Steel Pulse originally formed at Handsworth Wood Boys School, Birmingham, and comprised David Hinds (lead vocals, guitar), Basil Gabbidon (lead guitar, vocals) and Ronnie McQueen (bass).
However, it is Hinds who, as songwriter, has always been the engine behind Steel Pulse, from their early days establishing themselves in the Birmingham club scene onwards. Formed in 1975, their debut release, 'Kibudu, Mansetta And Abuku" arrived on the small independent label Dip, and linked the plight of urban black youth with the image of a greater African homeland. They followed it with 'Nyah Love' for Anchor.
Surprisingly, they were initially refused live dates in Caribbean venues in the Midlands because of their Rastafarian beliefs. Aligning themselves closely with the Rock Against Racism 1 organisation, they chose to tour instead with sympathetic elements of the punk movement, including the Stranglers, XTC etc.: "Punks had a way of enjoying themselves - throw hordes at you, beer, spit at you, that kind of thing".
Eventually they found a more natural home in support slots for Burning Spear, which brought them to the attention of Island Records. Their first release for Island was the 'Ku Klux Klan' 45 rpm, a considered tilt at the evils of racism, and one often accompanied by a visual parody of the sect on stage.
By this time their ranks had swelled to include Selwyn 'Bumbo' Brown (keyboards), Steve 'Grizzly' Nesbitt (drums), Fonso Martin (vocals, percussion) and Michael Riley (vocals). Handsworth Revolution was an accomplished long playing debut and one of the major landmarks in the evolution of British reggae.
However, despite critical and moderate commercial success over three albums, the relationship with Island had soured by the advent of Caught You (released in the US as Reggae Fever). They switched to Elektra, and unveiled their most consistent collection of songs since their debut with True Democracy, distinguished by the Garveyeulogising 'Rally Around' cut.
A further definitive set arrived in Earth Crisis. Unfortunately, Elektra chose to take a leaf out of Island's book in trying to coerce Steel Pulse into a more mainstream vein, asking them to emulate the pop-reggae stance of Eddy Grant. Babylon Bandit was consequently weakened, but did contain the anthemic 'Not King james Version', which was a powerful indictment on the omission of black people and history from certain versions of the Bible.
Their next move was id Hinds of Steel Pulse to MCA for State Of Emergency, which retained some of the synthesized dance elements of its predecessor. Though it was a significantly happier compromise, it still paled before any of their earlier albums.
Rastafari Centennial was recorded live at the Elysee Montmarte in Paris, and dedicated to the hundred year anniversary of the birth of Haile Selassie. It was the first recording since the defection of Fonso Martin, leaving the trio of David Hinds, Steve Nisbett and Selwyn Brown.
While they still faced inverted snobbery at the hands of British reggae fans, in America their reputation was growing, becoming the first ever reggae band to appear on the Tonight television show. Their profile was raised further when, in 1992, Hinds challenged the New York Taxi and Limousine Commission in the Supreme High Court, asserting that their cab drivers discriminated against black people in general and Rastas in particular.
Drummer Steve "Grizzly" Nisbett (15 March 1948 – 18 January 2018) died in 2018.
The band are still recording and touring.
Blasphemy
Steel Pulse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When facts rocks fiction
Always cause friction Yeh yeh yeh
Stirs the minds of, minds of non believers
Thomas the name, they answer when I call them.
Descendants of Judas - Yes sah yes.
Them prefer Bara6us
(2) Die they must all's not lost
With, without a shadow of a doubt
He lives forever so sing
(3) Sing a joyful song
Sing a joy..........
(5) Selah
My, songs and praises
Will never no, no, no
Turn to shouts of anger
I'm a believer Yes sah yes
He was no stranger to me,
No want no silver, not I
I'm in no danger, not I
I'm no betrayer, not I
Them who shouted.....
(4) Blasphemy, blasphemy,
Blasphemy, blasphemy
(3) No blasphemer
He was no blasphemer
Went onto his own received him not,
Stripped of his garments, flogged and mocked
And the cock crowed they deceived him
Son of Jah, Peter never believed him
He had his joy, joy
(7) Over
Overtaken by desolution
He volunteered for, for
His cru........
His crucifixion, so sing
(3) Sing a joyful song
Sing a joy......
(4) Praise aloud for
Blind can see,
Deaf can hear,
Lame can walk,
Dumb can talk
Diseased get cleansed yeh
Selah,
No, blasphemer
Praise aloud for
No deceiver
No blasphemer
He lives for ever, so sing
Oo, la, la visions of eternity
Oo, la, la listen to his preaching
Oo, la, la trod the straight and narrow road
Who prayers, parables and scriptures say
Selah praise aloud for
Selah no blasphemers
Selah no deceiver
Selah he lives forever Yeh Yeh Yeh
(4) Oo, la, la
Highest ranking, ranking high
(4) Blasphemy, blasphemy,
Blasphemy, blasphemy, BRrrrr......
Man betrayed him
Man denied,
So don't betray him
Don't deny
The song "Blasphemy" by Steel Pulse is a powerful statement against those who deny and betray the religious faith. The lyrics suggest that when facts are mixed with fiction, it can create friction in the minds of non-believers. Thomas, the name, is the one that the people answer when they are called, and the descendants of Judas prefer Barabas. However, the song provides hope by saying that even though they must die, all is not lost, and he lives forever. The chorus suggests that singing a joyful song can help people overcome the negative feelings associated with blasphemy.
The verses emphasize that the singer is a believer, and he is not in danger of losing his faith. The power of the song lies in its message that those who betrayed Jesus did so out of ignorance, and they were not his true followers. The second verse talks about the humiliation that Jesus suffered at the hands of those who rejected him. However, he was not a blasphemer, and he lives forever. The third verse suggests that the blind, deaf, lame, dumb, and diseased can be healed through faith. The song ends with a call to not betray or deny Jesus.
Line by Line Meaning
When facts rocks fiction
Truth and fiction do not mix well and cause disagreement
Always cause friction Yeh yeh yeh
They always cause disagreement among people
Stirs the minds of, minds of non believers
The truth agitates the minds of people who do not believe in it
Thomas the name, they answer when I call them.
People who doubt the truth and need proof before they believe it
Descendants of Judas - Yes sah yes.
People who betray the truth and those who speak it
Them prefer Bara6us
They choose to follow untruthful beliefs
So die they must all's not lost
People who follow false beliefs will die but there is still hope for them to change their ways
Die they must all's not lost
Those who follow falsehoods will die, but it's not too late for them to change
With, without a shadow of a doubt
Without any uncertainty, there is no doubt
He lives forever so sing
God is eternal, and we should praise Him
Sing a joyful song
Sing joyfully to God
My, songs and praises
The songs and praises I give to God
Will never no, no, no
They will never turn into anger or bitterness
Turn to shouts of anger
They will never turn into anger or bitterness
I'm a believer Yes sah yes
I believe in God wholeheartedly
He was no stranger to me,
God is not a stranger to me; I have a personal relationship with Him
No want no silver, not I
I don't desire silver or material things; I want to serve God
I'm in no danger, not I
I am not afraid because God is with me
I'm no betrayer, not I
I am not a betrayer of God
Them who shouted.....
Those who betrayed God
Blasphemy, blasphemy,
Speaking sacrilegiously about God
He was no blasphemer
Jesus never spoke sacrilegiously about God
Went onto his own received him not,
Jesus was rejected by His own people
Stripped of his garments, flogged and mocked
Jesus was humiliated and abused by His captors
And the cock crowed they deceived him
The cock crowing signified that Jesus' prediction of Peter denying him had come true
Son of Jah, Peter never believed him
Jesus' disciple Peter doubted him, even though he had called him the Son of God
He had his joy, joy
Jesus found joy in the Lord, despite his earthly suffering
Over, Overtaken by desolution
Feeling lost and depressed
He volunteered for, for
Jesus willingly chose to be
His crucifixion, so sing
Jesus went to the cross to redeem the world, so we should sing praises for His sacrifice
Praise aloud for
Praise God with a loud voice!
Blind can see,
People who were blind can now see through the love and grace of God
Deaf can hear,
People who were deaf can now hear the good news of the Gospel
Lame can walk,
People who were lame can now walk because of the healing power of God
Dumb can talk
People who could not talk can now praise God through the power of the Holy Spirit
Diseased get cleansed yeh
Diseases and illnesses can be cured through faith in God
No, blasphemer
No one should speak sacrilegiously about God
No deceiver
Don't deceive oneself, God sees all and knows all
Oo, la, la visions of eternity
Eternal visions of life and the afterlife with God
Oo, la, la listen to his preaching
Listen to the preaching of Jesus Christ
Oo, la, la trod the straight and narrow road
Follow the path of righteousness and obedience to God
Who prayers, parables and scriptures say
The prayers, parables, and scripture all say the same thing
Highest ranking, ranking high
God is the highest and most esteemed
Blasphemy, blasphemy,
Speaking sacrilegiously about God
Man betrayed him
Humans betrayed Jesus when they refused to accept Him as the Son of God
Man denied,
Humans denied Jesus when they crucified Him, claiming He was not the Messiah
So don't betray him
Do not betray Jesus by denying Him as God's son
Don't deny
Don't deny Jesus as the Son of God
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: DAVID ROBERT HINDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind