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.
Children Crying
The Congos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The children crying in the wilderness, that's right.
Jah-Jah!
The children crying in the wilderness.
Send us a prophet, to warn the nation.
All the children in this creation,
All the people that you see
Will be the children of the Most High.
Jah-Jah!
All the people that you see
Will be the children of the Most High.
Jah Rastafari! And I. Jah Rastafari!
Jah-Jah-Jah.
Send us another Moses, to lead the nation.
The hungry must be fed, so there'll be no more sufferation.
All the people that you see
Will be the children of the Most High.
Jah-Jah.
All the people that you see
Will be the children of the Most High.
Jah-Jah!
The children crying in the wilderness.
Jah-Jah!
The children crying in the wilderness.
Jah-Jah
Send us another Moses, to lead the nation.
The hungry must be fed, so there'll be no more sufferation.
All the people that you see
Will be the children of the Most High.
Jah-Jah!
The children crying in the wilderness.
Jah-Jah!
The children crying in the wilderness...
The Congos's song "Children Crying" is a powerful cry for help from the oppressed children and people of the world. The lyrics use religious imagery to call for a prophet or a Moses-like figure to come and lead the nation, to feed the hungry, and to end the suffering that plagues the world. The repetition of "Jah-Jah" throughout the song reinforces the belief that God or Jah will provide salvation for those who suffer.
The first verse speaks directly to the children crying in the wilderness, acknowledging their pain and despair. The song then calls for a prophet to "warn the nation," suggesting that this prophet could be the key to ending the suffering of all people. The chorus repeats the idea that all the people of the world will be the children of the Most High, implying that salvation is within reach for everyone.
The second verse again calls for a leader like Moses to "lead the nation" and "feed the hungry" to end "sufferation." The repetition of the chorus reinforces the idea that all people can be saved and that the suffering can be ended.
Overall, "Children Crying" is a powerful call to action, urging the listener to take responsibility for the suffering of others and to work towards salvation for all people.
Line by Line Meaning
Jah-Jah!
Acknowledging the presence and power of God.
The children crying in the wilderness, that's right.
There is distress and pain among the vulnerable and marginalized.
Jah-Jah!
Acknowledging the presence and power of God.
The children crying in the wilderness.
There is distress and pain among the vulnerable and marginalized.
Send us a prophet, to warn the nation.
Requesting for a messenger to convey a message of hope and guidance to the people.
All the children in this creation,
All human beings, particularly those who are oppressed and suffering.
All the people that you see
Emphasizing the universality of humanity.
Will be the children of the Most High.
All human beings are equal and belong to God.
Jah-Jah!
Acknowledging the presence and power of God.
All the people that you see
Emphasizing the universality of humanity.
Will be the children of the Most High.
All human beings are equal and belong to God.
Jah Rastafari! And I. Jah Rastafari!
A declaration of faith in the Rastafari movement and God.
Jah-Jah-Jah.
Acknowledging the presence and power of God.
Send us another Moses, to lead the nation.
Asking for a leader who can guide and inspire the people.
The hungry must be fed, so there'll be no more sufferation.
Addressing the need for basic necessities and an end to suffering.
All the people that you see
Emphasizing the universality of humanity.
Will be the children of the Most High.
All human beings are equal and belong to God.
Jah-Jah!
Acknowledging the presence and power of God.
All the people that you see
Emphasizing the universality of humanity.
Will be the children of the Most High.
All human beings are equal and belong to God.
Jah-Jah!
Acknowledging the presence and power of God.
The children crying in the wilderness.
There is distress and pain among the vulnerable and marginalized.
Jah-Jah!
Acknowledging the presence and power of God.
The children crying in the wilderness.
There is distress and pain among the vulnerable and marginalized.
Send us another Moses, to lead the nation.
Asking for a leader who can guide and inspire the people.
The hungry must be fed, so there'll be no more sufferation.
Addressing the need for basic necessities and an end to suffering.
All the people that you see
Emphasizing the universality of humanity.
Will be the children of the Most High.
All human beings are equal and belong to God.
Jah-Jah!
Acknowledging the presence and power of God.
The children crying in the wilderness.
There is distress and pain among the vulnerable and marginalized.
Jah-Jah!
Acknowledging the presence and power of God.
The children crying in the wilderness.
There is distress and pain among the vulnerable and marginalized.
Contributed by Camden P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ali Wolf
Jah-Jah!
The children crying in the wilderness, that's right.
Jah-Jah!
The children crying in the wilderness.
Send us a prophet, to warn the nation.
All the children in this creation,
All the people that you see
Will be the children of the Most High.
Jah-Jah!
All the people that you see
Will be the children of the Most High.
Jah Rastafari! And I. Jah Rastafari!
Jah-Jah-Jah.
Send us another Moses, to lead the nation.
The hungry must be fed, so there'll be no more sufferation.
All the people that you see
Will be the children of the Most High.
Jah-Jah.
All the people that you see
Will be the children of the Most High.
Jah-Jah!
The children crying in the wilderness.
Jah-Jah!
The children crying in the wilderness.
Jah-Jah
Send us another Moses, to lead the nation.
The hungry must be fed, so there'll be no more sufferation.
All the people that you see
Will be the children of the Most High.
Jah-Jah!
The children crying in the wilderness.
Jah-Jah!
The children crying in the wilderness...
Rockers Mood
The best produced reggae album ever!!!!! I love listening to this while carrying my two little girls one in each arm and dancing with them , pure happiness!!!!
buddy fafard
one of the best songs I ever heard! Haunting melody.
Elizabeth Hann
[12 August 2022] Oh, so very much so. Maybe one of the very best songs I ever heard, too. One of the very best reggae songs, anyway.
Robin Sutcliffe - Universal Light Language
is amazing huh
Original Donovan
This song demonstrates the creativity, uniqueness & production skills within Jamaican music. Lovely song from the Congos & those musicians involved...
Goat boy
Nothing sounds as sweet as roots reggae :)
Ednaldo Dória
The Congos é sem dúvida alguma um marco na música Reggae, totalmente ROOTS... primórdio total da música de Jah, uma jóia rara que foi esculpida perfeitamente...
Bing Sinatra
Gorgeous harmonies, deep groove & the the best ever use of Scratch's mechanical cow.
roquefortified
I was talking over a few beers to my brother about Star Wars and why Jar Jar Binks was so roundly slagged off ...I was suddenly impelled mid conversation to start singing this song which I have not heard for about 30 years, and could not for the life of me figure out who had sang it.
Nice to hear Scratch's delightful "monster rising from the deep" sound effect production.
theleadshoes
"All the people that you see
Will be the children of the Most High."