Big Youth - Ten Against One

[theconqueror]

I am trying to figure out what he says at the beginning of the song... can anyone help me out??

.... christianity and using all means of insanity to achieve vanity. robbing and stealing in the name of the lord and playing the game in the same name.


also, what is the song about??

BIG UP!!

[Congo Bunny]

So this is what I think the lyrics are from a quick listen

The song is about how the Rasta’s aren’t to blame for the violence in various parts of Kingston, Babylon is responsible for the violence, one day Rasta will raise up with a righteous vengeance and defeat the evil, in the mean time Rasta just have to hang on and trust that Jah will sort out the evil Babylon

Lyric:

sheltering hands of Christianity
and using all means of insanity
to achieve vanity
robbing and stealing in the name of the lord
and playing the game in the same name

singing natty ten against one etc

One man I don't like is a hypocrite
the other man I don’t like is a hooligan
heathen gone back biting
throwing bombing and fighting
It wasn't Rasta bombing and fighting
It wasn't Rasta war in a jungle
It wasn't Rasta bombing in Rema
It wasn't Rasta cussing in Garden (Tivoli)
It wasn't Rasta fire in a Jonestown
It wasn't Rasta (something) in Babylon
Trimming out the dreadlock
It wasn't Rasta (something) in Babylon
Trimming out the dreadlock
long-time rob him of his language
(something) Rob him of his culture
true me say the table going turn
and watch it the fire going burn

this time it will be 10 against one etc

going up the other side
then you come over hill so high you can’t go over
still so round then you can't go around ?


Natty sing them songs of victory
Natty sing them songs of love
Natty sing them songs of Glory
Then sing it and a shout natty set them free far I
sing natty Natty set them free Far I
natty want to set them free Far I
Dem walk and talk never want natty go there
go there go there sing natty go there go there
keep on keeping on sing Natty Natty keep on getting it on
Say keep on shouting it on
sing natty hang on (repeat) in there
Natty sing them songs of freedom
Natty sing them songs of love
sing natty hang on (repeat) in there

[kalcidis]

It wasn't Rasta (something) in Babylon

If you'd put in some more (something)'s in there you'd be on the money of how I hear a great part of Big Youth's catalogue. Not that I'm fantastic at understanding JA artists or anything but Big Youth is often a tough nut to crack!

[Congo Bunny]

Congo Bunny wrote :
It wasn't Rasta (something) in Babylon

If you'd put in some more (something)'s in there you'd be on the money of how I hear a great part of Big Youth's catalogue. Not that I'm fantastic at understanding JA artists or anything but Big Youth is often a tough nut to crack!

: ) Yeah there's some bad mumbling in there, my guess is to hide a momentary inability to think of a rhyme. Not that I could DJ to save my life... So I better keep my mouth shut

[davek]

So this is what I think the lyrics are from a quick listen

The song is about how the Rasta’s aren’t to blame for the violence in various parts of Kingston, Babylon is responsible for the violence, one day Rasta will raise up with a righteous vengeance and defeat the evil, in the mean time Rasta just have to hang on and trust that Jah will sort out the evil Babylon

Lyric:

sheltering hands of Christianity
and using all means of insanity
to achieve vanity
robbing and stealing in the name of the lord
and playing the game in the same name

singing natty ten against one etc

One man I don't like is a hypocrite
the other man I don’t like is a hooligan
heathen gone back biting
throwing bombing and fighting
It wasn't Rasta bombing and fighting
It wasn't Rasta war in a jungle
It wasn't Rasta bombing in Rema
It wasn't Rasta cussing in Garden (Tivoli)
It wasn't Rasta fire in a Jonestown
It wasn't Rasta (something) in Babylon
Trimming out the dreadlock
It wasn't Rasta (something) in Babylon
Trimming out the dreadlock
long-time rob him of his language
(something) Rob him of his culture
true me say the table going turn
and watch it the fire going burn

**long-time rob him of his language
(something) Rob him of his culture**

"Now them a go rob him of his culture"

**It wasn't Rasta (something) in Babylon
Trimming out the dreadlock
long-time rob him of his language
(something) Rob him of his culture**

The first time he says it, it sounds fairly clear as "Locks in a Babylon" which sort of fits in with the next line about "trimming", but the second time it sounds like "ox". So I am not so sure about this one. I would be interested to hear the opinion of others.

[Iron_Spire]

This is what I get, filled in a few blanks... (updated july 06)

Sheltering under Christianity
And using all means of insanity
To achieve vanity
Robbing and stealing in the name of the Lord
And playing the game in the same name

Singing natty ten against one
Sing natty tell you ten against one
Cause I tell you it will be ten against one

One man I don't like is a hypocrite
The other one I don't like is a hooligan
Heathen gone back biting
Throwing at him bombing and fighting
It wasn't Rasta
The bombing and fighting
It wasn't Rasta
War inna jungle
It wasn't Rasta
The bombing in Rema
It wasn't Rasta
Cussing in Garden
It wasn't Rasta
The fire in a Jonestown
It wasn't Rasta
Oks [ask] 'im Babylon
Then I tell em
Why you trimming out the dreadlock?
So mi tell yuh what to
Oks [ask] 'im Bablylon
Is why yuh trimming out the dreadlock?
Long-time rob him of his language
No one going rob him of his culture
True me say the table going turn
And watch it and the fire going burn

This time it will be ten against one
Cause I tell ya it will be ten against one

Going on the other side
And then a how you come over, hill so high
And then you can't go over
Still so round, and then you can't go around

Sing natty sing them songs of victory
Watch it natty sing them songs of love
Tell me natty sing them songs of Glory
Woooaah
Then and a sing it and a shout natty set them free Far I
Sing natty natty set them free Far I
Natty want to set them free Far I
Then 'im walk and 'im talk and never want natty go there
Go there go there sing natty go there go there
(Got to) keep on keeping on
Sing natty natty keep on getting it on
Say keep on shouting it on
Tell you natty hang on (repeat) in there
I say it natty dread nah let go
Show you say him hang on (repeat) in
And ah sing them songs of freedom
Natty natty sing them songs of love
Show it natty hang on (repeat) in there


I think the meaning is, that Rasta is not responsible for all the troubles in Babylon, and yet Rasta is punished (why you trimming out the dreadlock?)

Then he is saying that the tables will turn, and no longer will it be ten to one in favour of Babylon, it will be in favour of Rasta. Rasta will be going over the hill so high, to the other side. Babylon will want to follow, but can not get over, and cannot get around.

Natty is never going to want to go there (back to babylon), but for now he has to keep on hanging on.

As for the Ox part... best I can think is it's something to do with Rasta being treated like an animal, perhaps a slave reference... It might be Locks but I've never heard the L casually dropped like that, it sounds intentional.

[blakbeltjonez]

the line sounds to me more like:

fire in Jones Town
it wasn't Rasta
ask dem Babylon (ie, those police - ask the police why)
then i tell you now, yuh trimming up di dreadlocks
so mi tell you then to ask dem Babylon
is why yuh trimming up di dreadlocks?
long time rob him of his language
(etc.)

that would be police doing the trimming, for sure.... at one point in time, probably from the 40's through at least much of the 70's it was a somewhat popular form of persecution against a dread who was unfortunate enough to be stopped and questioned by the JCF.

phonetically "ask" often sounds like "aks" or "oks" when spoken by many Jamaicans.

the "fire in Jones Town" i am pretty sure refers to the infamous Orange Lane Fire of May '76, where gunmen set fire to an old wooden tenement and prevented the residents from escaping, and then shot at the fire fighters responding to the inferno. 10 died and 500 were made homeless.

despite national uproar and an inquiry, the gunmen and the powerful PNP politician who was alleged to be involved were never prosecuted.

[jumbo]

a couple of adjustments:

The bombing in Lima = Rema


Then a all you come over hill so high
= and then a how you come over, hill so high....

ask dem Babylon= ask him Babylon

[Congo Bunny]

a couple of adjustments:

The bombing in Lima = Rema

yup I was going to point that out too, I put Rema in my transcript of the lyric, since that's a place in Kingston and Lima is all the way in Peru or possibly a bean : )

[theconqueror]

wow! much more than i expected. thank you all for the contributions.


i have one more question...

"sheltering hands of Christianity
and using all means of insanity
to achieve vanity
robbing and stealing in the name of the lord
and playing the game in the same name"

is he talking about the christian church? basically, saying that the church does wrong while parading around using God's name as a reason to do so?