In the early days of the Wailing Souls, the first name that the group came … Read Full Bio ↴In the early days of the Wailing Souls, the first name that the group came up with in the late 60's was the Renegades. This group consisted of Winston 'Pipe' Matthews on lead vocals, Lloyd 'Bread' McDonald, and George 'Buddy' Haye. This line-up recorded backing vocals for an Ernest Ranglin album before breaking up in 1968.

'Pipe' and 'Bread' teamed up with two other singers after that, Oswald Downes and Norman Davis, and recorded the single "Gold Digger" for producer, Lloyd "Matador" Daley. From there they went on to work with Coxsone Dodd's famous Studio One label recording label, considered the "Motown" of Jamaica.

They recorded a number of singles there, and were also billed as the Classics, in addition to their Wailing Souls name. In the early 70's, the Souls recorded for Bob Marley's Tuff Gong label, as Pipe and The Pipes. There at Tuff Gong they had hits with "Harbor Shark" and "Back Biter". The groups vocal power, and song writing ability has kept the group in the spotlight, and in 1974 the group changed again when Downes and David left and 'Buddy' Haye rejoined. The 'godfather of reggae', Joe Higgs, also worked with the group in the mid-70's, but left to work with Jimmy Cliff as his musical director on tour.

The group entered another era of their careers as they began work with famed producer "Jo Jo" Hookim and his Channel One label. With Hookim, they recorded more classics like "Things and Times," "Joy With Your Heart," and "Very Well." Shortly after in 1976, Rudolph 'Garth' Dennis one of founding members of Black Uhuru, joined the group.

The Souls then started their own label in 1977 called Massive, and hit with their first singles "Bredda Gravilicious" and "Feel The Spirit." In the early 80's the quartet worked with a number of hot producers including Sly and Robbie recording "Old Broom"on their Taxi Label, "Fire House Rock" for "Junjo" Lawes' Volcano Label, and for producer/singer Linval Thompson.

Their touring and recording continued throughout the 80's. After recording these classic tracks for genius producer King Jammy in 1988-89, the group broke up again, but Pipe and Bread have continued the Wailing Souls on their own throughout the 90's recording (two Grammy nominated albums included) and touring worldwide. 'Garth' Dennis rejoined Black Uhuru to work with them in the early/mid 90's and "Buddy" Haye has taken a leave from singing since.

Back of My Hand
Wailing Souls Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Welcome to the masquerade, its the only underground parade,
Welcome to the cause to bawl, woooii
In the heart of the gangster man, woooii
Take off your mask, no more disguise
Long time now yourself your yard, wooii.
I know you like the back of my hand, wooii,
Chip never fall too far from the block, wooii,
Know you like the back of my hand,

Like a rolling stone don′t gather no moss.wooii
Ambushing and looting in the night,
I and i, i and i have seen the light, wooii

We see you and you jump over the wall
Wooii, even when you try to fake your fall.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Wailing Souls' song "Back of My Hand" offer a commentary on the facades that people put up, particularly when it comes to those who are involved in criminal activity. The song's opening lines, "Welcome to the masquerade, it's the only underground parade," immediately set the scene for a world in which people are hiding their true intentions behind masks and false identities. The chorus, "Take off your mask, no more disguise, long time now yourself your yard," urges these individuals to shed their deceptive personas and be true to themselves.

The song also includes a warning to those who might be tempted to glorify the criminal lifestyle, with the line "In the heart of the gangster man, take a look and you'll understand, this is not a place where love abounds." The Wailing Souls acknowledge that they may have a certain level of familiarity with this world, with the line "I know you like the back of my hand," but they also recognize that the roots of criminal behavior often run deep, with the line "Chip never fall too far from the block."

The song's final lines, "We see you and you jump over the wall, even when you try to fake your fall," also emphasize the idea that people can't hide from their true selves forever. No matter how hard they try to deceive others or themselves, their true nature will eventually be revealed. "Back of My Hand" is a powerful recognition of the complexity and danger of criminal culture, and a call for individuals to be honest with themselves and those around them.

Line by Line Meaning

Welcome to the masquerade, its the only underground parade,
We welcome you to the world of deception and hidden agendas, where everything is not as it seems, and everyone wears a mask to conceal their true intentions.

Welcome to the cause to bawl, woooii
We welcome you to our movement, where we fight for justice and express our grievances through music and other forms of artistic expression.

In the heart of the gangster man, woooii
We find ourselves in the midst of a community with a reputation for violence and crime, where the rules are different, and the stakes are high.

Take off your mask, no more disguise
We implore you to remove the facade you have put up, to be real and honest, to show your true self without fear of judgement or persecution.

Long time now yourself your yard, wooii.
It has been a long time since you were true to yourself and your roots, since you were honest with those closest to you, and since you acted in your own best interest.

I know you like the back of my hand, wooii,
I understand you very well, inside and out, I can predict your behavior and read your emotions without any effort or difficulty.

Chip never fall too far from the block, wooii,
Your upbringing and environment have shaped you in a way that makes you who you are today, and despite your efforts to change, you will always have certain characteristics that are deeply rooted in your past.

Know you like the back of my hand,
I am very familiar with your personality and behavior, and I can tell what you are thinking and feeling without you having to say a word.

Like a rolling stone don't gather no moss.wooii
If you keep moving and changing, you will not become stagnant or set in your ways, and you will continue to grow and evolve without being hindered or slowed down by any obstacles in your path.

Ambushing and looting in the night,
Under the cover of darkness, people engage in criminal activities and violence, taking advantage of the anonymity and the opportunity to act without being seen or caught.

I and i, i and i have seen the light, wooii
We have experienced a moment of enlightenment and realization, where we have become aware of the truth and are now able to see things for what they truly are.

We see you and you jump over the wall
We are aware of your attempts to escape or evade responsibility, to run away from your problems, and to avoid facing the consequences of your actions.

Wooii, even when you try to fake your fall.
Even when you pretend to fail or fall short, we can see through your deception and recognize your true intentions and motivations.

Writer(s): Mc Donald Lloyd Edward

Contributed by Brooklyn S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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