Steel Pulse is a British roots reggae band from Birmingham, England. They w… Read Full Bio ↴Steel Pulse is a British roots reggae band from Birmingham, England. They were the first non-Jamaican act to win the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album for their 1986 album Babylon The Bandit.

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.

Caught You Dancing
Steel Pulse Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You were standing there
When I first laid eyes upon you
You were looking fair
When I first set eyes upon you
I was so scared to talk to you yeh
You hypnotised me with

CHORUS

The music that you dancing to
The music that you dancing to

My lovely yes you've tricked me
My lovely you disowned me

CHORUS

Unto you I went
Like a lamb right to the slaughter
One and one makes two
I thought happiness ever after
I should have known it was one big fairy tale yeh
You hypnotised me with

CHORUS

SCAT
I was so scared to talk to you yeh
You mesmorised me with
The music that you dancing to

I caught you dancing
I I yeh I I yeh.

Overall Meaning

The song "Caught You Dancing" by Steel Pulse talks about the experience of falling in love and being deceived by someone. The lyrics describe the moment when the singer first saw the object of his affection, who was dancing to music that captivated him. The singer was too scared to talk to her at first, but eventually made a move and fell in love. However, he later realized that he was tricked by his lover and disowned. The music she was dancing to is used as a metaphor for the allure and hypnotic effect of love.

The lyrics are fairly straightforward and convey the basic meaning of the song. What makes Steel Pulse's music special is the way they incorporate reggae rhythms and social commentary into their music. For instance, the song could be read as a critique of the seductive power of consumer culture, which lures people into buying things they don't really need or want. The music becomes a symbol of this hypnotic effect, which makes people forget their true desires and become slaves to their impulses.

Steel Pulse is known for their political and social activism, which they express through their music. They use their platform to speak out against inequality, poverty, and racism. "Caught You Dancing" is a departure from their usual political themes, but it still carries an important message about the dangers of getting caught up in the moment and losing sight of our true selves. As a love song, it also serves as a reminder that relationships can be confusing and painful, but they can also be transformative and healing.

Line by Line Meaning

You were standing there
The singer first saw the person they're singing about standing in a certain place.

When I first laid eyes upon you
The singer saw the person they're singing about for the first time.

You were looking fair
The person the singer saw for the first time looked attractive.

When I first set eyes upon you
The artist saw the person they're singing about for the first time.

I was so scared to talk to you yeh
The artist found it intimidating to start a conversation with the person they're singing about.

You hypnotised me with
The person the singer is singing about made them feel mesmerized.

CHORUS The music that you dancing to The music that you dancing to
The person the singer is singing about was dancing to music that enchanted the singer.

My lovely yes you've tricked me
The person the artist is singing about fooled them.

My lovely you disowned me
The person the artist is singing about rejected them.

Unto you I went
The artist approached the person they're singing about.

Like a lamb right to the slaughter
The singer approached the person they're singing about without realizing they were in danger or being played.

One and one makes two
The artist thought they'd found a perfect match.

I thought happiness ever after
The singer believed that they'd found a source of happiness for the rest of their life.

I should have known it was one big fairy tale yeh
The singer realizes they should have been more realistic about their feelings for the person they're singing about.

SCAT I was so scared to talk to you yeh You mesmorised me with The music that you dancing to I caught you dancing I I yeh I I yeh.
The singer was too nervous to speak with the person they're singing about, who was enticing them with the music they danced to. Eventually, the singer saw the person they're singing about dancing.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: DAVID ROBERT HINDS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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