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The Selecter are a British ska revival band from Coventry, formed in the late 1970s as one of the essential bands of the British ska movement.
Much of what set apart The Selecter from many of the other ska bands at the time was the voice of Pauline Black. She had to disguise herself as a man in order for the band to get gigs, but once they did, there was no disguising her voice. Like other ska bands of this movement, The Selecter featured a racially mixed line up, and songs about violence, politics, marijuana, a fictional spy's theme song, James Bond, and reggae classics. The name of the band is a reference to the Jamaican word for a music selecter, known elsewhere as the DJ. Also typical to the style is the mix of one vocalist singing, and the other toasting in a Jamaican style, a precursor to rapping.
The Selecter's first recording Too Much Pressure was recorded at the end of 1979 and beginning of 1980 and issued on the pre-eminent 2 Tone/Chrysalis label. Their second recording Celebrate the Bullet was issued in 1981. Though the band has continued to regroup and reform on and off, most of the many recordings available are recompiled selections from these first two albums, either live or studio recordings. The Selecter's first two albums are essential British ska recordings.
Pauline Black has been the singer in The Selecter since its formation in 1979 when the band spearheaded the Two Tone movement alongside The Specials releasing the singles "The Selecter", "Three Minute Hero", "The Whisper", "Missing Words" and "On My Radio" as well as two albums; "Too Much Pressure" and "Celebrate The Bullet". The Selecter were also featured in the cult film Dance Craze. The band split in 1982, Pauline carved out a career in TV and theatre, appearing in dramas like The Vice, The Bill, Hearts and Minds and 2000 Acres of Sky. She won the 1991 Time Out award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Billie Holiday in the play All or Nothing At All and starred next to Christopher Lee in the schlock horror film The Funny Man. She reformed The Selecter in 1991 and has released several new albums and has toured all over the world.
Nick Welsh is probably best known for being the bassist in The Selecter and formerly Bad Manners but he has worked with some of the biggest names in Ska and Reggae, Prince Buster, Laurel Aitken, Rico Rodriguez, Dave Barker and most recently Lee "Scratch" Perry with whom he received a Grammy Award Certificate for his work on the CD Jamaican ET which won The Best Reggae Category in 2002. Nick also writes music for TV which has been used world-wide on shows as diverse as WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment), The Osbournes and even adverts for Ariel soap powder.
Neol Davies the founder and writer of the classic hits returns with a brand new band in 2010.
neoldaviesakatheselecter plays the mainstage at Bestival 2011 with new album and remixes.
Original line-up
Pauline Black : vocals
Compton Amanor: guitar
Charley Anderson: bass guitar
Charley Bembridge: drums
Desmond Brown: Hammond keyboard
Neol Davies: guitar
Arthur Hendrickson: vocals
Anderson and Brown left The Selecter in 1980. They were replaced by James Mackie: Hammond organ and Adam Williams: bass guitar
Reformed line-up: 1991
Pauline Black: vocals
Neol Davies: guitar
Arthur 'Gaps' Hendrickson - vocals
Martin Stewart: keyboards
Nick Welsh : bass
Perry Melius : drums
The Selecter 2010 lineup includes
Founder and songwriter Neol Davies- vocals/guitars
Lead Vocals- John Gibbons
Daniel Crosby- Drums
Andre Buyani- Bass
Tim Cansfield- Guitar
Victor Travino- Congas & Percussion
Dean Ross- Hammond Organ
Selecter Horns
Keeping the Trees Clean
The Selecter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But names will never hurt me
Negro, nigger, wog, junglebunny
Laugh you coon don't you think that's funny
Spade, jigaboo, sambo, darky
For those who are poets,
Just paddy-malarkey
Picaninny, half-caste, burrhead and blacky
Gosh there's a golly, a mangomuncher
Rubber lips, a callaloo cruncher
Quadroon, high-yella, octoroon and lily-skin
This is the shape our culture's in
I'm keeping the trees clean
I'm keeping the trees clean
I'm keeping the trees clean
How does it feel to truly belong
To know how you act is never wrong
Always keeping expectations high
Looking everyone square in the eye
Never blamed for each indiscretion
Conscious of leaving negative impressions
Analysing every move that you make
In every minute from the time that you wake
Repeating a sentence again and again
As if you were given less of a brain
Hassling for every crumb from the table
From the time you climbed out of the cradle
Breaking your back cos you leant too far over
To accommodate those rolling in clover
Assimilating patterns of human behaviour
Where everything's white, including the Saviour
But hey,
I'm keeping the trees clean
I'm keeping the trees clean
I'm keeping the trees clean
I'm keeping the trees clean
I'm keeping the trees clean
I'm keeping the trees clean
The Selecter's song "Keeping the Trees Clean" offers a commentary on racism and cultural prejudice. The lyrics posit that derogatory terms and slurs directed at various groups of people (including African Americans and those of mixed race, in addition to derogatory terms for Irish and Italian people) are indicative of a society where such prejudices are normalized. The repetition of these insults emphasizes the pervasive nature of racism and highlights the damaging effects of this type of language. The chorus, "I'm keeping the trees clean" could be interpreted as a call to action to eradicate racist attitudes and language from society, demonstrating that such language is both harmful and unnecessary.
The song's verses also examine the experience of those who belong to marginalized groups. The lyrics suggest that people of color are held to a higher standard than their white counterparts and are often unfairly blamed for their mistakes. The line "Conscious of leaving negative impressions" implies that African Americans must constantly monitor their behavior and presentation to avoid negative stereotypes, while the stanza "Assimilating patterns of human behaviour / Where everything's white, including the Saviour" suggests that even religion reinforces white norms and reinforces the oppression of people of color.
Line by Line Meaning
Sticks and stones may break my bones
Physical violence may cause physical harm
But names will never hurt me
Verbal insults cannot cause physical harm
Negro, nigger, wog, junglebunny
Racial slurs directed towards Black people
Laugh you coon don't you think that's funny
Addressing a Black person with a derogatory term meant to provoke
Spade, jigaboo, sambo, darky
More racial slurs directed towards Black people
For those who are poets,
Referring to individuals who use language creatively (but still use slurs)
Just paddy-malarkey
An Irish slur
Picaninny, half-caste, burrhead and blacky
More racial slurs directed towards Black and mixed-race people
But why stop there let's get seriously whacky
Sarcastic encouragement to continue using slurs to ludicrous degrees
Gosh there's a golly, a mangomuncher
More slurs, directed towards Black people and people of Caribbean descent
Rubber lips, a callaloo cruncher
Even more slurs, directed towards Black people and people of Caribbean descent
Quadroon, high-yella, octoroon and lily-skin
Terms used to describe people of mixed race
This is the shape our culture's in
These slurs reflect the prejudices present in our society
I'm keeping the trees clean
The singer is keeping the natural surroundings free from garbage and litter
I'm keeping the trees clean
The singer is keeping their mind free from harmful prejudices
I'm keeping the trees clean
The artist is promoting cleanliness in both the external and internal aspects of life
How does it feel to truly belong
The artist questions what it feels like to be fully accepted and not discriminated against
To know how you act is never wrong
When you belong, you don't have to worry about being judged or blamed for your actions
Always keeping expectations high
Striving for excellence as a way to gain acceptance
Looking everyone square in the eye
Demonstrating confidence and self-assuredness
Never blamed for each indiscretion
Not being held accountable for small mistakes or slip-ups
Conscious of leaving negative impressions
Being mindful of how one's actions and words affect others
Analysing every move that you make
Being self-reflective to avoid negative scrutiny
In every minute from the time that you wake
Being vigilant and aware at all times
Repeating a sentence again and again
Reinforcing positivity and affirmations as a way to gain self-acceptance
As if you were given less of a brain
A sarcastic remark made in response to those who use slurs
Hassling for every crumb from the table
Working hard to overcome obstacles posed by societal prejudices
From the time you climbed out of the cradle
From the moment one is born
Breaking your back cos you leant too far over
Exhausting oneself to accommodate those in power
To accommodate those rolling in clover
To accommodate those who are financially successful
Assimilating patterns of human behaviour
Adopting societal norms and expectations
Where everything's white, including the Saviour
A commentary on the racial biases of society and religion
I'm keeping the trees clean
Reinforcing the importance of cleanliness in both the external and internal aspect of life
Writer(s): pauline black, marthias welsh
Contributed by Michael S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Romea Sixties
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