began as a sound system DJ in 1961, spinning records for the Doctor Dickies set, later known as Dickies Dynamic, in such well-known Jamaican venues as Victoria Pier, Foresters Hall and Emmett Park. His inspiration was the DJ Winston Count Machuki, who worked for Coxsone Dodd and subsequently on Prince Buster's Voice Of The People sound system. By the mid-60s he was DJ for Sir George The Atomic, based around Maxfield Avenue in Kingston. Around 1967 he began to work with King Tubby as DJ for his Home Town Hi-Fi. From this association developed the whole modern DJ style; Tubby's work at Duke Reid's studio, where he was disc-cutter, led him to discover dub. He found that by dropping out the vocal track and remixing the remaining rhythm tracks he created new �versions� of much-loved tunes. He began to record a series of special acetate recordings or dub plates for exclusive use on his sound system. The space left by the absent vocal tracks enabled U-Roy to improvise his own jive-talk raps or toasts when the sound system played dances. The effect in the dancehall was immediate and electrifying. In 1969 U-Roy was invited to play for Dodd's Down Beat sound system, playing the number 2 set; the number 1 set had King Stitt as DJ. U-Roy became dissatisfied with playing the latest Coxsone music only after Stitt had first exposed it to dance patrons, and returned to Tubby's. He then began his recording career in full, recording two discs for Lee Perry, Earth's Rightful Ruler and OK Corral, before moving to producer Keith Hudson, for whom he made the outstanding Dynamic Fashion Way.
U-Roy then began recording for Duke Reid, using as backing tracks Reid's rocksteady hits from 1966-67; their success was unprecedented. His first record for Reid, Wake The Town, which used Alton Ellis� Girl I've Got A Date as backing, immediately soared to the top of both Jamaican radio charts. His next two releases, Rule The Nation and Wear You To The Ball, soon joined it. These three releases held the top three positions in the Jamaican charts for 12 weeks during early 1970. Other sound system DJs were quick to follow U-Roy, including Dennis Alcapone and Scotty. The radio stations refused to play DJ music just to give singers a chance, so big was the demand. U-Roy recorded 32 tracks for Reid, in the process versioning almost every rocksteady hit issued on the label and releasing two albums. By 1973 he was recording for other producers, including Alvin Ranglin, Bunny Lee, Glen Brown and Lloyd Charmers as well as self-productions. However, the rise of the next DJ generation including Big Youth signalled the partial eclipse of U-Roy. In 1975 he made a series of albums for producer Prince Tony Robinson which were leased to Virgin Recordsin the UK, wherein the DJ revisited Reid's earlier hits in the then prevalent rockers style. He appeared at the London Lyceum in August 1976, backed by a band featuring Channel One stalwarts Sly Dunbar (bass) and Ansell Collins (organ). He operated his own sound system, Stur-Gav, featuring Ranking Joe and selector Jah Screw. When they left after the sound system was broken up during the turbulent 1980 Jamaican election, it was rebuilt with new DJs Charlie Chaplin and Josey Wales, and Inspector Willie as selector. U-Roy continued to record sporadically throughout the '80s, recording Hustling, a single for Gussie Clarke, in 1984, and two excellent albums for DJs turned producers Tapper Zukie and Prince Jazzbo, in 1986 and 1987 respectively. In 1991 he played a successful �revival� concert at the Hammersmith Palais, London. U-Roy is the man who is responsible for putting the DJ on the map, both as recording artist in Jamaica and as a major indirect influence on the US rappers. As such his importance is immense. source: http://u-roy.20m.com/
Rivers Of Babylon
U Roy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ye-eah we wept, when we remembered Zion
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down
Ye-eah we wept, when we remembered Zion
When the wicked
Carried us away in captivity
Now how shall we sing the lord′s song in a strange land
When the wicked
Carried us away in captivity
Requiering of us a song
Now how shall we sing the lord's song in a strange land
Let the words of our mouth and the meditations of our heart
Be acceptable in thy sight here tonight
Let the words of our mouth and the meditation of our hearts
Be acceptable in thy sight here tonight
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down
Ye-eah we wept, when we remembered zion
By the rivers of babylon, there we sat down
Ye-eah we wept, when we remembered Zion
By the rivers of Babylon (dark tears of Babylon)
There we sat down (you got to sing a song)
Ye-eah we wept, (sing a song of love)
When we remember Zion (yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
By the rivers of Babylon (rough bits of Babylon)
There we sat down (you hear the people cry)
Ye-eah we wept, (they need their God)
When we remember zion. (ooh, have the power)
The lyrics to U Roy's song "Rivers of Babylon" draw inspiration from the Biblical Psalm 137, which expresses the sorrow and longing of the people of Israel who were exiled from their homeland in Babylon. The song reflects on the emotional journey of the Israelites as they sit by the rivers of Babylon, remembering their beloved Zion, which represents their homeland and the connection to their faith.
In the first verse, the repetition of "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down" emphasizes the heaviness of their displacement and their state of reflection. The mention of weeping indicates the deep sadness they feel when they think about Zion, their place of origin. The second verse reinforces this sentiment, highlighting the wickedness of those who had captured and enslaved the Israelites, forcing them to sing for their amusement. The question posed in the lyrics, "Now how shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land," reflects the dilemma faced by the Israelites, as they struggle to maintain their worship and connection to God in a foreign land.
The following verses address the desire for their words and thoughts to be pleasing and acceptable to God, even in the midst of their sorrow and dislocation. The repetition of "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down" in the final verses serves as a reminder of their ongoing longing for Zion and the emotional impact it has on them.
Overall, U Roy's interpretation of "Rivers of Babylon" encapsulates the themes of exile, loss, and yearning for home, drawing from the emotional depth of the original Psalm 137.
Line by Line Meaning
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down
In a place of sorrow and longing, we took a moment to rest
Ye-eah we wept, when we remembered Zion
With tears in our eyes, we mourned as we recalled our homeland
When the wicked
When the evil oppressors
Carried us away in captivity
Took us forcibly as prisoners
Required from us a song
Demanded that we sing
Now how shall we sing the lord's song in a strange land
How can we find the strength to praise our God in this unfamiliar place
Let the words of our mouth and the meditations of our heart
May our spoken and internalized thoughts
Be acceptable in thy sight here tonight
Be pleasing to you in this moment
By the rivers of Babylon (dark tears of Babylon)
In the depths of despair
There we sat down (you got to sing a song)
There we rested (we must find the strength to sing)
Ye-eah we wept, (sing a song of love)
Yes, we cried (sing a song filled with love)
When we remember zion. (ooh, have the power)
As we recall our homeland, oh, may we regain strength and determination
Writer(s): Trevor Mcnaughton, Gayford Dowe Brent, James Agust Us Mcnaughton, Franz Reuther, Hans Joerg Mayer
Contributed by Logan N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@drgreenspoon6569
I'm french and i love reggae , U-roy rest in peace my friend , one love one aim , one destiny
@addaeboatengadu-gyamfi5383
Fantastically magnificent. Preach on Brother U-Roy. We are still here meditating as we listen to your beautiful tunes. Jah bless all those listening with pure heart.
@paulone7042
Cool
@evangelistalexthomas7651
U Roy wasn't trying to rap but a born one. A pioneer.
@samuelnormann8742
Bravooooo!!!!
Et merci U.ROY pour toutes mélodies fantastiques. Cette musique vivra encore dans mille ans . on parlera encore des rastafari de ta trempe. Hyiahhhhhh!!!!!Rastafari!!!!!!
@anthonyororho9728
U-Roy got me prancing as a kid. Honest, I still got those dance steps.
@ProbTron
This is taken from the "Jah Son Of Africa" happens to be my most favorite U-Roy album. Thanks for the share! 5***** and added to my favs.
@jeanpierrezutter587
Thank you very much for this nice version of "Rivers of Babylon" !!
@sydneyfoote718
Behold,Jesus Emanuel,God is with us ,Repent
@amajelamaechi2678
I thank you guys so much for these U ROY tracks. I will appreciate it a lot if I can get most or all the tracks in his album 'LOVE GAMBLE. Thanks in advance.