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.
Gang Warfare
Steel Pulse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In dis a warfare
Gang Warfare
Messing up this town and country
Don't you know it does not pay
To join this bad man posse
Gang warfare
Don't you know it does not pay
To join this bad man posse
In a Brooklyn
All this shooting around
It is surely
Coming like a cowboy town
Gangs and gunmen
Got their finger on their trigger
And you can bet your life
They're here to take no prisoners
Gang warfare
Messing up this town and country
Don't you know it does not pay
Hey yeh yeh hey yeh eh hey
Gang warfare, is right around the corner
Gang warfare your sister and your brother
Gang warfare you killing one another
Gang warfare why don't you help each other
Cold blooded killings
Don't make no sense to me
We should be civilised
And save humanity
Why don't you wake up
>From your sleep and from your slumber
We've got to stop this madness
>From taking over
Gang warfare
Messing up this town and country
Don't you know it does not pay
Hey yeh yeh hey yeh eh hey
RAP
Dem a run dem a come
Fe shoot up the dance
Dem a run dem a come
Fe shoot up the dance
Dem gwaan like cowboy quick pon de draw
Dem want respect and to be big bout ya
Dem a worship gun instead of Almighty JAH
And a wear gold chain and drive fancy car
Call demself posse, gwaan like mafia
And a model demself off a nuff gangster
Capone, Babyface and Dillinger
But history book seh dem never get very far
Now dem full a bullet hole and favour tea strainer
So listen carefully and consider
When you shooting up your bredren and
A kill you sister
You better take a trip to South Africa
And hide inna de bush like
A freedom foghter
And help Black people get liberation
And get respect and I will call
You a DON
Nuff respect and I will call you a man
Dem a run
Dem a come
Nuff respect
Get respect
"Gang Warfare" by Steel Pulse is a song that delves into the negative effects of gang violence. The lyrics bring to light the issue of gang warfare, which is portrayed as an epidemic in the society that has taken over the city and the country. The song opens with the line “Gun shot fly around in dis a warfare”, which sets the tone of the song as one that is intense and violent. The lyrics call out the gangs and the gunmen who have their fingers on the trigger, and who are only interested in taking prisoners.
The song highlights that joining these gangs is not a good choice and does not pay off in the long run. The chorus repeats the statement that gang warfare is messing up the town, and it does not pay to join a bad man posse. The lyrics continue to implore the listeners to wake up and stop this madness before it takes over completely. The song ends with a rap that emphasizes the need for respect and for people to help each other instead of killing one another.
Overall, "Gang Warfare" is a powerful and insightful song that addresses the issue of gang violence from an honest perspective. The song is a call to action for people to come together and address the issue before it's too late.
Line by Line Meaning
Gun shot fly around
The sound of gunfire is heard
In dis a warfare
This is a warzone
Gang Warfare
There is conflict between gangs
Messing up this town and country
Causing chaos and destruction in the town and surrounding areas
Don't you know it does not pay
It is not worth the consequences
To join this bad man posse
To be part of this group of violent and dangerous individuals
In a Brooklyn
In the Brooklyn area of New York
All this shooting around
There is a lot of gunfire
It is surely
It's definitely
Coming like a cowboy town
It's like the Wild West
Gangs and gunmen
Groups and individuals who engage in violence
Got their finger on their trigger
Are ready to shoot
And you can bet your life
It's guaranteed
They're here to take no prisoners
They won't show mercy or take captives
Gang warfare, is right around the corner
The threat of violence is imminent
Gang warfare your sister and your brother
Even family members are at risk
Gang warfare you killing one another
The violence is causing members of the same community to harm each other
Gang warfare why don't you help each other
Instead of fighting, why not work together?
Cold blooded killings
Murder without a cause
Don't make no sense to me
It doesn't make any sense
We should be civilised
We should behave in a manner that promotes order and maturity
And save humanity
Preserving the human race
Why don't you wake up
It's time to open your eyes
From your sleep and from your slumber
To become aware and alert
We've got to stop this madness
The violence needs to end
Gang warfare your sister and your brother
Even family members are at risk
RAP
A section of the song with spoken word lyrics (rap music)
Dem a run dem a come
They run and come with guns
Fe shoot up the dance
To shoot up the venue
Dem gwaan like cowboy quick pon de draw
They act like cowboys, ready to draw their guns at any time
Dem want respect and to be big bout ya
They desire respect and to be thought highly of
Dem a worship gun instead of Almighty JAH
They praise guns instead of God
And a wear gold chain and drive fancy car
They care about wealth and appearance
Call demself posse, gwaan like mafia
They identify as a criminal gang and act like the mafia
And a model demself off a nuff gangster
They copy the behavior of many other gangsters
Capone, Babyface and Dillinger
Famous American gangsters from the early 20th century
But history book seh dem never get very far
History shows that their criminal lifestyle doesn't last long
Now dem full a bullet hole and favour tea strainer
Now they have been shot and are dead
So listen carefully and consider
Pay attention and ponder deeply
When you shooting up your bredren and
When you shoot your own friend
A kill you sister
Killing your own sister
You better take a trip to South Africa
You should go to South Africa
And hide inna de bush like A freedom foghter
To hide in the bushes like a freedom fighter
And help Black people get liberation
To assist in freeing Black people from oppression
And get respect and I will call You a DON
If you earn respect, you will be called a 'Don'
Nuff respect and I will call you a man
If you are respectful, you will be considered a man
Dem a run
They are running away
Nuff respect
Much respect
Get respect
Earn respect
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: DAVID ROBERT HINDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Shawn Archer
THIS GROUP IS JUST TO DAM AWESOME...
Lawrence Njawe
Awesome, yes but I'm a bit uncomfortable with incorporation of alien styles into the music
Saja Bojang
THE ENGLISH THE GRAMMARS.
Jahsoni Clark
RasTafari is the only way
Saja Bojang
THE ENGLISH THE GRAMMAR AND OR AND THE GRAMMARS.