MELODIANS "RIVERS OF BABYLON" PSALM 137:1

[dude75able]

..... the armies of Babylon captured Jerusalem. "Raze her to the ground!" they yelled.

O Babylon, evil beast, you shall be destroyed. 

[dude75able]

PSALMS 137: 1-9

WEEPING, WE SAT beside the rivers of Babylon thinking of Jerusalem.

We have put away our lyres, hanging them upon the branches of the willow trees, for how can we sing? Yet our captors, our tormentors, demand that we sing for them the happy songs of Zion! If i forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill upon the harp. If i fail to love her more than my highest joy, let me never sing again.

O Jah, do not forget what these Edomites did on that day when....

[ackiemays11j]

Strange responses for this video once more.

[Alonb64]

Finally, the bible is good for something (inspiring this song)

[dude75able]

@Alonb64 the Bible is good for knowledge and inspiration.

[habanaman]

Beautiful. A song of hope, rather than hate. True martyrdom.

[AionPrivateBR]

By the rivers of Babylon, Where he sat down, And there he wept When he remembered Zion. Oh, the wicked carried us away in captivity, Required from us a song, How can we sing King Alpha's song Inna strange land? So, let the words of our mouth And the meditations of our heart Be acceptable in Thy sight. Oh, verai!

[TheNaturalSelf]

Beautifully sung. This song is about an occurance that really took place in the bible. The Melodans sing this song with much sincere respect, and passion for the Word of God. It is surely a classic. The so-called modern "rappers" can;t even begin to come close to this classic style of singing....This is real talent!

[ballanetto2009]

Muito pedra .....

[nellie2581]

It comes from Psalm 137:1-4 (Holy Bible)

[nellie2581]

By the rivers of Babylon

Where we sat down

There we wept

When we remembered Zion

For the wicked

Carried us away captivity

Requiring from us a song

How can we sing a song of joy in a

strange land (repeat)

[yosevuk]

At 2:20, is it

And the meditation of our heart

Be acceptable in Thy sight...

"Over I" or "Oh Fari" ????

Does "Over I" have any significance in Iyaric?

[justiege]

15 WICKED OPPRESSORS DON'T LIKE THIS SONG FIRE!!!!!!!...

[justiege]

Yow me a tell you thIS song here make me get in spirit ....WICKED OPPRESSORS FIRE!!!!!!!...

[dude75able]

JAH RASTAFARI

[SecondRisingSun]

says "If you care for someone show them and tell them often. If not they will find someone who will."

[novhyce]

the creativeness of jamaican musicians using the bible to create great music

[kcarpenter17]

The 15 people who disliked this are members of Al-Qaeda.

[kcarpenter17]

This is so good. Wow.

[TheMimifur]

The first and best.

[shaharmos]

original version:

עַל נַהֲרוֹת, בָּבֶל--שָׁם יָשַׁבְנוּ, גַּם-בָּכִינוּ: בְּזָכְרֵנוּ, אֶת-צִיּוֹן.

ב עַל-עֲרָבִים בְּתוֹכָהּ-- תָּלִינוּ, כִּנֹּרוֹתֵינוּ.

ג כִּי שָׁם שְׁאֵלוּנוּ שׁוֹבֵינוּ, דִּבְרֵי-שִׁיר-- וְתוֹלָלֵינוּ שִׂמְחָה:

שִׁירוּ לָנוּ, מִשִּׁיר צִיּוֹן.

ד אֵיךְ--נָשִׁיר אֶת-שִׁיר-יְהוָה: עַל, אַדְמַת נֵכָר

[dude75able]

@shaharmos Thank you, brethren.

[balmainguy]

@shaharmos Who cares, we're here for the Melodians.



[TheGuinnessboys]

legendary.

[LetsHaze]

15 people Fucked Up

[ishabaka]

The original - still the best.

[psviking1]

Good Bass Beat!

[coolseeker]

15 people were looking for Boney M

[dude75able]

JAH

[kaleno87]

amazing song

[dude75able]

Jah Rastafar-i

[dude75able]

blessed track

[bertraymon]

compare this version with all the rest and give an opinion which version you think have the best music arrangement

[badn1ss]

15 people fell into the river & got wet...LOL

[badn1ss]

I love this version simplistic & wholesome....thanks for posting

[dude75able]

CHANT DOWN BABYLON

PRAISE JAHOVIAH JIRAH

[kratokhvilljack]

i am always in love with this song..every summer!!.even now that my babe left and all i have is ganja and friends,this song keeps da mood alright!

[dude75able]

@kratokhvilljack Keep Jah in your heart.

[melande1966]

Jah rules !

[dude75able]

Livity

[dude75able]

JAH RASTAFARI

Selassie the 1st

[bailomega]

This part of the psalm reminds me of the 'Burned man'

[TheGuinnessboys]

how could rastafari be true christianity if jesus hated religion

[dude75able]

@TheGuinnessboys Rasta nah religion

Tis a way of life, roots and culture

[dude75able]

I see your anger. Why don't you channel that energy towards a great injustice, and try to do something positive?

I'm sorry that poser Christians persecuted you. I know the feeling. I used to be an atheist until one day Jah shined his light on i. Turns out, i was always Rasta, i just needed to get in touch with my soul.

PEACE BE WITH YOU

[dude75able]

I have my own personal barometer when it comes to good and evil.

Murder, theft, adultery these are all bad things because they hurt people and animals.

God cannot be denied because he created the universe. Yes, the bible does have some questionable things in it. Thats because it was written by people. Do not judge i because of my beliefs or because i choose to read the scriptures.

Plus the bible has passages that teach me how to deal with people like you!

May Jesus shine his light on you

[disrxt]

I wonder why they left out the end of Psalm 137?

8 Daughter Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is the one who repays you according to what you have done to us.

9 Happy is the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks

That's the best part! Gotta love that blood thirsty bastard, the God of Mercy

[dude75able]

@disrxt you have issues

[disrxt]

@dude75able Yep, I hate religious hypocrites who idolize a cruel and capricious monster who sanctions infanticide.

[dude75able]

@disrxt I believe in God, and I'm against abortion. How do you explain that?

You obviously know nothing about Yeshua

[disrxt]

@dude75able Like all Christian hypocrites you cherry pick whatever parts of you Bible you want according to your prejudices, ignoring whatever you want. Want to eat lobster, ignore the provisions calling it an abomination, want to detest and homosexuals, embrace the the verse on the same page allowing you to. Does your Bible say life begins at conception or aborting a fetus is murder? Life starts at the first breath. Gn 2:7, Jb 33:4, Ez 37:5&6 Causing a miscarriage is fined Ex 21:22. PWNED!

[dude75able]

@disrxt You are talking shit about Christians under a Reggae song. Go spew your hateful nonsense under a Gospel video.

This here is RASTAFARI

[disrxt]

@dude75able Wow you are a moron. It's a song based on Psalm 137, that's in the Bible dude, Rastarari ARE Christian! Are you a poe are are really this stupid? You're the one spewing hate, you hate women and admit you want to force them into back alley abortions with coat hangers. Shame on you.

[dude75able]

@disrxt I know. Rastafari is TRUE Christianity.

I would never force any thing on a woman.

Now you are trying to twist the bible's words against i.

Do not bear false witness

[disrxt]

@dude75able I do as I wish, I'm an atheist, not the slave of an evil myth that compels obedience on threat of eternal torture while feigning mercy. Claiming you have 'true Christianity' is the first step in vilifying your opponents as evil ememies of God. The next step is seizing their infants and dashing their heads against rocks. IT'S WHAT YOUR GOD COMMANDS! See how the religious mind works?

[dude75able]

@disrxt You know the bible very well. So does the devil.

I believe that murder is wrong, evil is wrong! Period.

As for Atheism, that is an unbelief.

I'm spiritual, as Rastafaris is not a religion.... but a way of life.

I commune with JAH daily. GOOD BYE

[umbrellanphetamine]

saw them live... <33333 at avogadros in fort collins

[TheGuinnessboys]

Bradley Nowell wasnt even 1 years old when this song came out! so how the heck could this be Sublime? its The Melodians trust me!

[LikeADogChasingCar]

Marty Scorsese's Bringing out the dead ;)

[LJH70122]

I've heard lots of covers of this song , from Jimmy Cliff , to the Neville Brothers , and even Steve Earle . But the original outshines them all.

[juanluengo]

Do you remember this one?

[cinemovie86]

the original version :)

[SraidMacSuibhne]

On 30th September 1979 an estimated 280,000 people gathered in Galway (near Limerick) for the pope's special "youth" mass. International sex machine Bishop Eamonn Casey was on hand to rally the massed youth of Ireland, but they stood up to him and defiantly sang 'Rivers of Babylon" at the pope. This was to let him know that they wern't catholic at all but rastafarian, and they were only at the mass for an excuse to get to Galway for the weekend to smoke joints and drink and to party

[TheGuinnessboys]

@SraidMacSuibhne lol! @ International sex machine Bishop

[FiyahDawta]

So pure...

[ianat841]

Greatest Reggae song ever written.

[nightynighteveryone]

Are you here because of "Jack Goes Boating".... Awesome Song!

[TheGDbot]

@nightynighteveryone Yes.. But only because this is one of my favorite songs that I lost track of and then I remembered when I started watching that movie. This whole day has been spent watching every version of this song here on U2b and now I am writing a blog on DKos about its spiritual meaning............for me.

[Rapquake]

The rivers of BHARAT (ganga, RIP 2 saraswati and sindhu) are the birthplace of CIVILIZATION....rivers of babylon is where the demons had more of a stronghold in olden days.....assyria,arabia, etc....

[rudeboi597]

damn i love this song!!

[ishabaka]

Respect due.

[jodiann97]

How long will we be punish here in babylon? We need to go back home where we belong (Israel).

[Ulterior1980]

@jodiann97 short minded conclusion. Zion is not about only jews

[dude75able]

@Ulterior1980 Zion is in heaven

[BradWest96]

Nobody beats the Melodians version.

[meetnewcomer]

I hope everyone remembers what our people went through read psalms 137 verse 1-9 This songs is deep and it holds a very heart message read on my brothers and sisters from the holy bible. Melodians made this song very meaningful to me. I don't harbour any ill feelings but I remember those days.

[SoccerguyJoe]

It's a shame when you type in 'Rivers of Babylon' into the youtube search, the Boney M version is on top. Don't get me wrong, the Boney M version is good. But it ain't no Melodians!

[JOSCO314]

@SoccerguyJoe

The two versions are good but if Boney M didn't sang this song i'm sure you'll not find it here

from 1975 to 1986 Boney M sold 150 millions reccord , what about The Melodians ? ....

If songs become popular it is thanks to the popular singers , that deprives nothing of the greatness of other singers

j'adore Bob Marley , et pas seulement que ses chansons les plus vendues , j'ai des disques qu'on ne trouve pas dans les supermarchés ni sur Youtube .........

[TransmissionFilms]

Should I say Ezra Koenig brought me here or is that too annoying and cliche?

[tyra696]

this is my jam!!

[4l4ddin77]

melodians version= weed

boney m version= cocaine

i dont need cocaine to fry out my brain! strictly sensi!

[wanted7171]

@4l4ddin77 LOL AND BUSY SIGNAL VERSION WORSHIP AND PRAISE?

[nightsperson]

i always respect a man of strict principals. sensi it is mate.

[TheGuinnessboys]

@4l4ddin77 ........Cocaines a hell of a drug! :P

[lowei87]

tabs

[JERRYLEEG]

if i am wrong let me know but this has to be the original copy RIP Brent Dowd you was a great entertainer saw you live @ Dunns River car park 1981 along side Brigadier Jerry with the Twlve Tribes of Isarel band in concert and Jah Love Music i do think Boney M 1978 version was a copy version this was recorded way before 1978 by the Melodians with Brent Dowd leading

[soulreleaseral100]

0:00

[00Rasta]

1:55

[00Rasta]

1:55

[me7la7pelas]

pure skinhead reggae

[OsolocoAZ]

@me7la7pelas Glad to see someone here with some sense. This first wave kiddos. It only existed in Jamaica until immigrants brought it with them to England and inspired the second wave bands.

[thegreatozz1]

Boney M's version is too quick. The Melodians got soul and groove in this song. Sounds just like something Bob Marley would do. When something is done this good, it is hard to improve it.

[shein99]

this is sublime!!... Let the words of our mouth, and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in thy sight.... great spiritual joy!!

[MrBabablah]

@shein99

No it's not, sublime covered it.

THIS song IS the original.

[shein99]

@MrBabablah I know... I meant that this is sublime (adjective).

[gregryf]

Both renditions are great

[dude75able]

JAH RASTAFARI

[AdamsApple1963]

Much better than Boney M's version.

[Gerard99744]

This video from The Melodians is one of the greatest reagey songs that i hear for a long time.This Jamaica of the world.I know that this song staying on the Long Play The Harderday Come from the same movie.It's one of the faorites of me.

[MrTimBranston]

yep Boney M sure murdered this one

[PlayMeSkaate]

this song is 4:20 :D ?

[Junije1]

@PlayMeSkaate I don't get it :\

[dawnoftheblackhearts]

Forever Loving Jah!!!

Hope We All Meet in Zion!!!

Allahu Akbar!!!

Hallelujah!!!!

[rafalmary]

The heaven is here listening The Melodians

[samvet21]

not only is song awesome, but just look at how long it is

[BongMasterChen]

i saw them play this live.. recently

[redhills1971]

Too funny @merrymermaid777 St Mary and Camperdown! I had cousins that went to Emaculate Heart! My older brother went to Champion College along with a couple of otehr cousins. Man we are scattered all over the wold now but our herats are still in Jamaica, we still have family in Kingston and Spanish Town! Long Live JA and out of many one people!

[loverinnn116]

i really love this song^^ 

[sheltv100]

I preached a sermon based on Psalm 137:1 at my local international church group here in Taichung City, Taiwan. I was one of two black people in this church group, Two were born here in Taiwan, one from the USA, and one Australian. The rest were Filippino. They really identified with me when I preached the message based on this biblical text. Not to mention my girlfriend in Thailand loves this song very much.

[merrymermaid777]

oh man i hear you redhills, i went to Camperdown 69-70 transferred from St Mary, good old days :)

[CoolPhyaMusic]

9 people press dislike by mistake. You all need to remedy it.

[redhills1971]

Wiping back the tears thinbking about my youth in Kingston and hearing these songs and being with my cousins and friends!

[psviking1]

Take me back to 1968-1969!! In 2010 i feel like a fish out of water!!

[redhills1971]

@psviking1 Oh do I hear you! High school in Kingston and we were all enjoying such music in Jamaica during them times! We were sooooo lucky!

[infoD1]

Dang this is good stuff :)

[seanviu]

an all time favorite

[olen3105]

Is this the Melodians, or Jimmy Cliff? This is the identical version on his Harder they Come album. Did he put the Melodians version on his own record?

[ericjungleboy]

@olen3105 The Harder They Come has songs from many different artists. Jimmy Cliff only sings like 4 songs on that album (the title track, Many Rivers to Cross, You Can Get It if Your Really Want, and maybe one more but I can't remember). There are two songs by the Maytals, one by the Slickers, one by Scotty, one by Desmond Dekker. What else? It's been a long time.

[Sokrus2]

duration time of song says all

[chadorock]

@Sokrus2 hahaha

[Junije1]

@Sokrus2 I don't get it? What?

[MasterOfTheNugs]

@Sokrus2 Moron, the duration of time has nothing to do with the meaning of this song.

[NickyGrimms]

@Sokrus2 dumb.

[dude75able]

I thank Jah for Jamaica and her people!

[Adamo90ify]

this sony is funny :D

[gsonnyos]

Great Tune!

[00zuki]

I love this song,,,,,

[ojmoss]

We thank Jamaica for Usain Bolt.

[hbash089]

@ojmoss we thank jamaica for WEED

[GostaGarbo]

@hbash089 good grief

[GostaGarbo]

@hbash089 good grief

[ericjungleboy]

Brad of Sublime got one thing wrong in his version of this song. He said "over I" but it's "Oh Far-I".

[pinolobu]

Whoa, and I thought Boney M's version was the original. Thank you!

[MrTimBranston]

Beautiful hymn, murdered by Money B

[cjtal2005]

nothing like original ska

[CrayzMark]

hella neat and fun 2 sing along 2, 2

[Monolitoable]

..die beste Version,die ich jemals gehört habe!

Danke!

[BailaCrazzy]

I could listen to this original version a hundred times over, and still not get bored of it !

[itsmejc13]

Didn't realize that this was the original version, love it! Obviously it was a psalm before anyone recorded it....

[itsmejc13]

Didn't realize this was where Sublime got their version, I love it though! Obviously it was a Psalm prior to the Melodians singing it.......

[ericjungleboy]

@itsmejc13 So much of Sublime's music is based on old reggae songs. They were just playing what inspired them from Jamaican music. Listen to Half Pint "Loving", Ini Kamoze "Come Now", Aswad "54-46 Was my Number", Barrington Levy "She's Mine". Wailing Souls "War Deh Roun a John Shop"

[cricketbat08]

choon

[coachkfan1]

May the words of my mouth and the of my heart be acceptable in thy sight oh Lord (YHWH)!

[crunchzor]

@coachkfan1 GodBot...

[dude75able]

@coachkfan1 JAHovah Jirah

[cristianoferreira23]

essa musica e d+++++++

[disrxt]

Psalm 137, only they removd the part about dashing open the heads of children upon rocks. Gotta love good editing! LOL

Happy is he who repays you for what you have done to us – he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks. Psalm 137:9

[figgskzoo]

We thank Jamaica, yes...but this is Rock Steady, not Reggae...

[octaviano1296]

@figgskzoo No, this is early reggae.

[OsolocoAZ]

@octaviano1296 actually it-s pre reggae. Early ska, then rock steady, then reggae. Jus saying.

[octaviano1296]

@OsolocoAZ That is what i call early reggae. Early reggae like 'The drifter' by Dennis Walks (1969), 'Night and day' by The Maytals (1969) and 'Trenchtownrock' (1969-1970) by The Wailers. Remember that Rivers of Babylon is from 1970. The evolution of Jamaican music is more like...ska, rudeboysongs which are a bit slonger than ska but not yet rocksteady (Train is comming, Bob Andy and Let him go, Wailers), than rocksteady, than reggae.

[Iriebent]

@octaviano1296 No sir, the original, original is from King David in Israel. Big up!!

[saiyamane]

By the rivers of Babylon Where we sat down And there we wept When we remember Zion Cause the wicked carried us away captivity Requiring from us a song How can we sing King Alpha Song In a strange land? Let the words of our mouth And the meditation of our hearts Be acceptable in Thy sight Oh Far I

[8269998]

did is di ridmitically corret version of dat skatalites nonsense

[dude75able]

777

[dude75able]

JAH BLESS ALL RASTA PEOPLE

[dude75able]

rastafari

[slobkilla4killa]

@dude75able HEY RETARD LEARN HOW TO SPELL

[dude75able]

@slobkilla4killa how to spell faggot? Like wut u is.

Rastafari over your dumb ghetto nonsense

[cricketbat08]

How great is this song? Pure class. :)

[natnpolu]

PSALM 19:14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

[88jon88]

Now I know. Boney M sucks.

[hrothgleas]

@88jon88 Why? It's a great song, deserved a wider audience. I like this version much better, but nothing really wrong with the sound of Boney M.

[englishsandy]

@88jon88 why the hell did they not release this? it blows Boney M out of the water.So good and so much better.Where do these guys come from please? They are amazing.

[1957allison]

@englishsandy "The Melodians were a reggae band formed in the Greenwich Town area of Kingston, Jamaica in 1965....." from wikipedia.

[sabrinacle]

you know what the worst version of this song was? It was sung by Garrison Keillor. I had to run to the radio and slam it off to stop the assualt on my ears. Love Garrison Keillor but ,well, it was REALLY bad!