There are at least four bands with the name The Upsetters:
1) The Upsett… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least four bands with the name The Upsetters:
1) The Upsetters was the name given to the house band for Jamaican reggae producer Lee "Scratch" Perry.
2) The Upsetters was the name of Little Richard's backing band playing R&B and rock 'n' roll during the 1950s.
3) The Upsetters was a South African garage rock band active in the 1960s.
4) The Upsetters was a soul band.

1. "The Upsetters" was the name of the studio backing band of Jamaica Reggae producer Lee "Scratch" Perry, a.k.a. "The Upsetter". The members most associated with that name included guitarist Alva Lewis, organist Glen Adams and brothers Aston Barrett and Carlton Barrett on bass and drums respectively, a.k.a. The Hippy Boys. As Lee Perry's studio band, the Upsetters had three distinct line-ups, though, throughout the years 1968-1986.

1968-1969: Gladdy's All Stars with Gladston Anderson and Winston Wright (keyboards), Jackie Jackson (bass), Hugh Malcom and Lloyd Adams (drums). They recorded the UK hits Man from M.I.5, Return of Django and Live Injection. According to Perry, "in a spectacular case of bad timing, the original Upsetters couldn't make the trip" for a tour of Britain. He went with the Hippy Boys instead.

1969-1971: The Hippy Boys included Glen Adams (keyboards), Alva Lewis (guitar), Aston Barrett (bass) and Carlton Barrett (drums). They were collaborating with Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer a.k.a The Wailers during that time. Even though Marley and Perry didn't get along very well, musically wise, they laid the foundation of reggae music for years to come with classics like Small Axe, Duppy Conqueror or 400 Years. In the rise to superstardom the bands began to go their separate ways early in 1972. The Barrett brothers, the most creative reggae rhythm section before Sly & Robbie, joined Marley to become known as the new Wailers which Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer left later on for successful solo careers. As a consequence Perry's Upsetters virtually didn't exist until he built his own Black Ark Studio.

1974-1979: Black Ark Players of which Boris Gardiner (bass), Mikey Richards, Sly Dunbar and Benbow Creary (drums), Earl "Chinna" Smith (guitar), Winston Wright and Keith Stirling (keyboards) can be considered the core of the band. They developed the new psychedelic sound unique to the Black Ark which was impressively captured on albums like Heart Of The Congos or War Ina Babylon.

Perry himself purported that he deliberately burned down the Black Ark one morning in 1983, to eventually turn his back on Jamaican Reggae for good. The story of the Upsetters ends around 1986 and can be told in various different ways.

2. "The Upsetters" was the name of Little Richard's backing band playing R&B and Rock'n'Roll during the 1950s. One of their instrumental tracks is The Strip.

3. The Upsetters was a South African garage rock band active in the 1960s.

4. The Upsetters was a soul band.

Long Sentence
The Upsetters Lyrics

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INSTRUMENTAL

-Con tanto mal
Que tu me has echo
En mi vida ya no tienes mas derecho

*Con tanto amor
Que yo te dava

Hoy te desprecio porque estas equivocada

-Y no vales nada
Tu no vales nada
Me la hiciste una y mil veces
En mi propia cara

*Hay no vales nada
Fui capaz de quitarme la vida
Y no te importaba

(Coro)

*Te vas arrepentir
Sin mi!
Te tocara sufrir
Sin mi!

-Cuando despiertes
Y no este mas a tu lado
Cuando te cuenten
Que otros labios
Me han besado

*Cuando me llames
Y te suene ocupado!

*Con tanto mal
Que tu me has echo
En mi vida ya tienes mas derecho

-Con tanto amor
Que yo te dava
Hoy te desprecio porque estas equivocada

*Y no vales nada
No te imoorta nada
Me la hiciste una y mil veces
En mi propia cara

-Hay no vales nada
Fui capaz de quitarme la vida
Y no te importaba

(Coro)

-Te vas arrepentir
Sin mi!
Te tocara sufrir
Por mi!

*Cuando despiertes
Y no este mas a tu lado
Cuando te cuenten
Que otros labios
Me han besado

-Cuando me llames
Y te suene ocupado!

X_O

Overall Meaning

The Upsetters' song Long Sentence is a poignant expression of profound heartbreak and the burning desire for revenge. The lyrics speak of a betrayal by a lover who has caused immense pain, and the singer's decision to move on and leave the relationship behind. The first verse speaks to the singer's hurt and bitterness, declaring that the lover no longer has any right in the singer's life after causing so much pain. The second verse is more cutting, announcing the singer's newfound contempt for the lover and their mistakes. The repetition of the line "no vales nada" (you're worth nothing) emphasizes the singer's complete disillusionment with the relationship.

The chorus is a warning to the lover that they will regret their actions and suffer without the singer's presence. The lines "te vas arrepentir, sin mi!" (you will regret it, without me!) and "te tocara sufrir, sin mi!" (you will suffer, without me!) drive home the singer's intention to move on and leave the lover behind. The third verse is the most powerful, describing the aftermath of the breakup and the singer's satisfaction at having moved on. The line "cuando me llames y te suene ocupado" (when you call me and the line is busy) is a clear indication that the singer has moved on and is no longer available to the former lover.

Overall, Long Sentence is a song that captures the raw emotion of a breakup and the possibility of healing through moving on.

Line by Line Meaning

Con tanto mal Que tu me has echo En mi vida ya no tienes mas derecho
You have done me so wrong that you no longer have any right to be a part of my life

Con tanto amor Que yo te dava Hoy te desprecio porque estas equivocada
Although I gave you so much love, I despise you now because you are wrong

Y no vales nada Tu no vales nada Me la hiciste una y mil veces En mi propia cara
You're worthless, you mean nothing to me. You've betrayed me time and time again, right in front of my eyes

Hay no vales nada Fui capaz de quitarme la vida Y no te importaba
You're worthless. I was even willing to end my own life and you didn't even care

Te vas arrepentir Sin mi! Te tocara sufrir Sin mi!
You will regret being without me. You will suffer without me!

Cuando despiertes Y no este mas a tu lado Cuando te cuenten Que otros labios Me han besado
When you wake up and realize that I'm no longer by your side and someone else has kissed me

Cuando me llames Y te suene ocupado!
When you call me and you hear that I'm busy

Writer(s): Lee "scratch" Perry

Contributed by Natalie I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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TRACKS