Roots Archives Forum

So I've been listening about Longshot, but I can't figure out who or what it is. In the song "Burial of Longshot" by George Lee it seems Longshot is a person and that he has "kicked de bucket" (died?).
Can someone help me out?

I think it was a famous Jamaican race-horse (or imaginary?)

Long Shot was a horse !

extract from http://www.jamaicans.com/tourist/articl ... ejam.shtml

"popular reggae tune “Long Shot kick the bucket”, immortalized by the Pioneers in 1968, about a horse who was far from a champion, but he had so much stamina and endurance that he ran 202 races, the most in local history, before dropping dead on the track."

extract from http://www.reportage.org/2001/JamaicaRa ... ticle.html

"Jamaica's reggae heyday began in the 1960s, songs were written eulogising certain racehorses. The popular horse Long Shot died during a race while hugging the rail down the last straight, inspiring the hit song 'Long Shot kicked the bucket'"

even before the pioneers long shot ke de bucket, i think their first big hit with leslie kong they had recorded longshot(bus me bet)and jackpot for joe gibbs...lee perry fans will be familiar with the tune longshot as it became people funny boy.a song about the hits perry had recorded for joe gibbs and the pioneers with out any credit for

A long shot is a unlikely winner , NOT likely to win.
A 100 to 1 bet.
" Got up, got up in the first race " = he won
" but he couldn't take the pace "

Thanks mates! Reggae never stops to amaze me!

Reminds me of how Ripton Hylton got his stage name.

DB

Reminds me of a poor horse ....

Also listen to Bojangles on Jah Love/Selassie I Cup,toasting horseracing commentary,with Dreadlocks taking on Baldhead in the homestraight and Pope Pius kicking da bucket.Very amusing!

Wasn't Poor Rameses, also sung by The Pioneers, another horse who "kick de bucket"?