The group recorded some material with Prince Buster before Ken Boothe introduced them to Coxsone Dodd's Studio One label where in 1966 they recorded "Lay It On" (one of the first records to reflect the shift from ska to rocksteady), "Meet Me", "I Should Have Made It Up" and "Let's Join Hands (Together)". Lead vocal duties were now shared between Brevett and Dowe. From 1967 to 1968 they had a number of hits on Duke Reid's Treasure Isle label, including "You Have Caught Me", "Expo 67", "I'll Get Along Without You", and "You Don't Need Me". After recording "Swing and Dine" for record producer Sonia Pottinger, they had further hits with "Little Nut Tree" before recording their biggest hit, "Rivers of Babylon" for Leslie Kong. This song became an anthem of the Rastafarian movement, and was featured on the soundtrack of the movie The Harder They Come. In the early 1970s Brevett also recorded as a solo artist, having his greatest success with "Don't Get Weary". After Kong's death in 1971, they recorded for Lee Perry and Byron Lee's Dynamic Studios. In 1973, Brent Dowe left the group for a solo career. The group reformed briefly a few years later, and again in the early 1980s.
The Melodians regrouped again in the 1990s as part of the roots revival. In 1992 they recorded "Song of Love", which was issued on the Tappa Zukie label. Throughout the later 1990s they continued touring internationally, including appearing at the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival in California in 2002. In 2005 The Melodians embarked on a West Coast tour.
The death of Tony Brevett in 2013 left McNaughton as the only surviving original member. McNaughton toured as a solo artist in 2014 and subsequently recruited Taurus Alphonso (formerly of the Mellow Tones) and Winston Dias (formerly of The Movers) to form a new Melodians line-up. As of February 2015, the group were recording a new album in Florida with producer Willie Lindo. The Return of the Melodians was released in May 2017 and went on to reach no. 19 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart.
In February 2017, the Melodians received an 'Iconic Award' from the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA).
Brent Gayford Dowe (29 June 1946 - 29 January 2006) after a rehearsal in preparation for a performance to take place the following weekend at the Jamaican Prime Minister’s residence, Brent Dowe suffered a fatal heart attack at the age of 59. The remaining original members Tony Brevett and Trevor McNaughton continued touring in Europe and the U.S. backed by the Yellow Wall Dub Squad.
Tony Brevett (1949 - 25 October 2013) died from cancer after being admitted to hospital in Miami in August.
Trevor McNaughton (James Augustus McNaughton, December 16, 1940 - November 20, 2018) was the last surviving original member of the group.
The Rivers Of Babylon
The Melodians Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where he sat down
And there he wept
When he remembered Zion
'Cause the wicked carried us away, captivity
Required from us a song
How can we sing King Alpha's song in a strange land?
Required from us a song
How can we sing King Alpha song in a strange land?
Sing it out loud
Sing a song of freedom, sister
Sing a song of freedom, brother, whoa
We gotta sing and shout it
We gotta jump and shout it, yeah
Shout the song of freedom now
Whoa, whoa, whoa
So let the words of our mouth
And the meditation of our heart
Be acceptable in Thy sight, oh Far I
So let the words of our mouth
And the meditation of our heart
Be acceptable in Thy sight, oh Far I
Sing it again
We've got to sing it together
We've got to shout it together
Ohh, na-na-na
Whoa, whoa, whoa
By the rivers of Babylon
Where we sat down
And there we wept
When we remembered Zion
Oh, the wicked carried us away in captivity
Required from us a song
How can we sing King Alpha's song in a strange land?
'Cause the wicked carried us away in captivity
Required from us a song
How can we sing King Alpha's song in a strange land?
Sing it, sing it, sing it
You've got to sing it, brother
We've got to sing it, sister
The Melodians' song "Rivers of Babylon" is a reggae classic that draws from the biblical story of the Babylonian exile of the Jewish people. The lyrics evoke the agony of the Israelites as they were taken as captives to Babylon and yearned for their homeland, Zion. The singer is sitting by the rivers of Babylon, weeping as he remembers Zion. The wicked Babylonians have carried him and his people away into captivity, where they are forced to sing King Alpha's song in a strange land. The song becomes a plea to let the words of their mouth and the meditation of their hearts be acceptable in "Thy sight," referring to God.
The song's refrain emphasizes the importance of singing and shouting, of using one's voice to express oneself and to resist captivity. The singer calls on his audience to join him in singing a song of freedom, to shout the song of freedom together. The repetition of the chorus drives home the message that singing and shouting are powerful and necessary tools of resistance, even in the bleakest of circumstances.
Line by Line Meaning
By the rivers of Babylon
We were taken away from our home and brought to Babylon
Where he sat down
We sat and thought about Zion
And there he wept
We cried remembering our lost home
When he remembered Zion
We remembered our beloved home, Zion
'Cause the wicked carried us away, captivity
We were forcibly taken into captivity by evil people
Required from us a song
We were asked to sing a song
How can we sing King Alpha's song in a strange land?
We wondered how we can sing our King's song in a foreign land
Sing it out loud
Sing with a resonant voice
Sing a song of freedom, sister
Sing a song that symbolizes freedom, sister
Sing a song of freedom, brother, whoa
Sing a song that symbolizes freedom, brother, whoa
We gotta sing and shout it
We must sing and shout it out loud
We gotta jump and shout it, yeah
We must jump and shout it out loud, yeah
Shout the song of freedom now
Shout out the song of freedom right now
So let the words of our mouth
May the words of our mouth
And the meditation of our heart
And the thoughts of our heart
Be acceptable in Thy sight, oh Far I
Be what Thou wants and pleasing to You, oh Far I
Sing it again
Sing it once more
We've got to sing it together
We have to sing it together, united
We've got to shout it together
We have to shout it together, united
Ohh, na-na-na
Unknown
Sing it, sing it, sing it
Sing it repeatedly
You've got to sing it, brother
You have to sing it, brother
We've got to sing it, sister
We have to sing it, sister
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Sentric Music, Downtown Music Publishing, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: James Agustus Mcnaughton, Frank Farian, George Reyam, Brent Gayford Dowe
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@derelictegrasshopper
It has something to do with Christianity as well.
But also Buddhism.
“Let the words of our mouth and the meditations of our heart be acceptable in Thy sight from now on.“
This is a prayer to the Lord of the Bible.
But It could also easily be a request of the Great Spirit of many native peoples beliefs.
In fact, look how similar this is and yet presages quite closely the meaning of what will become famously known as “The First Agreement” from Don Miguel Ruiz book, THE FOUR AGREEMENTS.
“Be Impeccable With Your Word”
which, according to the book, is THE most important agreement to learn.
“Let the words of our mouth and the meditations of our heart be acceptable in thy sight from now on”
@mattstevens6869
Lyrics:
By the rivers of Babylon
Where he sat down
And there he wept
When he remembered Zion
But the wicked carried us away in captivity
Required from us a song
How can we sing King Alpha song in a strange land?
'Cause the wicked carried us away in captivity
Required from us a song
How can we sing King Alpha song in a strange land?
Sing it out loud
Sing a song of freedom, sister
Sing a song of freedom, brother
We gotta sing and shout it
We gotta jump and shout it
Shout the song of freedom now
So let the words of our mouth
And the meditation of our heart
Be acceptable in Thy sight, oh Far I
So let the words of our mouth
And the meditation of our heart
Be acceptable in Thy sight, oh Far I
Sing it again!
We've got to sing it together
We've got to shout it together
By the rivers of Babylon
Where we sat down
And there we wept
When we remembered Zion
Oh, the wicked carried us away in captivity
Required from us a song
How can we sing King Alpha's song in a strange land?
'Cause the wicked carried us away in captivity
Required from us a song
How can we sing King Alpha's song in a strange land?
Sing it, sing it, sing it
We've got to sing it, brother
We've got to sing it, sister
@jennymusic4031
@@Yorgos2007 not on the first pressings.
The Story.
2 psalms
1969. Transforming to The Melodians version. Credit their own for the song because the traditional psalms.
1978: Farian heard The Melodians version. He even met The Melodians. He based his Rivers of Babylon on their version.
Farian gave The Melodians a 1 payment to thank them but put all the rights to himself because of the traditional psalms.
It stood in no time on 1 in many countries.
The Melodians were finally not satisfied with the money comparing with Farian earned with it.
A justice proces was started. Boney M. was clearly based too much on The Melodians product of 1969.
Farian had to add Mc. Naughton and Drew for the song too.
Since than they were officially partly credited for the Boney M. version which was for months a hit and also on many Boney M. collection albums till today.
@MrKimjinb
Psalms 137:1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
Psalms 137:3 For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.
Psalms 137:4 How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a strange land?
Psalms 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
@wilsont1010
Zion as in Zionist in today's context?
@raeclarke7328
@@wilsont1010Zion as in their homeland
@sonofblessed
@@wilsont1010 Nope, not really. Zion is one of the names that Torah uses for "Israel". This is Psalm about the Babylonians carting the Jews away from Israel to live in Babylon (modern day Iraq). Reggae often used Jewish and Torah analogies to explain the plight of Jamaicans, especially in Rastafari.
@user-ym3ry2fc7n
@@sonofblessed so yes...
@josenirnevesdasilva6425
@@wilsont1010no
@pupsybrehan1972
The song is a message from our forefathers kidnapped from their home lands taken to the Arab lands in captivity. Slaved in salt mines and swamps of Iraq.When they revolted 500,000 were slaughtered by the Arabs. History thanks and blessings to the Caribbean peoples
@plasteredbastard
Psalm 137 1-4 By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion.
2 There on the poplars
we hung our harps,
3 for there our captors asked us for songs,
our tormentors demanded songs of joy;
they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
4 How can we sing the songs of the Lord
while in a foreign land?
@TrueKing
Selah ❤️💛💚
@giuseppelogiurato5718
Lovely... but don't forget the part about bashing the babies' heads in against the rocks... That's in there too.