Thievery Corporation is on the Eighteenth Street Lounge record label named after the DC club owned by Eric Hilton, but several of their singles and EP's appear on the 4AD and !K7 labels.
Formed in the summer of 1995 at D.C.’s Eighteenth Street Lounge. Rob Garza and Lounge co-owner Eric Hilton bonded over club life, dub, bossa nova and jazz records, then decided to see what would come of mixing all these in a recording studio. From this, the duo was born and their self started label Eighteenth Street Lounge Music began to emerge on an international level.
The duo caught the ears of underground DJ’s with their first two 12" offerings, Shaolin Satellite and 2001: a Spliff Odyssey. Their 1997 debut LP, Sounds from the Thievery Hi-Fi began to both define a new genre of electronic music and connect with an international community of like-minded souls. Though the terminology has varied (downtempo, chill out, left field and a myriad of other permutations), they have maintained their unique musical standards for the duration of their popularity.
In 2002, they released The Richest Man in Babylon on their ESL label. This fifteen track album is similar in sound and timbre to their earlier 2000 release, The Mirror Conspiracy, and features performances by vocalists Emiliana Torrini, Pam Bricker, and Loulou.
In 2005 they released The Cosmic Game, which has a darker, more psychedelic sound than The Richest Man in Babylon. The album also featured more high-profile guest singers on it, including Perry Farrell, David Byrne, and Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips.
In 2006, the group released Versions, a selection of remixes done by Thievery Corporation for other artists and toured the United States, playing at Lollapalooza.
The group released their fifth studio album, Radio Retaliation, on 23 September 2008.
The language of the group's lyrics are as diverse as English, Spanish, French, Persian, Portuguese, Romanian and Hindi. This reflects the group's global feel and collaborative structure.
They were the opening act on August 1, 2009 for Sir Paul McCartney at FedExField in Landover, Maryland.
On July 27, 2010, Babylon Central, the cinematic directorial debut of founding member Eric Hilton, was released. Set (and shot) in Washington, D.C., the film follows tripwire events in the interconnected lives of its characters, each influencing power brokers' schemes to manipulate international currencies.
In June 2011, Thievery Corporation released their sixth album, Culture of Fear.
In January 2012, Thievery Corporation launched a remixes contest in conjunction with Dubspot.
The Outernationalist
Thievery Corporation Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One heart, one love, one moon
One Earth, one light
The Almighty, Jah Rastafari
Unfathomable
Master builder of creation
Jah Rastafari
Who stands to rule and reign worldwide
'Ras' mean King, 'Tafari' mean 'Head creator'
Supreme, supremacy, ruler among the mighty
He touched lightening and it scorched
Rebuked the wind and chastised thunder
Almighty
Him alone the only international field marshal, general
Helaie-I selasie
The lyrics to Thievery Corporation's song "The Outernationalist" consist of glorifying Jah Rastafari, the spiritual and cultural figure of the Rastafarian movement. The song starts with the proclamation of unity, "One heart, one love, one moon, One Earth, one light", emphasizing the idea of commonality among all human beings on this planet. The following lines describe Jah Rastafari as the "Master builder of creation," emphasizing his divine and supernatural qualities.
The chorus of the song talks about Jah Rastafari's power and influence, as he is the one who stands to rule and reign worldwide. The use of the word "Ras" and "Tafari" to describe Jah Rastafari denotes his position as the 'king' and 'head creator' among all other rulers. The following verse emphasizes the supremacy of Jah Rastafari's power and his control over natural elements. He is described as one who can "touch lightning and it scorched" and "rebuked the wind and chastised thunder."
The last line of the song, "Helaie-I Selassie," is a reference to Haile Selassie I, the former emperor of Ethiopia, who is considered a messianic figure in Rastafarianism. Overall, the song's lyrics are a celebration of Rastafarian culture and beliefs, exalting Jah Rastafari as a supreme ruler and father figure to all.
Line by Line Meaning
Jah Rastafari
A spiritual belief and way of life, centered on an all-knowing and powerful God.
One heart, one love, one moon
We are all connected in the universe, as one people living on one planet.
One Earth, one light
The Earth and all living things are precious, and we must treat them with respect and care.
The Almighty, Jah Rastafari
God is all-powerful and all-knowing, and Jah Rastafari is the representation of that power.
Unfathomable
God's ways are mysterious and beyond our understanding.
Master builder of creation
God created everything in the universe and is the ultimate architect of our world.
Who stands to rule and reign worldwide
Jah Rastafari is the ruler of the world and has power over all of us.
'Ras' mean King, 'Tafari' mean 'Head creator'
The name Rastafari is a combination of two Ethiopian words that mean 'king' and 'head creator', which reinforces his role in the universe.
Supreme, supremacy, ruler among the mighty
Jah Rastafari is the supreme ruler of the universe, with power over all other gods and rulers.
He touched lightening and it scorched
Jah Rastafari has incredible power and can control and destroy the powerful forces of nature.
Rebuked the wind and chastised thunder
Jah Rastafari has complete control over the elements and can command them to do his bidding.
Almighty
Jah Rastafari is all-powerful and all-knowing, with complete control over the universe.
Him alone the only international field marshal, general
Jah Rastafari is the only true leader who can unite and protect people from all nations and backgrounds.
Helaie-I selasie
A reference to Haile Selassie I, an Ethiopian emperor who is considered by many Rastafarians to be a divine and powerful leader.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ERIC HILTON, ROBERT MANUEL GARZA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
20mnMs
Anyone know the name of the song that sampled the first 10 secs of this song? A woman singing in a different language than English,. There’s a catchy part with the trumpets... :)
David Pash
its blondie
Svipdagx
I am scratching my head...i know that voice.
Dušan Miličić
That's the voice of Ras Pidow, vocal from the nyahbinghi group called "Rastafari Elders". Blessed love!
Vader Lord
Mad scientist
Svipdagx
Re.2.I knew that.I was only checking if you knew this too.