Old school music is cool!

[Citizen X]

Them belly full, BUT, we hungry: Bob Marley: 1974

Them belly full, but we hungry;
A hungry mob is a angry mob.
A rain a-fall, but the dirt it tough;
A yot a-yook, but d' yood no 'nough.

You're gonna dance to Jah music, dance;
We're gonna dance to Jah music, dance, oh-ooh!

Forget your troubles and dance!
Forget your sorrows and dance!
Forget your sickness and dance!
Forget your weakness and dance!

Cost of livin' gets so high,
Rich and poor they start to cry:
Now the weak must get strong;
They say, "Oh, what a tribulation!"
Them belly full, but we hungry;
A hungry mob is a angry mob.
A rain a-fall, but the dirt it tough;
A pot a-yook, but d' yood* no 'nough.

We're gonna chuck to Jah music - chuckin';
We're chuckin' to Jah music - we're chuckin'.


A belly full, but them hungry;
A hungry mob is a angry mob.
A rain a-fall, but the dirt it tough;
A pot a-cook, but d' food* no 'nough.
A hungry man is a angry man;
A rain a-fall, but the dirt it tough;
A pot a-yook, but you no 'nough'
A rain a-fall, but the dirt it tough.
A pot a-cook, but you no 'nough;
A hungry mob is a angry mob;
A hungry mob is a angry mob.”

[pmbguy]

Such a beautiful song in such an ugly world, I get goose bumps when I hear it.

[Citizen X]

Such a beautiful song in such an ugly world, I get goose bumps when I hear it.

Louis Armstrong: What a wonderful world: 1967

“I see trees of green........ red roses too
I see ’em bloom..... for me and for you
And I think to myself.... what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue..... clouds of white
Bright blessed days....dark sacred nights
And I think to myself .....what a wonderful world.

The colours of a rainbow.....so pretty ..in the sky
Are also on the faces.....of people ..going by
I see friends shaking hands.....sayin’.. how do you do
They’re really sayin’......i love you.

I hear babies cry...... I watch them grow
They’ll learn much more.....than I’ll never know
And I think to myself .....what a wonderful world



The colours of a rainbow.....so pretty ..in the sky
Are there on the faces.....of people ..going by
I see friends shaking hands.....sayin’.. how do you do
They’re really sayin’...*spoken*(I ....love....you).

I hear babies cry...... I watch them grow
*spoken*(you know they gonna learn
A whole lot more than I’ll never know)
And I think to myself .....what a wonderful world
Yes I think to myself .......what a wonderful world.”

Album cover[1]

---

[1] Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_a_Wonderful_World. Accessed 14 July 2013

[pmbguy]

Fools rush in, UB40

Wise men say, only fools rush in
But I can't help falling in love with you..

Wise men say, only fools rush in
But I can't help falling in love with you..

Shall I stay
Would it be a sin
Cause' I can't help falling in love with you...

As the river flows, Gently to the sea
Darlin so we go, somethings were meant to be..
Take my hand, take my whole life too
Cause' I can't help fallin in love with you...

As the river flows, Gently to the sea
Darlin so we know, somethings were meant to be
Take my hand, take my whole life too
Cause' I can't help fallin in love with you...

I can't help...falling in love with you
I can't help...falling in love with you
I can't help...falling in love with you...

[Citizen X]

Reflections: The Supremes: 1967

“Through the mirror of my mind
Time after time
I see reflections of you and me

Reflections of
The way life used to be
Reflections of
The love you took from me

Oh, I'm all alone now
No love to shield me
Trapped in a world
That's a distorted reality

Happiness you took from me
And left me alone
With only memories

Through the mirror of my mind
Through these tears that I'm crying
Reflects a hurt I can't control
'Cause although you're gone
I keep holding on
To the happy times
Oh, when you were mine

As I peer through the window
Of lost time
Looking over my yesterdays
And all the love I gave all in vain
(All the love) All the love
That I've wasted
(All the tears) All the tears
That I've tasted
All in vain

Through the hollow of my tears
I see a dream that's lost
From the hurt
That you have caused

Everywhere I turn
Seems like everything I see
Reflects the love that used to be

In you I put
All my faith and trust
Right before my eyes
My world has turned to dust

After all the nights
I sat alone and wept
Just a handful of promises
Are all that's left of loving you

Reflections of
The way life used to be
Reflections of
The love you took from me

In you I put
All my faith and trust
Right before my eyes
My world has turned to dust.”
Album cover[1]

---

[1] Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reflections_(The_Supremes_song). Accessed 14 July 2013

[Citizen X]

Wild world: Maxi Priest: 1989

“Now that I've lost everything to you
You say you want to start something new
And it's breaking my heart you're leaving
Baby I'm grieving

But if you want to leave take good care
Hope you find a lot of nice things to wear
But then a lot of nice things turn bad
Out there

Oh baby baby it's a wild world
It's hard to get by just upon a smile
Oh baby baby it's a wild world
I'll always remember you like a child girl

You know I've seen a lot of what the world can do
And it's breaking my heart in two
Because I never want to see you sad girl
Don't be a bad girl

But if you want to leave take good care
Hope you find a lot of nice friends out there
Just remember there's a lot of bad air
Beware

You know I've seen a lot of what the world can do
And it's breaking my heart in two
Because I never want to see you sad girl
Don't be a bad girl

But if you want to leave take good care
Hope you find a lot of nice friends out there
Just remember there's a lot of bad air
Beware.”

[Citizen X]

Fools rush in, UB40

Wise men say, only fools rush in
But I can't help falling in love with you..

Wise men say, only fools rush in
But I can't help falling in love with you..

Shall I stay
Would it be a sin
Cause' I can't help falling in love with you...

As the river flows, Gently to the sea
Darlin so we go, somethings were meant to be..
Take my hand, take my whole life too
Cause' I can't help fallin in love with you...

As the river flows, Gently to the sea
Darlin so we know, somethings were meant to be
Take my hand, take my whole life too
Cause' I can't help fallin in love with you...

I can't help...falling in love with you
I can't help...falling in love with you
I can't help...falling in love with you...

See next post...

[Citizen X]

Oh, now you’ve started something! “Once you start me up, I never stop!”
Allow me to demonstrate something very, very special!
To illustrate this best, I’m using the definition of reggae by Andrew Salkey taken from the Labour of Love 2 movie, go to exactly 1 minute and 11 seconds into this movie, at the following URL, and you’ll see what I’m talking about!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KevweRbI__I


Reggae: Andrew Salkey: 1970

“The vehicles for movement are the bass rhythms, they command and they lead. Now the bass guitars are played in collaboration with a bass drum in the series of drums and maintain a heavy accentual straight pattern or sometimes develop changing melodic patterns which permit the bass guitar to lead that is to reply.
Now the rhythm guitar which occupied an important role in the earlier history of music by constituting a calypsonic strumming accompaniment to the rest of the music in varying cadences forms indications and in turn indicates a steady movement for the mind.”

Labour of Love 2 was released in 1989, just two years after my love affair with reggae music started.
Like its predecessor, this album, and in this case the movie of how they went about making these songs in 1989 , paid homage to their favourite artists of their youth. I can relate, these songs they redone, brought back memories of the dance halls they frequented.

John Halt: I love I can feel: 1970

I want a love I can feel
that’s the only kind of love I think is real
don’t want to be going by something I heard
coz baby actions speak louder than words

I want the love that is mine
in rain and snow and sun sun shine
a love to keep me warm when it’s cold
that kind of loving that will never grow old.

Don’t you know I want a love
don’t you know I want a love
don’t you know I want a love
don’t you know I want a love.

I want a love I can feel
that kind of loving you can give to me
the kind of kisses that can really be felt
that kind of loving that can make me melt
See next post

[Citizen X]

UB40: A love I can feel: 2010

Sadly, the original UB40 were not together as at the time of making Labour of Love 1V, but it does capture their original spirit. I stopped listening to the new tracks of UB40 after Ali Campbell left. UB40 was UB40 for me as at Labour of Love 2
“I want a love I can feel
that’s the only kind of love I think is real
don’t want to be going by something I heard
coz baby actions speak louder than words

I want the love that is mine
in rain and snow and sun sun shine
a love to keep me warm when it’s cold
that kind of loving that will never grow old.

Don’t you know I want a love
don’t you know I want a love
don’t you know I want a love
don’t you know I want a love.

I want a love I can feel
that kind of loving you can give to me
the kind of kisses that can really be felt
that kind of loving that can make me melt”

[pmbguy]

Lord have Mercy!

I don’t think I can choose, but if you push me I would say Soul Rebel is the best album from Bob. I like most reggae music. I have a few albums left over from my almost misspent youth. I found my collection a few years ago and had the scratches removed. Good stuff, I am rediscovering all the time. I just love hearing a song I love, especially one I have not heard for a long time.

[pmbguy]

It's been a hard day's night
And I've been working like a dog
It's been a hard day's night
I should be sleeping like a log
But when I get home to you
I find the things that you do
Will make me feel alright.

You know I work all day
To get you money to buy you things
And it's worth it just to hear you say
You're going to give me ev'rything
So why on earth should I moan
'Cause when I get you alone
You know I feel ok

When I'm home ev'rything seems to be right
When I'm home feeling you holding me tight, tight, yeh

It's been a hard day's night
And I've been working like a dog
It's been a hard day's night
I should be sleeping like a log
But when I get home to you
I find the things that you do
Will make me feel alright.

Owww!

So why on earth should I moan
'cause when I get you alone
You know I feel ok

When I'm home ev'rything seems to be right
When I'm home feeling you holding me tight, tight, yeh

It's been a hard day's night
And I've been working like a dog
It's been a hard day's night
I should be sleeping like a log
But when I get home to you
I find the things that you do
Will make me feel alright.

You know I feel alright
You know I feel alright

[Dave S]

Loius Armstrong (What a Wonderful World)

This is a "song of songs" to me, and is very dear to me. This song helped me through the depression that followed the death of my father back in '69.

[Citizen X]

Lord have Mercy!

I don’t think I can choose, but if you push me I would say Soul Rebel is the best album from Bob. I like most reggae music. I have a few albums left over from my almost misspent youth. I found my collection a few years ago and had the scratches removed. Good stuff, I am rediscovering all the time. I just love hearing a song I love, especially one I have not heard for a long time.

I venture to suggest that most Marley fans have this very same problem. It’s increasingly difficult for me to choose a favourite song or album. Upon being asked what is my favourite album then I would answer, ‘Confrontation.’

Though this album was released posthumously in 1983, it does reflect where Marley was going with his music. He always maintained that he was into ‘spiritual music,’ and that ‘you couldn’t get more revolutionized than that.’

To fully appreciate this type of music, one need only visit any charismatic evangelical church and ask anyone there what the purpose of the music or praise and worship in the Church is.

“ Me see myself as a revolutionary, who don’t have no help and don’t take no BRIBE from no one. WE fight and sing with music.” Bob Marley

Chant down Babylon: Bob Marley: Confrontation: 1983(Posthumous)

“Come we go burn down Babylon one more time
(Come we go burn down Babylon one more time);
Come we go chant down Babylon one more time
(Come we go chant down Babylon);
For them soft! Yes, them soft! (ah-yoy!)
Them soft! Yes, them soft! (ah-yoy!)
So come we go chant down Babylon one more time
(Come we go chant down Babylon)!

Men see their dreams and aspiration-a
Crumble in front of their face,
And all of their wicked intention
To destroy the human race.

And how I know - and how I know - and that's how I know:
A Reggae Music, mek we chant down Babylon;
With music, mek we chant down Babylon;
This music, mek we chant down Babylon;
This music, come we chant down Babylon.

Come we go chant down Babylon one more time
(Come we go chant down Babylon one more time);
Come we go chant down Babylon one more time
(Come we go chant down Babylon);
For them soft! Yes, them soft! (ah-yoy!)
Them soft! Me say, Them soft! (ah-yoy!)
So come we go chant down Babylon one more time
(Come we go chant down Babylon)!

Me say, Music you're - music you're the key,
Talk to who? Please talk to me,
Bring the voice of - of the Rastaman,
Communicating to - 'cating to everyone.

How I (know) - how I know, how I (know) - how I know -
And that's how I know:
A Reggae Music, chant down - chant down - chant down Babylon,
Chant down Babylon, chant down Babylon,
Chant down Babylon!
Reggae Music, chant down Babylon!
Reggae Music, chant down Babylon!
Reggae Music, chant down Babylon!”

Album cover[1]

---

[1] Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confrontation_(Bob_Marley_%26_The_Wailers_album). Accessed 21 July 2013

[Citizen X]

Jump Nyabinghi:Bob Marley: Confrontation: 1983(Posthumous)

I know a thing or two about ‘Jericho Walls,’ Upon hearing this song for the first time in the 80’s as a teenager, I sought incessantly to find a meaning for ‘Nyabinghi,’ no easy task for that period of time. The album cover of ‘Confrontation,’ itself gave some perspective.

From the perspective of Jamaican folklore, I understand ‘Nyabinghi,’ to be an ancient warrior.
“Nyabinghi drums are membranophones played at a groundation ceremony in rasta culture. Nyabinghi music is played in 4/4 time on three drums:

• Thunder: It is a double-headed bass drum, played with a mallet. The strokes are an open tone on 1 and a dampened stroke on 3. Occasionally, the thunder player will syncopate the rhythm.
• Funde: The funde is the middle drum. It maintains the dominant heartbeat rhythm as the funde player makes steady, dampened strokes on 1 and 3.
• Repeater: The repeater or keteh, is the smallest and highest pitched drum. The drummer tends to play around 2 and 4, with a syncopated feel. It is seen as the carrier of spirit and fire of the music.”[1]

“The term Niyabinghi means "black victory" (niya = black, binghi = victory). It may also be spelled in a variety of other ways, such as "Nyabinghi", "Nyahbinghi", "Niyahbinghi" and so on. It was first used to describe an East African possession cult located in the areas of south Uganda and north Rwanda in 1700 AD (Hopkins 259)….
The Niyabinghi resistance inspired a number of Jamaican Rastafarians, who incorporated what are known as niyabinghi chants (also binghi) into their celebrations ("groundations"). The rhythms of these chants were eventually an influence of popular ska, rocksteady and reggae music. Three kinds of drums (called "harps") are used in niyabinghi: bass, also known as the "Pope Smasher" or "Vatican Basher", reflecting a Rasta association between Catholicism and Babylon, the middle-pitched funde and akete. The akete (also known as the "repeater") plays an improvised syncopation, the funde plays a regular one-two beat and the bass drum strikes loudly on the first beat, and softly on the third beat (of four). When groups of players get together, only one akete player may play at any one time. The other drums keep regular rhythms while the akete players solo in the form of a conversation.”[2]

“(Hallelu-Jah!)
(Hallelu-Jah!)

Love to see when ya move in the rhythm;
I love to see, when you're dancin' from within!
It gives great joy to feel such sweet togetherness,
Everyone doin' and they're doing their best
Huh, it remind I of the days in Jericho,
When we troddin' down Jericho walls:
These are the days when we'll trod t'rough Babylon, (na-na, na-na)
Gonna trod until Babylon falls.

Sing your song yah!
(Jump, jump, jump,) Nyabinghi! ...
(Jump, jump, jump,) Nyabinghi!”
(Jump, jump, jump,) Nyabinghi! ...
(Jump, jump, jump,) Nyabinghi!

We've got the herb (got it!),
We've got the herb (got it!),
We've got the herb (got it!),
So hand I the suru board,
'Cause most of all we ain't got nothing to lose. We-e-e-ey!

(Jump, jump, jump,) Nyabinghi!
(Jump, jump, jump,) Nyabinghi! A little bit loud!
(Jump, jump, jump,) Nyabinghi!
(Jump, jump, jump, Nyabinghi!)

Love to see when ya groove with the riddim,
'Cause I love to when you're dancing from within!
It gives great joy to see such sweet togetherness,
'Cause everyone's doin' and they're doing their best.
'Cause it remind me of the days in Jericho
When we troddin' down Jericho walls!
These are the days when we'll trod through Babylon,
We keep on troddin' until Babylon falls!”

(Jump, jump, jump,) Nyabinghi!
(Jump, jump, jump,) Nyabinghi!
(Jump, jump, jump,) Nyabinghi!”

---

[1] Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyabinghi_drums. Accessed 21 July 2013




[2] Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mansion...ari#Niyabinghi. Accessed 21 July 2013

[Citizen X]

Loius Armstrong (What a Wonderful World)

This is a "song of songs" to me, and is very dear to me. This song helped me through the depression that followed the death of my father back in '69.

The living years: Mike & The Mechanics: 1989
This reality of loss and painful grief is common to every single human being! Music is special in so far as it will take you back into time and allow you to espouse all that you did when you heard the particular song..


“Every generation



Blames the one before


And all of their frustrations


Come beating on your door

I know that I'm a prisoner


To all my Father held so dear


I know that I'm a hostage


To all his hopes and fears


I just wish I could have told him in the living years


Crumpled bits of paper


Filled with imperfect thought


Stilted conversations


I'm afraid that's all we've got

You say you just don't see it


He says it's perfect sense


You just can't get agreement


In this present tense


We all talk a different language


Talking in defence

Say it loud, say it clear


You can listen as well as you hear


It's too late when we die


To admit we don't see eye to eye


So we open up a quarrel


Between the present and the past


We only sacrifice the future


It's the bitterness that lasts

So Don't yield to the fortunes


You sometimes see as fate


It may have a new perspective


On a different day


And if you don't give up, and don't give in


You may just be O.K.

Say it loud, say it clear


You can listen as well as you hear


It's too late when we die


To admit we don't see eye to eye

I wasn't there that morning


When my Father passed away


I didn't get to tell him


All the things I had to say

I think I caught his spirit


Later that same year


I'm sure I heard his echo


In my baby's new born tears


I just wish I could have told him in the living years

Say it loud, say it clear


You can listen as well as you hear


It's too late when we die


To admit we don't see eye to eye.”