There are or have been - at least - two bands named The Wailers:

- … Read Full Bio ↴There are or have been - at least - two bands named The Wailers:

- The legendary Jamaican reggae band (founded as a ska group 1963, and became a Rastafarian reggae band in 1968), renamed Bob Marley & The Wailers in 1974, which are still active led by bassist Aston Barrett after Marley's death in 1981.

- The Fabulous Wailers, a rock and roll and garage band from the USA, active 1958-1969, first led by John Greek, replaced in 1960 by Rockin' Robin Roberts.

1) Bob Marley & The Wailers have together sold in excess of 255 million albums worldwide. Since they are extraordinary popular also in poor countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America with big markets for pirate copies the total amounts of albums sold has been estimated to over 1 billion. In England alone, they've notched up over 20 chart hits, including seven Top 10 entries. In USA on the other hand, Bob Marley & The Wailers reached superstar status only after Marley's death, with the album Legend , focusing on the person Bob Marley but not on the band. Outside of their groundbreaking work with Marley, the Wailers have also played or performed with international acts like Sting, the Fugees, Stevie Wonder, Carlos Santana, and Alpha Blondy, as well as reggae legends such as Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, and Burning Spear. As the greatest living exponents of Jamaica's reggae tradition, the Wailers have completed innumerable other tours, playing to an estimated 24 million people across the globe. They have also been the first reggae band to tour new territories on many occasions, including Africa and the Far East.

Their nucleus formed in 1969, when the vocalist group "The Wailers" (formed 1963 by Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, and Peter Tosh) requited the talented Barrett brothers: bassist Aston "Family Man" and drummer Carlton (writer of well-known Marley songs like "War" and "Talking Blues", 'sound-maker' of more Marley songs, developer of the one drop style in reggae music) played on hits such as Lively Up Yourself, Trenchtown Rock, Duppy Conqueror, and many more besides. Inspired by Rastafari and their ambitions of reaching an international audience, this is the line-up that pioneered roots rock reggae, and signed to Island Records in 1971. Bunny and Peter left two years later. It was at this point that the in-demand Barrett brothers - whose rhythms also underpinned innumerable seventies' reggae hits by other acts - assumed the title of Wailers, and backed Marley on the group's international breakthrough album, Natty Dread. Under Family Man's musical leadership, they then partnered Bob Marley on the succession of hit singles and albums that made him a global icon, winner of several Lifetime Achievement awards, and Jamaica's best-loved musical superstar.
Drummer Carlton "Carlie" Barrett was murdered 1987, leaving his brother as the main beneficiary of the Wailers' mantle. Subsequent line-ups have revolved around Family Man, who is widely regarded as one of the world's greatest bass players. Modest and unassuming, he was present on all of those unforgettable performances by Bob Marley & The Wailers from the seventies. Family Man continues to be the main axis of the current Wailers - a group that's one of the last, great reggae institutions, yet which refuses to live off past glories. That's because Family Man represents tried and trusted roots authenticity and, along with the Wailers, injects fresh excitement into a show that continues to attract enthusiastic audiences from around the world.

2) The Fabulous Wailers were an American rock band from Tacoma, Washington. Formed around 1958, they are often considered the first garage rock group. They performed a hybrid of saxophone-driven rhythm and blues and Chuck Berry rock and roll.

Five 45s (four released in 1959, including Tall Cool One, and one in 1960) and an LP release, The Fabulous Wailers (released December 1959 on Golden Crest Records), put the Wailers on the national scene. Their 1961 cover of Louie Louie, which they recorded as a backing band for singer Rockin' Roberts, was the first to use the trademark 1-2-3, 1-2, 1-2-3 riff. Their version inspired other groups from the Seattle area, most notably the The Kingsmen of Portland, Oregon, to record the same song. The Fabulous Wailers' influence established the Pacific Northwest area as a center for musical innovation and the home of a long string of regional favorites playing a kind of raunchy, amateur, yet passionate, form of rock and roll, such as The Sonics, with whom they exchanged various band members and who recorded on The Wailers own Etiquette Records label.

They became popular around the United States Pacific Northwest around the late 1950s and the start of the 1960s, performing saxophone-driven R&B and Chuck Berry rock and roll. Their biggest hit was "Tall Cool One", first released in 1959, and they have been credited as being "one of the very first, if not the first, of the American garage bands."

The group was formed – originally as The Nitecaps – in 1958, by five high school friends:

John Greek (27 October 1940 – 6 October 2006) – rhythm guitar, trumpet
Richard Dangel (1 December 1942 – 2 December 2002) – lead guitar
Kent Morrill (2 April 1941 – 15 April 2011) – keyboards, vocals
Mark Marush (15 August 1940 – 9 August 2007) – tenor sax
Mike Burk (b. 1942) – drums
In late 1958, the group recorded a demo of an instrumental written by Dangel, Morrill and Greek, which found its way to Clark Galehouse of New York based Golden Crest Records. He liked the track and had it re-recorded by the band in Lakewood in February 1959; its title "Tall Cool One" was apparently suggested by Morrill's mother. Released as a single, it reached # 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 and # 24 on the R&B chart. The band made the cross-country trip to New York to record an LP, The Fabulous Wailers, which was released in December 1959 and featured two vocals by Morrill as well as instrumentals. They also appeared on Dick Clark's nationally televised American Bandstand, and toured the east coast. A second instrumental from their first recording session, "Mau-Mau", made # 68 on the Billboard pop chart, but their third single, "Wailin'", failed to make the chart.

The band decided to return to the Northwest, rather than staying in New York as their record label wished, and they were dropped from their contract. Around the same time, they added lead vocalist "Rockin' Robin" Roberts (Lawrence Fewell Roberts II), a charismatic frontman who had previously been the singer with rival Tacoma band the Bluenotes. John Greek left the group in acrimonious circumstances, and was replaced by bassist John "Buck" Ormsby (Seattle, October 29, 1941 - October 29, 2016). Ormsby, Morrill and Roberts then formed Etiquette Records and, in 1961, the label released its first single, a cover version of Richard Berry's "Louie Louie". For contractual reasons the single was credited to Roberts, but was performed by the whole band. Their recording became a local hit and was distributed nationally by Imperial Records, but did not make the national chart. However, its style, with its trademark 1-2-3, 1-2, 1-2-3 riff, inspired other groups from the Seattle area, most notably the Kingsmen of Portland, Oregon, to record the same song.

The Wailers continued to perform locally and, according to Morrill, one of their biggest fans was the young Jimi Hendrix, then starting to perform guitar. The band performed both with and without Roberts, who studied at the University of Washington, the University of Puget Sound, and Oregon State University, eventually achieving a masters degree in biochemistry. They also occasionally featured teenage girl singer Gail Harris, notably on the live album The Fabulous Wailers at the Castle, recorded in 1961, which has been described as "undoubtedly one of the most influential albums in Seattle rock & roll history." In all, the band recorded and released four albums on their own Etiquette label between 1962 and 1966, as well as a succession of singles. They also helped instigate the recording career of The Sonics, whose first two albums were issued by the label, and helped begin Jini Dellaccio's career as a rock'n'roll photographer when they hired her to shoot cover photos for their album Wailers, Wailers, Everywhere.

Mark Marush left The Wailers in 1962 and was replaced by Ron Gardner, who also handled lead vocals; Dangel and Burk left in 1964 and were replaced by guitarist Neil Andersson and drummer Dave Roland respectively. Continuing to perform live as well as recording, the band added a trio of girl backing singers, known as the Marshans. Also in 1964, "Tall Cool One" was re-promoted by the Golden Crest label, and again made the Billboard pop chart, this time peaking at # 38. In 1965 Roberts made his final recordings with the group, and, in 1967, guitarist Neil Andersson was replaced by Denny Weaver. Roberts was killed, aged 27, in a car crash in late 1967.

The band split up in 1969, by which time Kent Morrill was the only remaining original member. Morrill, Dangel and Ormsby, with other musicians, reunited as The Wailers for occasional concerts from the 1970s onwards. In 1979, they joined with Burk, Gardner, and Gail Harris to play a reunion show.

Later activities
Ormsby re-established the Etiquette label in the mid-1980s, and issued a Wailers compilation, The Boys from Tacoma, in 1993. The Wailers' song, "Out of Our Tree", was featured in the 1998 CD version of the Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From the First Psychedelic Era collection. Several of the Wailers' tunes were also covered by The Ventures, and the two bands released an album together, Two Car Garage, in 2009 to celebrate their 50 years in existence.

Ron Gardner died in 1992. Richard Dangel died of an aneurysm in 2002. John Greek died in 2006, Mark Marush in 2007, and Kent Morrill died of cancer on 15 April 2011. Buck Ormsby died in 2016.

Only In Jamaica
The Wailers Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Come along every goodie
Come and hear what I have to say
Come and listen and I will tell you
What is the talk of the town today
And every corner that you may walk
You see a group of people balk
They're not skylarkin' they're talkin'
'bout what's happening here in Jamaica

Can't get no work off hustling
And man, when you take a stock
Can't cook no rice and dumpling
And will soon end up in a shack
Can't pay no rent, 'cause you don't have a cent
No government account, it's already spent
So you end up borrowing, begging or stealing, here in Jamaica

Some a dem long, long treat bad
And they don't care a thing about that
Desperation is getting so bad
You either bite the bullet or get flat
And if a-you should die before his day
Who are responsible don't want to pay
I am not jokin', I'm talkin' 'bout what's happening here
In Jamaica

--Whoa Yea--

Why don't you take us onward to Africa
Where we can sit and eat and chat
For it is no use dying in Jamaica
'cause we can't afford a burial spot
Remember Marcus Garvey predicted that day
When all black people shall be going away
To the land of our forefathers, and our mothers
Right here in Ethiopia

Oh what a glorious morning
When we shall leap out of Babylon
There shall be singin', dancin' and rejoicing
With the dawn of the rising sun
And all the Africans, home and abroad
Just like the Israelites we shall be glad
To leave our worries, trials and crosses, here in Jamaica

so, come along every goodie
Come and hear what I have to say
Come and listen and I will tell you
What is the talk of the town today
And to every corner that you may walk
You see a group of people balk
They're not skylarkin' they're talkin'
'bout what's happening here in Jamaica

I am not jokin' , I'm talkin' 'bout what's happening here in Jamaica
They're not skylarkin' they're talkin' 'bout what's happening here in Jamaica

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Only In Jamaica" by The Wailers depict the social and economic struggles faced by the people of Jamaica. The song brings attention to the hardships experienced by individuals who are unable to find stable employment, resorting to hustling to make ends meet. The line "Can't get no work off hustling" highlights the desperation and lack of job opportunities in the country, leading to financial difficulties.

The song also addresses the scarcity of basic necessities such as food and shelter. The lines "Can't cook no rice and dumpling" and "will soon end up in a shack" emphasize the inability to afford proper meals and adequate housing. The lyrics suggest that poverty and the inability to pay rent push people into a cycle of borrowing, begging, or even resorting to theft to survive.

The track delves further into the treatment of the Jamaican people, highlighting the disregard for their well-being. The lyrics express that some individuals are mistreated and face mistreatment from others without any concern or consequences. The desperation experienced by the people is so overwhelming that it presents a choice between enduring further suffering or fighting back.

The song also touches upon the longing for a better life in Africa, particularly Ethiopia, which is seen as the ancestral homeland for many Jamaicans. The reference to Marcus Garvey prophesying a mass exodus of black people from Jamaica points to the desire to escape the hardships of the country and return to their roots. The lyrics celebrate a vision of liberation and freedom from the difficulties faced in Jamaica, with the hope of finding a more prosperous and fulfilling life in Africa.

In conclusion, "Only In Jamaica" by The Wailers sheds light on the struggles faced by the Jamaican people, including unemployment, poverty, mistreatment, and the yearning for a better life. The lyrics highlight the daily conversations and concerns of the community, representing the reality of life in Jamaica. However, there is also a glimmer of hope in the song, suggesting that liberation and a brighter future can be achieved by returning to Africa, particularly Ethiopia.

Line by Line Meaning

Come along every goodie
All people are invited to listen

Come and hear what I have to say
Pay attention to my message

Come and listen and I will tell you
I will inform you about the current events

What is the talk of the town today
The popular discussions happening here

And every corner that you may walk
In every part of the country

You see a group of people balk
You witness people complaining

They're not skylarkin' they're talkin'
They're not fooling around, they're expressing

'bout what's happening here in Jamaica
About the current situation in Jamaica

Can't get no work off hustling
Unable to find employment, resorting to hustling

And man, when you take a stock
And when you evaluate your situation

Can't cook no rice and dumpling
Unable to afford basic meals

And will soon end up in a shack
And will eventually live in a dilapidated place

Can't pay no rent, 'cause you don't have a cent
Unable to afford rent due to financial hardship

No government account, it's already spent
Government assistance is exhausted

So you end up borrowing, begging or stealing, here in Jamaica
Resorting to desperate actions to survive

Some a dem long, long treat bad
Some individuals endure prolonged mistreatment

And they don't care a thing about that
Those responsible show no concern

Desperation is getting so bad
The situation is becoming extremely dire

You either bite the bullet or get flat
You must endure or succumb to the circumstances

And if a-you should die before his day
If you were to die premature

Who are responsible don't want to pay
Those accountable refuse to provide assistance

I am not jokin', I'm talkin' 'bout what's happening here
This is a serious discussion about the current reality

In Jamaica
In the country of Jamaica

Why don't you take us onward to Africa
Why don't we travel to Africa

Where we can sit and eat and chat
To have leisurely and enjoyable moments

For it is no use dying in Jamaica
It is pointless to die here

'cause we can't afford a burial spot
Due to financial constraints, we can't afford proper burial

Remember Marcus Garvey predicted that day
Recall that Marcus Garvey foretold this event

When all black people shall be going away
When the black community will leave

To the land of our forefathers, and our mothers
To our ancestral homeland

Right here in Ethiopia
In the country of Ethiopia

Oh what a glorious morning
What a magnificent start of the day

When we shall leap out of Babylon
When we escape from oppressive forces

There shall be singin', dancin' and rejoicing
There will be celebrations and joy

With the dawn of the rising sun
As the sun begins to ascend

And all the Africans, home and abroad
All Africans, whether residing locally or internationally

Just like the Israelites we shall be glad
Similar to the Israelites, we will experience happiness

To leave our worries, trials, and crosses, here in Jamaica
To escape from our burdens and challenges in Jamaica

so, come along every goodie
Therefore, everyone is encouraged to join

Though just know what I have to say
However, be aware of my message

Come and listen and I will tell you
Attend and listen while I inform you

What is the talk of the town today
The current discussions happening here

And to every corner that you may walk
In every part of the country you traverse

You see a group of people balk
You witness a collective discontentment

They're not skylarkin' they're talkin'
They're not fooling around, they're expressing

'bout what's happening here in Jamaica
About the current situation in Jamaica

I am not jokin' , I'm talkin' 'bout what's happening here in Jamaica
This is a serious discussion about the current reality in Jamaica

They're not skylarkin' they're talkin' 'bout what's happening here in Jamaica
They're not fooling around, they're earnestly discussing the situation in Jamaica

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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