raised money to fund this album.
Solo career
Tosh started to make his own albums with Rolling Stones Records and CBS Records Equal Rights followed in 1977, featuring his recording of a song co-written with Marley, "Get Up, Stand Up", and a cover of "Stepping Razor" that would also appear on the soundtrack to the film Rockers.
Tosh organised a backing band, Word, Sound and Power, who were to accompany him on tour for the next few years, and many of whom performed on his albums of this period. In 1978, the Rolling Stones record label Rolling Stones Records contracted with Tosh, on which the album Bush Doctor was released, introducing Tosh to a larger audience. The album featured Rolling Stones frontmen Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, and the lead single – a cover version of The Temptations song "Don't Look Back" – was performed as a duet with Jagger.
During Bob Marley's free One Love Peace Concert of 1978, Tosh lit a marijuana spliff and lectured about legalising cannabis, lambasting attending dignitaries Michael Manley and Edward Seaga for their failure to enact such legislation. Several months later he was apprehended by police as he left Skateland dance hall in Kingston and was beaten severely while in police custody.
Mystic Man (1979), and Wanted Dread and Alive (1981) followed, both released on Rolling Stones Records. Tosh tried to gain some mainstream success while keeping his militant views, but was only moderately successful, especially when compared to Marley's achievements.
In 1984, after the release of 1983's album Mama Africa, Tosh went into self-imposed exile, seeking the spiritual advice of traditional medicine men in Africa, and trying to free himself from recording agreements that distributed his records in South Africa. Tosh had been at odds for several years with his label, EMI, over a perceived lack of promotion for his music.
Tosh also participated in the international opposition to South African apartheid by appearing at anti-apartheid concerts and by conveying his opinion in various songs like "Apartheid" (1977, re-recorded 1987), "Equal Rights" (1977), "Fight On" (1979), and "Not Gonna Give It Up" (1983). In 1987, Peter Tosh seemed to be having a career revival. He was awarded a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Performance in 1987 for No Nuclear War, his last record.
Death
On 11 September 1987, just after Tosh had returned to his home in Jamaica, a three-man gang came to his house on motorcycles demanding money. Tosh replied that he did not have any with him but the gang did not believe him. They stayed at his residence for several hours and tortured Tosh in an attempt to extort money from him. Over the hours, as various associates of Tosh arrived to visit him, they were also taken hostage by the gunmen. The gunmen became more and more frustrated, especially the chief thug, Dennis "Leppo" Lobban, a man whom Tosh had previously befriended and tried to help find work after a long jail sentence. Tosh said he did not have any money in the house, after which Lobban and the fellow gunmen began opening fire in a reckless manner. Tosh was shot twice in the head and killed. Herbalist Wilton "Doc" Brown and disc jockey Jeff 'Free I' Dixon also died as a result of wounds sustained during the robbery. Several others in the house were wounded, including Tosh's common law wife Andrea Marlene Brown, Free I's wife Yvonne ("Joy"); Tosh's drummer Carlton "Santa" Davis, and musician Michael Robinson.
According to Police Commissioner Herman Ricketts, Dennis "Leppo" Lobban surrendered and two other men were interrogated but not publicly named. Lobban went on to plead innocent during his trial, telling the court he had been drinking with friends. The trial was held in a closed court due to the involvement of illegal firearms. Lobban was ultimately found guilty by a jury of eight women and four men and sentenced to death by hanging. His sentence was commuted in 1995 and Lobban remains in jail. Another suspect was acquitted due to insufficient evidence. The other two gunmen were never identified by name.
Discography
Legalize It (1976)
Equal Rights (1977)
Bush Doctor (1978)
Mystic Man (1979)
Wanted Dread & Alive (1981)
Mama Africa (1983)
No Nuclear War (1987)
Stand Firm
Peter Tosh Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let your works be seen
Stand firm
Or you gonna feed worm
(CHORUS)
One baldhead tell me say
This here baldhead tell me say
Put one me clothes and come with him
Soul seekers I say
Jacket and tie come tell me say
Clean clothes come tell me say
If me come with him
And go to church this Sunday
Soul seekers I say
CHORUS
Dis here one come tell I say
Another one come tell I say
If you want to be saved son
Got to go in a grave son
Pack of bullshit
That is bullshit I say
The other one come tell I say
If you want to be in the light son
You've got to love Jesus Christ son
That is fantasy
Whole pack of ignorance I say
CHORUS
Then the parson tell I say
If I want to be pure within
I've got to come confess my sins
Another pirate I say
CHORUS
Dis here one come tell I say
Do you think it is wised
That I should get baptized
But when I realized
It was the devil in disguise
Dis here one come tell I say
Another one come tell I say
To be in the light
Got to take Jesus Christ
You're talkin' like gladness
But that is madness I say
CHORUS
The lyrics to Peter Tosh's song Stand Firm suggest a critique of organized religion and a call to live a moral life, in order to avoid a fate worse than death. The opening lines, "Live clean, let your works be seen...Stand firm, or you gonna feed worm" suggest that living a pure and honest life is essential for human survival. The lyrics then shift to critiques of specific religious practices, with Tosh parodying the flattery and coercion used by church-goers to try and persuade him to attend church. This is contrasted with the harsh condemnation he provides, dismissing these practices as "pack[s] of bullshit" and "ignorance."
As the song continues, Tosh's criticism becomes more pointed. He does not simply reject religion and its rituals, but specifically targets the figures who are supposed to lead and guide congregants. The parson's instruction to "come confess my sins" is compared to that of a "pirate," and Tosh views baptism as "the devil in disguise." The song culminates in a defiant challenge to the religious orthodoxy, particularly the idea that Jesus Christ is the only path to enlightenment.
Through this song, Tosh is advocating for a more radical, individualistic spirituality that prioritizes personal ethics over institutional traditions or dogmas. However, the song is not necessarily irreligious, as Tosh continues to acknowledge the possibility of spiritual awakening outside of organized religion. Ultimately, Stand Firm serves as a searing, uncompromising critique of organized religion and the social pressures that come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Live clean
Maintain a pure and honest life
Let your works be seen
Ensure that your deeds are visible and just
Stand firm
Hold steadfast to your beliefs and principles
Or you gonna feed worm
Otherwise, you will perish and be forgotten
One baldhead tell me say
One non-rasta person told me
This here baldhead tell me say
Another non-rasta person told me
Put one me clothes and come with him
Dress up in formal attire and attend church with him
And mek we go to church Sunday
Let us go to church on Sunday together
Soul seekers I say
People who are searching for spiritual guidance
Jacket and tie come tell me say
A person dressed in formal attire suggested to me
Clean clothes come tell me say
Another person with clean clothes suggested to me
If me come with him
If I accompany him
And go to church this Sunday
And attend church on this Sunday
Dis here one come tell I say
One person told me
Another one come tell I say
Another person told me
If you want to be saved son
If you want to be redeemed
Got to go in a grave son
You must die and be buried
Pack of bullshit
Nonsense and lies
That is bullshit I say
That is nonsense, I declare
If you want to be in the light son
If you want to be enlightened
You've got to love Jesus Christ son
You must love and follow Jesus Christ
That is fantasy
That is an illusion
Whole pack of ignorance I say
Complete nonsense and foolishness
Then the parson tell I say
Then the priest told me
If I want to be pure within
If I want to be spiritually cleansed
I've got to come confess my sins
I must confess my wrongdoings
Another pirate I say
Another untrustworthy person
Dis here one come tell I say
One person told me
Do you think it is wised
Do you believe it is wise
That I should get baptized
That I should undergo baptism
But when I realized
However, when I understood
It was the devil in disguise
It was a deceptive evil force
To be in the light
To be enlightened
Got to take Jesus Christ
You must accept Jesus Christ
You're talkin' like gladness
You talk as though it is joyful
But that is madness I say
But I declare that idea is foolish
Contributed by Lillian O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mitchell Nobles
on Legalize It
araha del ganja fedelia antoka rastaman arie del rasta
Juan Lantigua
on Legalize It
if love ganja go for it
Abd Al Halim Zargi
on Brand New Second Hand
hchicha hnina
Gosset Yoh
on Igziabeher (Let Jah Be Praised)
let jah be praised/otherwise,this is whats going to happen. he who got ear, just ear it.
Ali Rifai
on Bush Doctor
good gooooooooooooooooooooooooooood
John Leo Macayran Murillo
on Legalize It
uram nga oka
Nicky Quitania
on Wanted Dread and Alive - 2002 - Remaster
fuking cannabis he ruin my damn world
Maria De Jesus Santos
on Johnny B Goode - 2002 - Remaster
linda musica
Elbe Moreira
on Glass House
é barriu
Alex Severiano
on Burial
TRANQUILIDADE NO TÉMPO TA MASSA KKKKKKKKKKKKKRSRSRSRSR