Lyr Req: River of Babylon

Subject: Looking for lyrics: river of babylon
From:
Date: 14 Jul 98 - 08:48 AM

I'm looking for lyrics to a song with a caribian beat. The chorus goes something like this.

By the river of babylon, where we lie down. It was then we wept. When we remembered Zion.

Subject: RE: Looking for lyrics: river of babylon
From: alison
Date: 14 Jul 98 - 09:36 AM

Hi,

you're bound to find it at the "International Lyrics server", there should be an address on the "links" page. Or do a search for "Boney M"..... they had a big hit with it in the 70's.

Failing that it's basically straight out of the Bible. Psalm 137.

Slainte

Alison

Subject: RE: Looking for lyrics: river of babylon
From: Charles Meyrick
Date: 14 Jul 98 - 09:41 AM

Don McLean recorded this song some years ago. As I recall the lyrics: By the waters, the waters of Babylon We lay down and wept, and wept, for thee, Zion. We remember thee, remember thee, remember thee, Zion.

That's it; he then sings it in a "round" (like "Row, row, row your boat") so that the lyrics get repeated about 4 times.

Subject: RE: Looking for lyrics: river of babylon
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 14 Jul 98 - 10:00 AM

It IS in the DT, Try a search for Babylon

Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: BY THE RIVERS OF BABYLON^^
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 14 Jul 98 - 12:21 PM

RIVERS OF BABYLON
Psalm 137

                   D
  By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down
                A                     D
  And there we wept when we remember Zion
  
  
  There the wicked carry us away captivity
      G            D
  Require of us a song
  How can we sing King Alfa's song
          A     D
  In a strange land?
  
           D           A
  Let the words of my mouth
               D            A
  And the meditation of my heart
        D               A         D
  Be acceptable in thy sight over I.

(I think Linda Ronstadt recorded this version).^^

Subject: RE: Looking for lyrics: river of babylon
From: Barbara
Date: 14 Jul 98 - 12:42 PM

The ROUND is called "WATERS of Babylon", quoted by Charles and is in DT; the REGGAE SONG, called "RIVERS of Babylon" and quoted by Barbara Shaw, is not. I b'lieve that latter one is what anon is looking for. And I thought, tho I'm not sure, that it was one of Bob Marley's originally.
Blessings,
another Barbara

Subject: RE: Looking for lyrics: river of babylon
From: Mountain Dog
Date: 14 Jul 98 - 01:34 PM

The reggae version has been covered by a host of folks, including Marley, Jimmy Cliff and Steve Earle. It's a great one to harmonize on in group-sings large or small.

Subject: RE: Looking for lyrics: river of babylon
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 14 Jul 98 - 06:30 PM

G'day Charles Meyrick,

I remember hearing that Don McLean version - it was way back and Don sounded just like Pete Seeger doing his feed line / all sing ... feed line / all sing, audience participation. I always assumed this was early in Dom McLean's career and he was still working out a personal style.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Looking for lyrics: river of babylon
From: Ferrara
Date: 14 Jul 98 - 10:52 PM

The reggae version was in the reggae movie "The Harder They Come," starring Jimmy Cliff I believe, and is on the album from that movie too.

Oh. One question. Maybe a typo. Isn't it :

"There the wicked carry us away *in* captivity"?

Subject: RE: Looking for lyrics: river of babylon
From: pennant man
Date: 14 Jul 98 - 11:05 PM

I'm surprised that Mountain Dog categorized Steve Earle's version as raggae. His cover is excellent. It is on his first acoustic style CD, and has Norman Blake and Emmy Lou Harris with many of the songs. I was initially skeptical, but was very pleased with the CD. So much I loaned it out and now can't find it!

Subject: RE: Looking for lyrics: river of babylon
From: alison
Date: 15 Jul 98 - 04:43 AM

hi,

and shouldn't it be "how can we sing the Lord's song, in a strange land."?

Slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Looking for lyrics: river of babylon
From: bbc
Date: 15 Jul 98 - 08:53 AM

The song lyrics & the Bible verses are not quite the same. I, personally, prefer the words as they are in Psalms 137 & 19; I suppose they've been secularized. I most recently heard the song on the cd by Marley's Ghost. They have a lyrics page at http://www.cyberbites.com/ghostlyr.html--pretty neat!

regards,

bbc

Subject: RE: Looking for lyrics: river of babylon
From: Barbara
Date: 15 Jul 98 - 01:50 PM

Perhaps someone could post the definitive version. Can you get it at their web page?
The "in" is missing, Rita, because of the beat of the song: "(Oh the wicked)" is a pickup, "CAR-ry us away/(in)CAP-tivity" is the next line and when sung fast the "in" vanishes.
And, Alison, the way I learned it, it was "King AFRA'S" land, I suppose a reference to Africa. I love to hear from someone who knows more about this. You out there?
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Looking for lyrics: river of babylon ^^
From: Barbara
Date: 15 Jul 98 - 04:49 PM

Awright, awright, I need to learn how to do this m'self: here's the lyrics direct from the webpage bbc listed above.
Barbara

Rivers Of Babylon
(B. Dow, T. Mcaughton, G. Reyan, F. Farian/Ackee Music Inc.; Al Gallico Music; Gema)
from the CD How Can I Keep From Singing

(1:)
By the rivers of Babylon, where he sat down,
and there he wept when he remembered Zion.
Oh, the wicked carry us away captivity,
require from us a song,
How can we sing King Alpha's song in a strange land?

(1)

(2:)
So, let the words of our mouth
and the meditations of our heart
be acceptable in Thy sight.
Oh, verai! ^^

Subject: Lyr Add: RIVERS OF BABYLON ^^
From: alison
Date: 15 Jul 98 - 08:39 PM

Hi,

Here is the Boney M version. I'm sitting here grooving along in my boob tube and satin drainpipes.

RIVERS OF BABYLON
(Dowe, Mcaughton, Reyan, Farian / MCPS / George Gluck Music Ltd / Blue Mountain Music from the CD Boney M "The best of"

(1:)
By the rivers of Babylon, where we sat down,
There we wept when we remembered Zion.
By the rivers of Babylon, where we sat down,
There we wept when we remembered Zion.

Let the wicked carry us away in captivity,
Requiring of us a song,
How can we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?
Let the wicked carry us away in captivity,
Requiring of us a song,
How can we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?

INSTRUMENTAL + STEEL DRUMS

So, let the words of our mouth
And the meditations of our heart
Be acceptable in Thy sight.
Here tonight

So, let the words of our mouth
And the meditations of our heart
Be acceptable in Thy sight.
Here tonight

REPEAT FIRST VERSE TWICE

Slainte

Alison ^^

Subject: RE: Looking for lyrics: river of babylon ^^
From: rich r
Date: 17 Jul 98 - 10:57 PM

This song is also printed in Rise Up Singing (RUS). The words have a few curious variations from the ones posted above, so I will enter them yet again. The original version was by a reggae group called the Melodians. The sound track CD for "The Harder They Come" produced by Jimmy Cliff actually contains the Melodians version. My favorite recording of the song is by Sweet Honey In The Rock.

Rivers of Babylon by Brent Dowe & Trevor McNaughton

By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down
And there we wept when we remember Zion
There the wicked (The Babylonians) carry us away captivity, require of us a song.
How can we sing King Alfa's (the Lord's) song in a strange land?

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in thy sight over I (here tonight)

rich r ^^

Subject: RE: Looking for lyrics: river of babylon
From:
Date: 18 Jul 98 - 11:53 AM

Psalm 137

1.By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion
2. We hanged our harps upon the willows in midst thereof.
3. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.
4. How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?
5. If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.
6. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.
7. Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem, who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof.
8. O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.
9. Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.

Bit stronger stuff than Boney M.:)

Subject: RE: Looking for lyrics: river of babylon
From:
Date: 26 Aug 00 - 09:40 AM

i am looking for two songs of Boney M group the first is : Gotta go home . the secound is : El Lute can i rich them ? !!

Subject: RE: Looking for lyrics: river of babylon
From: Pene Azul
Date: 26 Aug 00 - 02:10 PM

You can get the lyrics to "Gotta Go Home" here (click).

You'll generally have more success by starting a separate thread for each lyrics request)

(I'll look for the other one then email)

PA

Subject: RE: Looking for lyrics: river of babylon
From: Pene Azul
Date: 26 Aug 00 - 02:15 PM

You can get the lyrics to "El Lute" here (click).

PA

Subject: RE: Looking for lyrics: river of babylon
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 07 Jan 05 - 08:07 PM

refresh.

I never "got" King Alfa. I always heard it:
"How can we singing of our song in a strange land"

And I've also heard (not on a recording but in singarounds)
So let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart
Be acceptable in the sight of their eyes.

Allison

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: River of Babylon
From: Azizi
Date: 04 May 08 - 10:26 AM

Here's some information about the referent "King Alfa" "

"King Alfa" is a referent for His Imperial Majesty [HIS] Haile Selassie I [Rastafarians always pronounce the "I" here as "eye", menaing the letter "i]. "Alfa"="Alpha" meaning the first as in the Latin words "alpha and omega". See this excerpt from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rivers_of_Babylon

"King Alpha is referred to in the line "How can we sing King Alpha's song in a strange land?". King Alpha refers to Haile Selassie. Selassie's wife Menen Asfaw is known as Queen Omega aka The Queen. [2] When Jewish groups sing the song, "King Alpha" is changed to "the Lord's" or "Adonai's"."
-snip-

Given Boney M's substitution of "The Lord's" for "King Alpha", and assuming that that group is not Jewish [and there are Black Jews, btw], the Wikipedia page should say that "When Jewish and Christian group sing the song, they may change "King Alpha"to "The Lord's."

**

Also, here's some information about the phrase "over I":

"Over I" is a Rastafarian language construct that means "over me". As a rule, most Rastafarians don't use the words "me", "we", "our", "us". Instead of "we" , "our", and "us" they use the phrase "I and I" [which is written "InI"] That phrase "I and I" is found in some of Bob Marley's songs.

See this excerpt from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rastafarian_vocabulary

• I replaces "me", which is much more commonly used in Jamaican English than in the more conventional forms. Me is felt to turn the person into an object whereas I emphasises the subjectivity of an individual.

•I and I is a complex term, referring to the oneness of Jah (God) and every human. Rastafarian scholar E. E. Cashmore: "I and I is an expression to totalize the concept of oneness, the oneness of two persons. So God is within all of us and we're one people in fact. I and I means that God is in all men. The bond of Ras Tafari is the bond of God, of man. But man itself needs a head and the head of man is His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I (always pronounced as the letter "I," never as the number one or "the first") of Ethiopia." The term is often used in place of "you and I" or "we" among Rastafarians, implying that both persons are united under the love of Jah.

-snip-

Here's some more information about the Rastafarian religion/way of life:

The name Rastafarian comes from "Ras Tafari".

"Haile Selassie I was born Lij Tafari Makonnen (Ge'ez ልጅ፡ ተፈሪ፡ መኮንን; Amharic pronunciation lij teferî mekônnin). "Lij" translates literally to "child", and serves to indicate that a youth is of noble blood. He would later become Ras Tafari Mekonnen; "Ras" translates literally to "head"[10] and is the equivalent of "duke",[11] though it is often rendered in translation as "prince". In 1928, he was elevated to Negus, "King"."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haile_Selassie_I_of_Ethiopia…

[This is a very well researched wikipedia page on Haile Selassie. In my opinion, it's well worth reading for those people interested in the Ethiopian, Rastafarian, and Jamaican history & culture]

"Ras" is usually translated "prince" among Rastafarians and other Jamaicans. "Tafari" ["Tefari"] is an Amharic language male name that means "awe-inspiring".

Rastafarians are commonly called-and call themselves-"Rastas", and a number of Rastafarians use that title with their first name. Reggae singers who have "prince" in front of their name may be following that tradition and/or mixing that tradition with the use of royalty titles common in a lot of Black folk music such as Calypso and Blues.

**

Haile Selassie's name literally means "Power of the Trinity".

**

"Jah" is the Rastafarian referent for "God". "Jah" comes from the Hebrew name for God "Yahweh".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: River of Babylon
From: Azizi
Date: 04 May 08 - 10:27 AM

Here's a link to the audio recording on YouTube of The Melodians classic recording of "Rivers Of Babylon".
Summit/ Trojan label SUM-6508. 1970.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVEKKJOLRww

**

Also, here's a link to the YouTube video of Boney M's performance of Rivers of Babylon:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nm1g8FFRArc&feature=related