Album: Desmond Dekker & the AcesAvg rating:
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Length: 2:42
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so that every mouth can be fed.
Poor me, the Israelite. Aah.
Get up in the morning, slaving for bread, sir,
So that every mouth can be fed.
Poor me, the Israelite. Aah.
My wife and my kids, they are packed up and leave me.
Darling, she said, I was yours to be seen.
Poor me, the Israelite. Aah.
Shirt them a-tear up, trousers are gone.
I don't want to end up like Bonnie and Clyde.
Poor me, the Israelite. Aah.
After a storm there must be a calm.
They catch me in the farm. You sound the alarm.
Poor me, the Israelite. Aah.
Poor me, the Israelite.
I wonder who I'm working for.
Poor me, Israelite,
me ears are alight
I thought he was singing 'his red eyes'. I was 8.
I was a kid at school when this was a hit. I loved the sound but I got the words wrong:
"Get up in the morning, baked beans for breakfast"
me ears are alight
I was a kid at school when this was a hit. I loved the sound but I got the words wrong:
"Get up in the morning, baked beans for breakfast"
I didn't get the baked beans for breakfast - just the horror that his ears were alight - A LOT
GREAT TUNE!! I was 13yrs old when this song came out & they used to play it on WMCA 570 AM NYC (The GOOD GUYS) a lot. My best friend was Jewish, & I asked him what this song was about. ...He had no friggin' idea! LOL!
Mentions the words Israelite and people assume this is a religious song!!
To clear this up, he (Desmond) is referring to himself as an Israelite due to him being a Rastafarian which according to them are one of the 12 tribes of Israel.
So the sentence:
Poor Me, The Israelite
could also have been written:
Poor Me, The rudeboy.
Poor Me, The rasta
Quotes from Wikipedia:
Dekker composed the song after overhearing an argument: "I was walking in the park, eating corn [popcorn]. I heard a couple arguing about money. She was saying she needs money and he was saying the work he was doing was not giving him enough. I related to those things and began to sing a little song: 'You get up in the morning and you're slaving for bread.' By the time I got home, it was complete."
Destitute ("slaving for bread") and unkempt ("Shirt them a-tear up, trousers is gone"), some Rastafarians were tempted to a life of crime ("I don't want to end up like Bonnie and Clyde"). The song is a lament of this condition.
I hope this helps you all understand what is being sung here.
Thank You for the info!
The Genesis of Reggae!
ftfm
The Genesis of SKA!
ftfy
this is probably my least fav song on the RP rotation. marking this for myself so i'm not tempted to say it again.
I was a kid at school when this was a hit. I loved the sound but I got the words wrong:
"Get up in the morning, baked beans for breakfast"
Check out the old Maxell advert on youtube for what Desmond's really singing.
I was a kid at school when this was a hit. I loved the sound but I got the words wrong:
"Get up in the morning, baked beans for breakfast"
That doesn't even sound close.
My gawd!!! there's some really old folks bloggin' here ... I'm with you, man!
I DO remember the smell!
Mentions the words Israelite and people assume this is a religious song!!
To clear this up, he (Desmond) is referring to himself as an Israelite due to him being a Rastafarian which according to them are one of the 12 tribes of Israel.
So the sentence:
Poor Me, The Israelite
could also have been written:
Poor Me, The rudeboy.
Poor Me, The rasta
Quotes from Wikipedia:
Dekker composed the song after overhearing an argument: "I was walking in the park, eating corn [popcorn]. I heard a couple arguing about money. She was saying she needs money and he was saying the work he was doing was not giving him enough. I related to those things and began to sing a little song: 'You get up in the morning and you're slaving for bread.' By the time I got home, it was complete."
Destitute ("slaving for bread") and unkempt ("Shirt them a-tear up, trousers is gone"), some Rastafarians were tempted to a life of crime ("I don't want to end up like Bonnie and Clyde"). The song is a lament of this condition.
I hope this helps you all understand what is being sung here.
Concur except for the fact that he was probably eating corn (boiled or roasted ear of corn) not popcorn.
really, thanks. (not)
Wait 'til they start man'splaining trap music.
I was a kid at school when this was a hit. I loved the sound but I got the words wrong:
"Get up in the morning, baked beans for breakfast"
Me too.
Mentions the words Israelite and people assume this is a religious song!!
To clear this up, he (Desmond) is referring to himself as an Israelite due to him being a Rastafarian which according to them are one of the 12 tribes of Israel.
So the sentence:
Poor Me, The Israelite
could also have been written:
Poor Me, The rudeboy.
Poor Me, The rasta
Quotes from Wikipedia:
Dekker composed the song after overhearing an argument: "I was walking in the park, eating corn [popcorn]. I heard a couple arguing about money. She was saying she needs money and he was saying the work he was doing was not giving him enough. I related to those things and began to sing a little song: 'You get up in the morning and you're slaving for bread.' By the time I got home, it was complete."
Destitute ("slaving for bread") and unkempt ("Shirt them a-tear up, trousers is gone"), some Rastafarians were tempted to a life of crime ("I don't want to end up like Bonnie and Clyde"). The song is a lament of this condition.
I hope this helps you all understand what is being sung here.
really, thanks. (not)
Desmond, ya' rude boy! Sing it again.
"Get up in the morning, baked beans for breakfast"
The wife and I were dancing round the room. Loved it!
"Fo-or Me Israelites"
Bill, I defer if you're rendering is authoratative.
Get up in the mornin’ slaving for bread, sir
So that every mouth can be fed
Ooh, Ooh Me Israelites
Ma Wife and ma kids dey pack up ana leave me
Darlin’ she said I was yours to be seen
Ooh…
Shirt dem a tear up, trousers a go (all gone, trashed)
Don’t wanna end up like Bonnie and Clyde
Ooh…
After a storm dey must be a calmin’
Catch me in ya farm, you sound your alarm
Ooh
It’s kind of like Bob Marley said in I Shot The Sheriff: “Every time I plant a seed, he says ‘Kill it before it grows’”.
To clear this up, he (Desmond) is referring to himself as an Israelite due to him being a Rastafarian which according to them are one of the 12 tribes of Israel.
So the sentence:
Poor Me, The Israelite
could also have been written:
Poor Me, The rudeboy.
Poor Me, The rasta
Quotes from Wikipedia:
Dekker composed the song after overhearing an argument: "I was walking in the park, eating corn . I heard a couple arguing about money. She was saying she needs money and he was saying the work he was doing was not giving him enough. I related to those things and began to sing a little song: 'You get up in the morning and you're slaving for bread.' By the time I got home, it was complete."
Destitute ("slaving for bread") and unkempt ("Shirt them a-tear up, trousers is gone"), some Rastafarians were tempted to a life of crime ("I don't want to end up like Bonnie and Clyde"). The song is a lament of this condition.
I hope this helps you all understand what is being sung here.
In this era when facts are malleable, your comments ring truthful. Thanks.
To clear this up, he (Desmond) is referring to himself as an Israelite due to him being a Rastafarian which according to them are one of the 12 tribes of Israel.
So the sentence:
Poor Me, The Israelite
could also have been written:
Poor Me, The rudeboy.
Poor Me, The rasta
Quotes from Wikipedia:
Dekker composed the song after overhearing an argument: "I was walking in the park, eating corn [popcorn]. I heard a couple arguing about money. She was saying she needs money and he was saying the work he was doing was not giving him enough. I related to those things and began to sing a little song: 'You get up in the morning and you're slaving for bread.' By the time I got home, it was complete."
Destitute ("slaving for bread") and unkempt ("Shirt them a-tear up, trousers is gone"), some Rastafarians were tempted to a life of crime ("I don't want to end up like Bonnie and Clyde"). The song is a lament of this condition.
I hope this helps you all understand what is being sung here.
Or as I~n~I prefer ,spiritual !
Said one from the lost tribe of Judah ; >
As I am that I am!
><)))))>
To clear this up, he (Desmond) is referring to himself as an Israelite due to him being a Rastafarian which according to them are one of the 12 tribes of Israel.
So the sentence:
Poor Me, The Israelite
could also have been written:
Poor Me, The rudeboy.
Poor Me, The rasta
Quotes from Wikipedia:
Dekker composed the song after overhearing an argument: "I was walking in the park, eating corn [popcorn]. I heard a couple arguing about money. She was saying she needs money and he was saying the work he was doing was not giving him enough. I related to those things and began to sing a little song: 'You get up in the morning and you're slaving for bread.' By the time I got home, it was complete."
Destitute ("slaving for bread") and unkempt ("Shirt them a-tear up, trousers is gone"), some Rastafarians were tempted to a life of crime ("I don't want to end up like Bonnie and Clyde"). The song is a lament of this condition.
I hope this helps you all understand what is being sung here.
The Israelites (/ˈɪzriəlaɪts/; Hebrew: בני ישראל Bnei Yisra'el)[1] were a confederation of Iron Age Semitic-speaking tribes of the ancient Near East, who inhabited a part of Canaanduring the tribal and monarchic periods.[2][3][4][5][6] According to the religious narrative of the Hebrew Bible, the Israelites' origin is traced back to the Biblical patriarchs and matriarchs Abraham and his wife Sarah, through their son Isaac and his wife Rebecca, and their son Jacob who was later called Israel, whence they derive their name, with his wives Leah and Rachel and the handmaids Zilpa and Bilhah.
My first thought.
That would be nice, maybe "007".
Are wondering what would you do if I sang out of tune?
Everybody in my mushrooming multitude of elevators loves this groovy reggae song... we love that Beatles' song, too... we be dancing like happy hippies... love Radio Paradise...
Of course when we were 13 we had no freakin' clue what the song was about. Not sure I still do :^ /
joelbb wrote:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEe0qqPAC6E
But according to a 1999 interview with Dekker, it appears to be simpler than that:
"LCH: Then of course in 1968, you cut 'Israelites' - can you tell me about the song.
DD: Well, it's really about how hard things were for a lot of people in Jamaica. Downtrodden, like the Israelites that Moses led to the Promised Land. And I was really saying that no matter how bad things are there is always a calm after a storm, so don't give up on things."
One of those songs that sounds great even if you can't quite figure out the lyrics. Ketchup in the morning, baked beans for breakfast, ohhhhh Israelites...
Laurelia wrote:
And, yes, Laurelia, you get another bump if only because great songs about the downtrodden deserve to be kept alive. That it's vintage ska is lovely lagniappe.
I saw Max Creek in New Haven a number of moons ago (1970s). They still exist? As a Dead-inspired and imitative band, they were pretty good. Today, this seems like a historical anomaly. But maybe not. I appreciate that regional bands can survive for decades on live performances.
Max Creek is an interesting story still together 43 years now. They have a regional presence in New England and New York and will sometimes venture beyond. There is a small but hard-core fan base called the Creek Freaks picked up along those many years that ruminate on why their band is missing from the big stage while thankful for the best-kept secret that keeps it accessible.
Creek have had changes in personnel over the years, mainly on the backline, now featuring percussionist Jay Stanley (twenty-something years old) and drummer Bill Carbone (thirty-something). Founding member John Rider is the bass player and ringleader while Mark Mercier is the master of keyboard and band ambassador. Guitarist Scott Murawski has received the most acclaim also playing lead guitar in the Mike Gordon Band, and BK3 with Bill Kreutzman and Otiel Burbridge.
Creek stopped playing Grateful Dead altogether for a period of time because they were getting pegged as a cover band by some promoters. While they do cover a wide variety of artists they have a way of putting their own spin on the music that makes it unique. Usually their own spin is serious jamming with a powerful rhythm section backing telepathic changes and song transitions.
From one the bios: Glide Magazine writer Shane Handler got it right when he issued high praise for Max Creek saying "Bands like Phish, moe., Blues Traveler, the Disco Biscuits and others are the trees in Max Creek's seeds of a thriving Northeast music scene that encourages live risk taking on stage and playing according to the feel of the present moment."
Me ears are alight...?
I saw Max Creek in New Haven a number of moons ago (1970s). They still exist? As a Dead-inspired and imitative band, they were pretty good. Today, this seems like a historical anomaly. But maybe not. I appreciate that regional bands can survive for decades on live performances.
Are wondering what would you do if I sang out of tune?
Happy daze.
For all of you who wants to know
I get up in the morning slaving for bread sir,
so that every mouth can be fed,
Poor me, Israelites.
Mi wife an' ma kids they pack up an'a leave me,
"darling" she said "I was yours to recieve",
Poor me, Israelites.
Cho! shirt dem a tear-up, trousers a go,
I don' wan' to end up like Bonny and Clyde,
Poor me, Israelites.
After a storm there mus' be a calming,
you catch me in your farm, you sound your alarm,
Poor me, Israelites.
I get up in the morning stabbing for bread sir,
so that every mouth can be fed,
Poor me, Israelites.
Mi wife an' ma kids they pack up an'a leave me,
"darling" she said "I was yours to recieve",
Poor me, Israelites.
Cho! shirt dem a tear-up, trousers a go,
I don' wan' to end up like Bonny and Clyde,
Poor me, Israelites.
After a storm there mus' be a calming,
you catch me in your farm, you sound your alarm,
Poor me, Israelites.
your b fell down.
I don't remember Bruce Morrow, or anyone else on WABC-AM, ever playing this tune. Not that he didn't - I just don't recall. I do remember Cousin Brucie though.
I definitely do remember hearing this on WABC - oh yeah...
For YEARS I thought that was what he was singing. LOL.
For forty years I've wondered.
For forty years they wandered.
But according to a 1999 interview with Dekker, it appears to be simpler than that:
"LCH: Then of course in 1968, you cut 'Israelites' - can you tell me about the song.
DD: Well, it's really about how hard things were for a lot of people in Jamaica. Downtrodden, like the Israelites that Moses led to the Promised Land. And I was really saying that no matter how bad things are there is always a calm after a storm, so don't give up on things."
One of those songs that sounds great even if you can't quite figure out the lyrics. Ketchup in the morning, baked beans for breakfast, ohhhhh Israelites...
Laurelia wrote:
For those once again wondering what this song is about, I'll repost what I wrote in 2007. (I find if you didn't write it today, it seems to no longer exist).
Thanks for re-posting that, but I don't believe there is a lyric about "ketchup in the morning".
Get up in the morning, slaving for bread, sir,
so that every mouth can be fed.
Poor me, the Israelite. Aah.
I always thought it had to do with Rastafarianism, as Wikipedia sez: "Rastas believe that they, and the rest of the black race, are descendants of the ancient twelve tribes of Israel, cast into captivity outside Africa as a result of the slave trade."
But according to a 1999 interview with Dekker, it appears to be simpler than that:
"LCH: Then of course in 1968, you cut 'Israelites' - can you tell me about the song.
DD: Well, it's really about how hard things were for a lot of people in Jamaica. Downtrodden, like the Israelites that Moses led to the Promised Land. And I was really saying that no matter how bad things are there is always a calm after a storm, so don't give up on things."
One of those songs that sounds great even if you can't quite figure out the lyrics. Ketchup in the morning, baked beans for breakfast, ohhhhh Israelites...
For those once again wondering what this song is about, I'll repost what I wrote in 2007. (I find if you didn't write it today, it seems to no longer exist).
For forty years I've wondered.
Well, the Israelites, of course! Duh!
For forty years I've wondered.
Yep, same here, though I've only wondered for a mere 30 years ;). There's a fair bit of dialect/slang in the song that I just can't figure. I'm guessing that it's about an ordinary Joe Schmoe doing an ordinary boring job every boring day and staying straight to keep the family going, despite the temptations of crime ("I don' wanna end up like Bonnie & Clyde"). Love the sound, but a translation would be nice.
For forty years I've wondered.
Ooooooh Ooooooh . . . my ears are alight.
That's so funny, voicers. I was just about to comment that this song kicks ass. I didn't catch the whole set but, "this song kicks ass!"
I don't remember Bruce Morrow, or anyone else on WABC-AM, ever playing this tune. Not that he didn't - I just don't recall. I do remember Cousin Brucie though.
I'm reminded of going to sleep at night with the little earplug connected to my Magnavox transistor radio. Remember the smell of its leather case?
Yeah, it smelled like dye and ozone!
I had one of those, and a "Wizard" 9 volt radio from Western Auto. I taped the Wizard to my bicycle handlebars, so I could listen to the "hits" while I cruised the neighborhood on my 20" Stingray bike. Seems like Heaven, from here.
I'm reminded of going to sleep at night with the little earplug connected to my Magnavox transistor radio. Remember the smell of its leather case?
My gawd!!! there's some really old folks bloggin' here ... I'm with you, man!
I'm reminded of going to sleep at night with the little earplug connected to my Magnavox transistor radio. Remember the smell of its leather case?
Or "The Smiths"
You win the Internet for a day.
I remember having a guitar songbook in the late 60s with this song in it. Haven't heard it in decades.
I remember Cousin Brucie...we are old, huh
Or "No Woman, No Cry."
Or "The Smiths"
Clearly you have never heard Nickleback.
Or "No Woman, No Cry."
Clearly you have never heard Nickleback.
Too Jewish...
Mentions the words Israelite and people assume this is a religious song!!
To clear this up, he (Desmond) is referring to himself as an Israelite due to him being a Rastafarian which according to them are one of the 12 tribes of Israel.
So the sentence:
Poor Me, The Israelite
could also have been written:
Poor Me, The rudeboy.
Poor Me, The rasta
Quotes from Wikipedia:
Dekker composed the song after overhearing an argument: "I was walking in the park, eating corn [popcorn]. I heard a couple arguing about money. She was saying she needs money and he was saying the work he was doing was not giving him enough. I related to those things and began to sing a little song: 'You get up in the morning and you're slaving for bread.' By the time I got home, it was complete."
Destitute ("slaving for bread") and unkempt ("Shirt them a-tear up, trousers is gone"), some Rastafarians were tempted to a life of crime ("I don't want to end up like Bonnie and Clyde"). The song is a lament of this condition.
I hope this helps you all understand what is being sung here.
Why do some Jamacains consider themselves to be Israelites?Copilot
Some Jamaicans consider themselves to be Israelites due to the historical presence of Sephardic Jews who fled to Jamaica to escape the Spanish Inquisition in the 1500s1. These Jewish settlers, known as crypto-Jews, practiced Judaism in secret and eventually formed communities on the island2. Over time, some of their descendants have come to identify as Israelites, blending their Jewish heritage with their Jamaican identity