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.
Bow Fisherman
The Congos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Keep on rowing your boat
Lots of hungry belly pickney they a shore, millions of them
Living in a bumbo hut
In a little hole sea-port town
Three kids on the floor
And another one to come make four
Day by day i man step it
Along the sea shore
Hail brother John, have you got any wenchman
Yes brother Peter, wenchman, sprat and mackaba
Row fisherman row keep on rowing your boat
Brotherman brotherman
Row fisherman row
We′ve got to reach on higher grounds.
Simon, Peter, James and John come a shore
To feed the hungry belly ones.
So, row fisherman row
Keep on rowing your boat
Lots of hungry belly pickney they a-shore, millions of them
Quaju Peg the collie-man
Sell the best collie in sea port town
Quaju Peg the collie man
Ha the best collie weed in town
Row fisherman row
Keep on rowing your boat
We've got to reach on higher grounds
Rain is falling
We′ve got to reach on higher grounds
The Congos's song Bow Fisherman is an evocative commentary on the daily struggles of the people living in a small sea-port town. The opening lines of the song urge the fisherman to keep rowing their boats despite the enormous challenges they face. The lyrics portray a situation where many children are going to bed hungry, and there is a need for the fisherman to continue rowing and bringing in the fish to feed the people.
The song's middle section features a conversation between two brothers, John and Peter, discussing the availability of fish in the sea. The use of the word "wenchman" is a Jamaican slang for a small fish. The brothers' conversation highlights the daily struggles of the fishermen to find fish and how the people in the town rely on their catch to survive.
The song's final section urges the fisherman to continue rowing their boats despite the challenges they face, with the aim of reaching higher grounds. The song is a commentary on the people's struggles in poor Jamaican communities and how they rely on fishing as a source of food.
Line by Line Meaning
Row fisherman row
Keep rowing your boat
Keep on rowing your boat
Continue paddling
Lots of hungry belly pickney they a shore, millions of them
There are many hungry children on the shore
Living in a bumbo hut
Living in a small, humble house
In a little hole sea-port town
In a small town by the sea
Three kids on the floor
Three children on the floor
And another one to come make four
And another child on the way makes four
Day by day i man step it
Every day I walk along the shore
Along the sea shore
By the edge of the sea
Hail brother John, have you got any wenchman
Greetings, brother John. Do you have any fish to sell?
Yes brother Peter, wenchman, sprat and mackaba
Yes, brother Peter. I have wenchman, sprat, and mackaba fish to sell.
Brotherman brotherman
Addressing someone as a brother
We've got to reach on higher grounds.
We must strive for a better future.
Simon, Peter, James and John come a shore
Simon, Peter, James, and John arrive at the shore.
To feed the hungry belly ones.
To feed the hungry children.
Quaju Peg the collie-man
Quaju Peg, the seller of marijuana.
Sell the best collie in sea port town
Sells the best marijuana in the town by the sea.
Ha the best collie weed in town
He has the best marijuana in the town.
Rain is falling
It is raining
We've got to reach on higher grounds
We must continue to strive for a better future.
Writer(s): Roydel Johnson, Cedric Myton
Contributed by Alaina E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Aaron Azagoth
The best roots record off all time. Lee Perry brought the best out of the vocalists. It’s a supernatural ode to the real people. The fisherman, the Ital farmers, the beautiful lifestyle of the Rasta! This is country reggae that deals with country topics. It holds up today as an almost religious artifact.
MyCall Megatone
Maddddd
miahconnell23
Agreed. Emphatically. ❤️
Tyler Anderson
The best tho? Abyssinians
Luke Cage
"an almost religious artifact."?? What?? Its just a good catchy tune, brah.
Simons View
I listen to this every day and everytime it touches the deepest part of my soul, it makes me emotional in the most beautiful way.
absolut masterpiece 🌞💜🙌🏼💯
Alicia Kracher
Samee
Possibly Kombucha Slim
one of the few songs you know the world needs to hear but you know the world wouldnt listen.
a prayer so ancient it binds us
Simons View
very beautiful described brother 💯😢💚
Edward Shearer
Heard this at an Aba Shanti dub night in London in the 90’s. Also Dj played it before an Israel Vibration concert around the same time. Visceral experience to hear this on vinyl on a full-on sound system. Mind-blowing. I have the vinyl album Heart of the Congos. Lucky!