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 .mp3
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 and anger towards taxi drivers who refuse to pick him up. He feels discriminated against because of his dreadlocks and is being treated unfairly. The singer reflects on the reasons why taxi drivers don't stop for him, and he comes to the realization that it's because of how he looks, which is a common issue for many people of color. The song also highlights the dangers of the city streets, with muggers, thieves, and the homeless people, and how challenging it is to catch a cab in urban areas.
The song's central theme is about discrimination and inequality. The lyrics express the singer's frustration with the injustice of the situation and the lack of respect shown towards him because of his appearance. He feels that society is judging him based on how he looks and not giving him a chance. The chorus "Taxi Driver won't stop for me" shows the discrimination he faces daily, which is hard for him to accept.
Steel Pulse's "Taxi Driver" is a reggae classic that highlights the challenges Jamaica's people experience daily. The song was released in 1979, and since then, it has become an iconic anthem for those who have suffered from discrimination. Today, it's still relevant, especially in light of current issues such as racism, discrimination, and inequality.
Line by Line Meaning
Now hear this crowd of people
Listen closely to what I have to say to this group of people.
I man well vex
I am very angry.
And just have fe big up me chest
I need to speak up and have confidence.
'Cause the Taxi Driver don't have no respect
The Taxi Driver is not showing any respect to me or others.
Want I fe catch bus hop truck and
He wants me to take other modes of transportation.
Ride bike and stand up on the road
Ride a bike or stand on the side of the road.
And hitch hike
Try to hitch a ride from other cars.
But you see me...dem deh things can't go on
But I, as a Natty Dread, am going to stand up to this unfair treatment.
'Cause Natty Dread RIDE THE STORM
As a Natty Dread, I can withstand any turmoil.
Taxi Driver
The taxi driver.
Won't stop for me
Refuses to pick me up.
Whenever I flag him down
Whenever I signal to him for a ride.
He won't stop for me
He will not stop to pick me up.
In a London city and in a New York
In various big cities such as London and New York.
There are no go areas after dark
Areas that are considered dangerous to go to after dark.
I say muggers on the streets
People who rob others on the streets.
And thief in the park
People who steal things in the park.
Tramps pon the sidewalk
Homeless people living on the sidewalk.
A dem a sky lark
They are often ignored or not paid attention to.
Some a catch the taxi - when they reach
Some of them will take the taxi when they arrive.
Their spot
The place they are going to.
Pretend to pay the driver
Act as if they have paid the driver.
And then they just run off
And then they just run away without paying.
Some a argue with the driver
Some people will argue with the driver.
And say the fare aint right
And say that the fare is incorrect.
The next thing you know
After that, something unexpected happens.
They have a kitchen knife
They will pull out a knife.
To hail a cab
To summon a taxi on the street.
You got to be fast
You have to be quick about it.
You try to catch a taxi
You attempt to catch a taxi.
But they just drive past
But they ignore you and keep driving.
The taxi-cab driver never stop for me
The taxi driver refuses to pick me up.
They got all kind of excuses up his sleeve
They have a lot of excuses for not stopping.
Some say they off duty
Some say they are not working at the moment.
Some say they not free
Some say they are not available to pick up passengers.
Because of my dreadlocks looking wild
Because of my untamed, free-form locks.
They think I'm a mugger of some bad guy
They think I am a criminal or a bad person.
No they never stop they just pass me by
They never stop, they just keep driving past me.
They treat me like a leper
They treat me like I am untouchable.
Who's left to die Yo!
Left alone and abandoned to suffer Yo!
Excuse me mate can you get me a taxi
Can you help me get a taxi?
Is that the driver
Is that the taxi driver?
You think that bad
You think that 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
I was walking with my child.
Who was just a child
My child was very young.
And still the Taxi Driver
Yet the taxi driver still refused to pick us up.
Won't give me a ride
Refused to let us into the taxi.
He was caught by the traffic lights
He was stopped by the traffic light.
And had to slow down
He had to slow down his car.
So I opened the back door
So I decided to get in the car anyway.
And sat my son down
And put my child in the taxi.
So he tried his best to
The driver made an effort to stop me.
Stop me from coming in
Prevent me from getting in his taxi.
I say move yourself man
I said to him to move so we can leave.
And start your driving
And start driving the car.
He was very angry
He was upset and angry.
But he asked where to
But he asked where we wanted to go.
I said take me to the station
I asked him to take me to the train station.
My train leaving soon
My train is leaving soon and I need to get there.
So guess what he did to me
So can you guess what he did to me.
Just for spite
Only because he was angry and wanted to be vengeful.
He stopped at every single traffic light
He deliberately stopped at every traffic light along the way.
He took the wrong turn
He purposefully went the wrong way.
And the long way too
To make us take a longer route.
He stopped at the bar
He stopped at a bar.
Just to use the loo
Just to use the restroom in the bar.
When I got to the station
When I finally got to the station.
It was all in vain
It was all for nothing.
Good golly good gosh
An expression of frustration and exasperation.
I say I miss my train
I missed my train.
Me kick up the taxi
I angrily lash out at the taxi.
Me kick up the Taxi Driver
I angrily lash out at the taxi driver.
Me lick up the taxi
I retaliate against the taxi.
Me lick up the Taxi Driver
I retaliate against the taxi driver.
Not stopping
Refuses to stop.
He just not stopping
He is absolutely not going to stop.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: BERNARD HERRMANN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@omarsaade
that´s good reggae
@Joffreyazer
Ohhh Thanksssssss !!!
@Joffreyazer
What is this instrumental please ?
@supereuropaa
wow this is great
@jevgenimosev
:D