Myton had previously been a member of The Tartans in the late 1960s (along with Prince Lincoln Thompson, Devon Russell and Lindburgh Lewis), and Ras Michael's group, and had recorded with Thompson's Royal Rasses in the mid-1970s. He formed the Congos, initially as a duo with Johnson, recording the single "At the Feast" for Lee "Scratch" Perry. Perry expanded the group to a trio with the addition of Burnett, this line-up recording the classic roots reggae album Heart of the Congos in 1977 at Perry's Black Ark studio. The album featured illustrious backing singers such as Gregory Isaacs, The Meditations, and Barry LLewellyn and Earl Morgan of The Heptones. The album has been described as "the most consistently brilliant album of Scratch's entire career".
Perry's previous productions by Max Romeo and Junior Murvin had been huge commercial successes thanks to a deal with Island Records, but Perry was in dispute with Island at the time the Congos' album was finished, so it was released on his own Black Ark label, limiting its success overseas, and causing a rift with the group. The Congos went their own way, organising a limited pressing of the album themselves. United Kingdom label Go Feet eventually reissued the album in 1980, and although the group had recorded new material since leaving Perry, Heart of the Congos proved a hard act to follow and their other releases suffered as a consequence. Albums such as Congo Ashanti were sparser and sounded ordinary compared to Perry's kitchen-sink-and-all massive productions.
Burnett quit the group, soon followed by Johnson, who embarked on a solo career. Myton continued to record as The Congos with various other musicians until the mid-1980s.
In the mid-1990s, The Congos reformed, with Myton and Burnett joined by Lindburgh Lewis, several albums following in subsequent years. In 2005 Myton recorded Give Them the Rights with a host of backup singers and star session players such as Sly and Robbie and Earl "Chinna" Smith, very much in the spiritual 70s roots vein. In 2006, the UK reggae revival label Blood and Fire released the album Fisherman Style featuring a remixed version of the classic cut "Fisherman" from Heart of the Congos plus such legends as Horace Andy, Big Youth, Dillinger, Prince Jazzbo, Luciano, Freddie McGregor, Gregory Isaacs, Max Romeo, Mykal Rose, Dean Fraser, Sugar Minott, and U-Roy doing their own new versions over the original rhythm.
In 2002, they appeared on the album The Slackers and Friends by the ska/reggae band The Slackers.
In 2008, The Congos appeared in the independent feature film, Wah Do Dem which captures them performing "Fisherman," and "Congoman Chant," under a full moon at Helshire Beach outside Kingston.
In 2009, Myton, Burnett, and Johnson reunited with Perry to record the album Back in the Black Ark, which, despite its title, was recorded at Myton's studio in Portmore and at Mixing Lab, Kingston.
Ark Of The Covenant
The Congos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every morning the black sun rise
It shines out of the Ark of the Covenant
It shines out of the Ark of the Covenant
Princes, priests and warriors
Princes, priests and warriors
They were all saved in the Ark of the Covenant
A pair of everything was saved in the ark
A pair of everything was saved in the ark
Even the ants, saved in a Noah sugar-pan
Even the ants, saved in a Noah sugar-pan
Princes, priests and warriors
Princes, priests and warriors
They were all saved in the Ark of the Covenant
They were all saved in the Ark of the Covenant
The Ark the Ark
The Ark Live it up in the Covenant
The Ark Live it up in the Covenant
Every morning the black sun rise...
The lyrics of 'Ark of the Covenant' by The Congos talk about the Ark of the Covenant, a religious artifact that was believed to be the epicenter of Jewish faith in the olden times. The song starts with the repetition of the phrase 'Every morning the black sun rise' which refers to the bright and dazzling aura that surrounded the Ark, and how it stood as a symbol of hope and salvation for the people. The following lines talk about how the sun shines out of the Ark, further affirming the idea that it possessed divine power.
The lyrics then mention that the princes, priests, and warriors were saved in the Ark of the Covenant, which means that no matter what background you came from, you were all equal in the eyes of God. The line 'A pair of everything was saved in the ark' refers to the biblical story of Noah's Ark, where it is said that Noah took two of every kind of animal with him to save them from the great flood. Even the ants were saved, as the song says, 'saved in a Noah sugar-pan'. The lyrics then repeat the previous verses, emphasizing the importance of the Ark; not just for the people it saved, but for the people who still believe in its power and message.
Line by Line Meaning
Every morning the black sun rise
Each day, the sun rises and radiates tremendous energy, signified by the term 'black sun.'
It shines out of the Ark of the Covenant
This energy is said to emanate from the Ark of the Covenant, which is a symbol of divinity and power.
Princes, priests and warriors
The powerful and influential people of their time.
They were all saved in the Ark of the Covenant
They were protected and preserved from harm by the divine power of the Ark.
A pair of everything was saved in the ark
Every living thing was saved from destruction, illustrating the all-encompassing power of the Ark.
Even the ants, saved in a Noah sugar-pan
Even the smallest and seemingly insignificant creatures were saved and preserved, representing the value of all life.
The Ark the Ark
The repetition of 'The Ark' emphasizes its immense power and significance.
Live it up in the Covenant
Celebrate and rejoice in the divine power and protection of the Ark of the Covenant.
Contributed by Claire W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.