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.
Taxi Driver
Steel Pulse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I man well vex
And just have fe big up me chest
'Cause the Taxi Driver don't have no respect
Want I fe catch bus hop truck and
Ride bike and stand up on the road
And hitch hike
'Cause Natty Dread RIDE THE STORM
[Chorus]
Taxi Driver
Won't stop for me
Whenever I flag him down
He won't stop for me
In a London city and in a New York
There are no go areas after dark
I say muggers on the streets
And thief in the park
Tramps pon the sidewalk
A dem a sky lark
Some a catch the taxi - when they reach
Their spot
Pretend to pay the driver
And then they just run off
Some a argue with the driver
And say the fare aint right
The next thing you know
They have a kitchen knife
CHORUS
Taxi Driver
Won't stop for me
Whenever I flag him down
He won't stop for me
To hail a cab
You got to be fast
You try to catch a taxi
But they just drive past
DAVID DREAD
The taxi-cab driver never stop for me
They got all kind of excuses up his sleeve
Some say they off duty
Some say they not free
The taxi cab driver never stop for me
Because of my dreadlocks looking wild
They think I'm a mugger of some bad guy
No they never stop they just pass me by
They treat me like a leper
Who's left to die Yo!
Excuse me mate can you get me a taxi
Is that the driver
Boy...Jungle
DJ BUMBO BROWN
You think that bad
Mek I tell you what the brute
Do to me youth
Well I was walking with my son
Who was just a child
And still the Taxi Driver
Won't give me a ride
He was caught by the traffic lights
And had to slow down
So I opened the back door
And sat my son down
So he tried his best to
Stop me from coming in
I say move yourself man
And start your driving
He was very angry
But he asked where to
I said take me to the station
My train leaving soon
So guess what he did to me
Just for spite
He stopped at every single traffic light
He took the wrong turn
And the long way too
He stopped at the bar
Just to use the loo
When I got to the station
It was all in vain
Good golly good gosh
I say I miss my train
Me kick up the taxi
Me kick up the Taxi Driver
Me lick up the taxi
Me lick up the Taxi Driver
Not stopping
He just not stopping
In Steel Pulse's song Taxi Driver, the singer expresses his frustration with taxi drivers who refuse to pick him up because of prejudices against him based on his appearance. The song paints a picture of a city with a high rate of crime and social issues, where people have to rely on taxi drivers to move around. The singer describes the challenges he and others face, including hitchhiking and pretending to pay the driver but running off, arguing with the driver, and facing violence.
The chorus, "Taxi Driver won't stop for me/Whenever I flag him down/He won't stop for me," is a strong statement that encapsulates the main theme of the song. The singer and other people in the song feel powerless and frustrated because the taxi drivers' prejudices prevent them from accessing basic services.
Steel Pulse's lyricism is known for its social commentary and political activism, and Taxi Driver is no exception. The song aims to shed light on the issue of discrimination and the importance of solidarity among people. The chorus catchy rhythm and the song's lively beat make it easy to sing along to the lyrics, making it a perfect song to spread the message.
Line by Line Meaning
Now hear this crowd of people
Listen up everyone, pay attention to what I have to say.
I man well vex
I'm really angry.
And just have fe big up me chest
I need to stand up for myself and be strong.
'Cause the Taxi Driver don't have no respect
The taxi driver is rude and doesn't treat me fairly.
Want I fe catch bus hop truck and
I have no other choice but to try other modes of transportation like the bus or hitchhiking.
Ride bike and stand up on the road
I may have to resort to riding a bike or walking by the side of the road.
And hitch hike
I may also have to ask for rides from strangers.
But you see me...dem deh things can't go on
But I can't keep doing this forever.
'Cause Natty Dread RIDE THE STORM
I need to keep going through adversity like a storm because I am strong like Natty Dread.
Taxi Driver
The focus of the song shifts to the taxi driver.
Won't stop for me
The taxi driver never stops for me even though I flag him down.
Whenever I flag him down
No matter how often I signal him, he ignores me.
In a London city and in a New York
The same situation happens in London and New York.
There are no go areas after dark
Certain areas are dangerous at night.
I say muggers on the streets
There are people who rob others on the streets.
And thief in the park
There are thieves in the park.
Tramps pon the sidewalk
There are homeless people on the sidewalks.
A dem a sky lark
They are begging for money and trying to survive.
Some a catch the taxi - when they reach
Some homeless people catch a taxi.
Their spot
They end up where they wanted to go.
Pretend to pay the driver
They pretend to pay for the ride.
And then they just run off
They run away from the driver without paying.
Some a argue with the driver
Some people argue with the driver.
And say the fare aint right
They say that the fare is too expensive.
The next thing you know
Before you know it.
They have a kitchen knife
They pull out a knife to threaten the driver.
To hail a cab
To catch a taxi.
You got to be fast
You have to be quick.
You try to catch a taxi
When you try to signal a taxi.
But they just drive past
They ignore you and keep going.
DAVID DREAD
David Dread tells his story about the taxi driver.
The taxi-cab driver never stop for me
The taxi driver never stops for David Dread.
They got all kind of excuses up his sleeve
The driver makes up all kinds of excuses to justify not stopping for David.
Some say they off duty
Some say that they are not working right now.
Some say they not free
Some say that they are too busy to stop.
Because of my dreadlocks looking wild
David's appearance makes the driver think that he is a criminal.
They think I'm a mugger of some bad guy
They think he is going to mug someone or commit a crime.
No they never stop they just pass me by
The driver never stops, he keeps going.
They treat me like a leper
The driver avoids David as if he has a contagious disease.
Who's left to die Yo!
David is left with no other choice than to walk.
Excuse me mate can you get me a taxi
David asks someone else to help him get a taxi.
Is that the driver
David sees the driver.
Boy...Jungle
David is frustrated by the driver and just says 'Jungle'.
DJ BUMBO BROWN
DJ Bumbo Brown tells his own story about the taxi driver.
You think that bad
You think David's story is bad.
Mek I tell you what the brute
Let me tell you what the driver did.
Do to me youth
Did to my child.
Well I was walking with my son
Bumbo Brown was walking with his son.
Who was just a child
His son was very young.
And still the Taxi Driver
The driver still refused to give him a ride.
Won't give me a ride
He still won't give Bumbo Brown a ride.
He was caught by the traffic lights
The driver stopped at a red light.
And had to slow down
He had to reduce his speed.
So I opened the back door
Bumbo Brown opened the door because he was desperate.
And sat my son down
He put his son in the backseat.
So he tried his best to
The driver did his best to stop him.
Stop me from coming in
Stop Bumbo Brown from getting into the car.
I say move yourself man
Bumbo Brown tells the driver to move so he can get in.
And start your driving
He tells the driver to begin driving.
He was very angry
The driver was upset about the situation.
But he asked where to
But he still wanted to know where he was going.
I said take me to the station
Bumbo Brown asked to be taken to the train station.
My train leaving soon
He was in a hurry to catch his train.
So guess what he did to me
The driver did something wrong to Bumbo Brown.
Just for spite
To be cruel and nasty.
He stopped at every single traffic light
He purposely stopped at every traffic light.
He took the wrong turn
He went the wrong way.
And the long way too
He took the longest route possible.
He stopped at the bar
He made a stop at a bar.
Just to use the loo
Just to use the restroom.
When I got to the station
When he finally arrived at the station.
It was all in vain
It was pointless, he had missed his train.
Good golly good gosh
An expression of frustration and disbelief.
I say I miss my train
He missed his train because of the driver's actions.
Me kick up the taxi
I am frustrated with the taxi.
Me kick up the Taxi Driver
Angry with the driver who won't give in.
Me lick up the taxi
I'm so mad that I damage the taxi.
Me lick up the Taxi Driver
I'm so mad that I hit the driver.
Not stopping
The driver just won't stop for anyone.
He just not stopping
He's just absolutely not stopping for anyone.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: BERNARD HERRMANN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@zareh7740
Steel Pulse. Birmingham, UK's finest!
@yaclalaouna7582
A
@paulmoore1488leeds
steel pulse are brilliant,one of my all time favourites after bob and king yellowman and ub40.
@carlwieslander5361
I drive a taxi.
This is my dispatch ringtone.
Its perfect!
@apenisagonewai4369
My teen years playlist..bringing back memories.Now i can watch this popular song on You Tube..perfect song ☺
@ibidapoilawole7120
Old ways never changes. I got the same treatment by taxi drivers in November 2012..All the taxi drivers refused to pick me up right on Manhattan.
@jacquesdangelo4638
j’écoutai steel pulse lorsque j'avais 14 ans mais ils restent indémodable c'est un plaisir d’écouter leur musiques j'adore kissssssss a eux et a tout ceux qui aiment
@nieshamartinez1607
I just watched their performance on Showtime at the Apollo it was everything I loved this song
@215_Philly_4for4
its like a mix of reggae and hip-hop..love it
@164803dk
The Best Song ever. Den Bedste sang overhovedet til dags dato helt klart.