babylon
Stephen Marley feat. Junior Reid & Dead Prez Lyrics

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Babylon...

Look what they doing, despicable, inhuman
And got the nerve to say that I'm 3/5ths of a human
Babylon is in ruins, inhabited by a beast
A bloodsucker, vampire to say the least
Look at the way that they're gnashing their teeth as they feast
Fighting to get a piece, something like Ancient Greece

Permanent Halloween, Trick or Treat
We're walking like zombies out in these streets
Shackled our hands and feet,
What you see?

Down there in Babylon
Where transgression increases
There they know no love
Hopeless are the days
Hold I stead 'Fari (JAH!)
From their wicked life
Smiles upon their faces
Evil in their hearts
Oh my, oh
Oh a oh, oh I

Babylon, Babylon
Babylon I know mi know
Yuh kingdom a go fall down
Jah will never give you the crown
Babylon I know mi know
Yuh kingdom a go fall down
Long you try fi hold Rasta down
Babylon I know mi know
Yuh kingdom a go fall down
Rasta nuh 'fraid of no clown

Babylon is a Devil in a blue dress
Satan in a suit and tie
Oppression is freedom, Heaven is Hell
And the truth is a lie
They murder the youth, the police don't shoot in the sky
It's a warzone, you do what you gotta do to survive
You get suited and ride, life is hustle or starve
This is capitalism religion, money is God
America eats the young like cannibal breakfast
Wall Street is swarming with Hannibal Lecters
Crooked elections, politricks of the shitstem
Legal lynchings, modern day crucifixions
Slaves to the current conditions that we live in
More faith in the reverends than making our own heaven
It's foul how the youth glued to the television

It's only right we want to be more than poor and righteous but
Even the rich today can't ignore the crisis in Babylon...

Overall Meaning

In the song Babylon by Stephen Marley featuring Junior Reid & Dead Prez, the lyrics are a criticism of Western society and its oppression, especially towards the black community. The song highlights the institutionalized oppression that impacts the black community in America, with the lyrics mentioning the "Wolf" that preys on them. They are referred to as "3/5ths of a human," a reference to the U.S. Constitution's Three-Fifths Compromise that was created to diminish the power of black people since they considered them less than a whole person. The lyrics also mention the reference of the "Vampire," as the Western society feeds off the black community's struggles.

The song's lyrics are sung from the perspective of a Rastafarian, a member of Jamaica's Afrocentric religion, which is why the song frequently references Jah (God). The lyrics are a call of arms for the Rastafarian community to stand up against the oppressive forces of Western society, which they refer to as Babylon. The term Babylon has several meanings; for Rastafarians, it refers to the oppressive forces in Western society that keep the black community down. The lyrics also mention the "Wall Street Hannibal Lecters," referring to the economic forces that exploit people in the name of capitalism. The song ends on a hopeful note, with the Rastafarian community standing up against their oppressors and calling for Babylon's downfall.

Line by Line Meaning

Look what they doing, despicable, inhuman
Observing the terrible and inhumane actions that they are taking

And got the nerve to say that I'm 3/5ths of a human
How dare they say that I'm less of a person based on the color of my skin

Babylon is in ruins, inhabited by a beast
This society is broken and the people living in it are behaving like animals

A bloodsucker, vampire to say the least
The corrupt are exploiting the weak and it's sucking the life out of society

Look at the way that they're gnashing their teeth as they feast
They're greedily taking as much as they can at the expense of others

Fighting to get a piece, something like Ancient Greece
They're engaging in ruthless competition that resembles the power struggles of Ancient Greece

Permanent Halloween, Trick or Treat
Every day feels like a horror show of deceit and manipulation

We're walking like zombies out in these streets
We're like undead walking aimlessly through the streets, lost in this broken society

Shackled our hands and feet,
They're holding us down and restricting us in every way possible

What you see?
Can't you see how twisted and corrupt this all is?

Down there in Babylon
Looking down on this broken and corrupt society

Where transgression increases
Where sinful and immoral behavior is becoming the norm

There they know no love
People in this society lack basic human kindness and empathy

Hopeless are the days
Living in this society feels like a hopeless and never-ending nightmare

Hold I stead 'Fari (JAH!)
Relying on the guidance and strength of JAH to get through these tough times

From their wicked life
Breaking free from the evil and corruption of this society

Smiles upon their faces
The corrupt oppressors are laughing and smirking at the suffering of others

Evil in their hearts
The people in power in this society are consumed by greed and darkness

Babylon, Babylon
Referring to this broken and corrupt society

Babylon I know mi know
I am aware of the corruption and darkness that surrounds me

Yuh kingdom a go fall down
This society will crumble and fall due to its own wickedness

Jah will never give you the crown
No one in this corrupt society will ever truly be in power

Long you try fi hold Rasta down
For too long this corrupt society has tried to keep down the Rastafarian culture

Rasta nuh 'fraid of no clown
The Rasta culture is not intimidated by those in power

Babylon is a Devil in a blue dress
Babylon, the society, is a deceptive and evil force

Satan in a suit and tie
The people in power, appearing professional, are actually promoting corruption and wickedness

Oppression is freedom, Heaven is Hell
Society is twisted to the point where oppression is considered freedom and everything is backwards

And the truth is a lie
The facts are distorted and manipulated to benefit those in power

They murder the youth, the police don't shoot in the sky
The youth are being killed and the police aren't taking any real action to stop it

It's a warzone, you do what you gotta do to survive
Living in this society can feel like a constant battle where survival is the ultimate goal

You get suited and ride, life is hustle or starve
People in this society either work hard and thrive or struggle to survive

This is capitalism religion, money is God
Capitalism has become a religion where money is seen as the ultimate goal and the most important thing

America eats the young like cannibal breakfast
The corrupt American society is sacrificing its youth to maintain its own power

Wall Street is swarming with Hannibal Lecters
Wall Street is filled with people who are willing to do whatever it takes, including sacrificing others, to get ahead

Crooked elections, politricks of the shitstem
Elections are rigged and politics are corrupt in this society

Legal lynchings, modern day crucifixions
People are being legally oppressed and punished unfairly, the equivalent of being lynched or crucified in this context

Slaves to the current conditions that we live in
We are trapped and oppressed by the current state of society

More faith in the reverends than making our own heaven
People rely more on religion and spiritual leaders than taking the steps to create a better society

It's foul how the youth glued to the television
The youth of this society are addicted to technology and media rather than focusing on real issues

It's only right we want to be more than poor and righteous but
It's natural to want more for ourselves and our communities, but it's difficult when we face such overwhelming oppression

Even the rich today can't ignore the crisis in Babylon...
Even those in power and with wealth can't ignore the problems and issues that plague this society

Writer(s): Stephen Marley, Ranoy Gordon, Delroy Reid, Clayton Gavin, Llamar Brown, Lavonne Alford

Contributed by Alexis P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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