The vocal trio was originally formed in 1968 by Bernard Collins and Donald Manning. Their first song was "Satta Massagana", which was strongly influenced by Carlton Manning's "Happy Land". "Satta Massagana" is a Rastafarian hymn sung partly in the ancient Ethiopian Amharic language. They recruited a third vocalist, who was still at school and often unable to attend rehearsals; he was soon replaced by Donald's brother Lynford Manning, who had previously been a member of their brother Carlton Manning's group Carlton and The Shoes.
"Satta Massagana" was first recorded for producer Clement "Coxsone" Dodd in March 1969, but he decided against releasing it, seeing no commercial potential for what he saw as a song constituting cultural subversion. In 1971, the group purchased the master tapes from Dodd for £90 and released it on their own Clinch label, the single becoming a massive success, prompting Dodd to release his own instrumental and deejay versions. The group released further takes on the song on Clinch by Tommy McCook, Big Youth, and Dillinger, as well as their own "Mabrak", featuring the group reciting passages from the Old Testament. It has since been recorded by dozens of artists. The group's second release, "Declaration of Rights", featured Leroy Sibbles on backing vocals, and like their first was a huge hit in Jamaica, (and subsequently in the international market) and has been covered several times since. Their 1973 single "Y Mas Gan" was similar to "Satta" in its use of Amharic.
The group continued to record throughout the 1970s for producers including Lloyd Daley, Tommy Cowan, and Geoffrey Chung, and their debut album, Forward on to Zion was produced by Clive Hunt and released in 1976. The follow-up, Arise (1978), was recorded under stressful conditions with internal rivalries threatening to break up the group, and after the album's release, Collins left the band, to be eventually replaced by Carlton Manning. This line-up performed at the 1979 Reggae Sunsplash festival, but split up the following year.
Donald Manning had a brief solo career in the early 1980s, in which he recorded as Donald Abyssinian.
Bernard Collins launched his own version of the group in the late 1980s, with two versions of the group existing for a time. The original line-up reunited in 1998 and went on to record new material, including the singles "African Princess" and "Swing Low" and the album Reunion, although Collins was not involved in songwriting at this time. Collins left again in 1999 and released material as Bernard Collins & the Abyssinians, releasing an album the same year.
The Abyssinians are credited on "Slave Song", from Sade's 2002 album, Lovers Live.
Discography
Studio albums
1976 : Satta Massagana - Jam Sounds (reissued 1988 on Clinch, 1993, 2007 on Heartbeat, also released as Satta and Forward on to Zion)
1978 : Arise - Tuff Gong/Virgin/Clinch
1998 : Reunion - Artists Only
Compilation albums
1982 : Forward - Alligator
1994 : Best of the Abyssinians - Musidisc
1996 : 19.95 + TAX
1998 : Satta Dub - Tabou 1
1998 : Declaration of Dub - Heartbeat
1999 : Last Days - Clinch (credited to Bernard Collins)
2003 : Abyssinians & Friends Tree of Satta vol. 1 - Blood & Fire
Live albums
2002 : Live in San Francisco - 2b1 II
Know Jah Dub
The Abyssinians Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Know JAH today and there'll be no sorrow
…
You don't, don't know what lies ahead
…
Tomorrow
…
Don't, (don't) …pass you by
You don't, don't know what lies ahead
…
(Know JAH)
Know JAH today (Know JAH JAH)
Know HIM I say
You better (Know JAH)
Know JAH today (Know JAH JAH)
There's no other way
The Abyssinians’ song “Know Jah Dub” is a call to know God and to live in the present moment. The lyrics suggest that one should not wait until tomorrow to know God because tomorrow is unknown and cannot be trusted. Instead, the emphasis is on knowing God today to avoid sorrow and regret in the future. The repetition of “Know JAH today” reinforces the message that knowing God should not be put off until tomorrow but should be a priority in the present.
The lyrics also suggest that not knowing God can be a source of anxiety and uncertainty because one does not know what the future holds. The phrase “You don’t, don’t know what lies ahead” emphasizes the importance of knowing God to find peace and security in the face of the unknown. The song suggests that knowing God gives direction and guidance in life, and that not knowing God can lead to missed opportunities that “don’t (don’t) pass you by.”
Overall, the message in “Know Jah Dub” highlights the importance of living in the present moment and knowing God as a way to avoid future sorrow and regret.
Line by Line Meaning
Know JAH today and not tomorrow
Understand and have a relationship with God today, rather than putting it off until tomorrow
Know JAH today and there'll be no sorrow
Knowing God brings happiness and eliminates sorrow
You don't, don't know what lies ahead
We cannot predict or control the future
Tomorrow
A reference to the future or the unknown
Don't, (don't) …pass you by
Don't miss out on the opportunity to know God
Know JAH today (Know JAH JAH)
Understand and have a relationship with God today
Know HIM I say
Emphasizing the importance of knowing God
You better (Know JAH)
It is advisable to have a relationship with God
There's no other way
Implying that knowing God is the only path to happiness and fulfillment
Contributed by Kayla C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.