According to David Stowe,īrent Dowe, the lead singer of the Melodians, told Kenneth Bilby that he had adapted Psalm 137 to the new reggae style because he wanted to increase the public's consciousness of the growing Rastafarian movement and its calls for black liberation and social justice. In addition, the term "the wicked" replaces the neutral "they" of Psalm 137 in the line "they that carried us away captive required of us a song.". Both terms refer to Selassie (Selassie's wife Menen Asfaw is known as Queen Omega). The original version specifically refers to Rastafarian belief in Haile Selassie, by changing references to "the Lord" in the Biblical text to "Far-I" and "King Alpha". Rastafarians also identify themselves as belonging to the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
Therefore, "By the rivers of Babylon" refers to living in a repressive society and the longing for freedom, just like the Israelites in captivity. In Jamaica, Rastafarians also use "Babylon" to refer to the police, often seen as a source of oppression because they arrest members for the use of marijuana (which is sacramental for Rastafarians). In the Rastafarian faith, the term "Babylon" is used for any governmental system which is either oppressive or unjust. The melody bears a strong resemblance to " How Dry I Am". It is one of a few pop songs whose lyrics come directly from the Bible (see also " Turn! Turn! Turn!" by Pete Seeger, " 40" by U2, and " The Lord's Prayer" by Sister Janet Mead). Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight. The song also has words from Psalm 19:14: The namesake rivers of Babylon (in present-day Iraq) are the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Now how shall we sing the L ORD's song in a strange land? They carried us away in captivity requiring of us a song.
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The southern Kingdom of Judah (hence the name Jews), home of the tribe of Judah and part of the tribe of Levi, was free from foreign domination until the Babylonian conquest to which Rivers of Babylon refers.īy the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. The song is based on the Biblical Psalm 137:1-4, a hymn expressing the lamentations of the Jewish people in exile following the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem in 586 BC: Previously the Kingdom of Judah, after being united under Kings David and Solomon, had been split in two, with the Kingdom of Israel in the north, conquered by the Assyrians in 722 BC which caused the dispersion of 10 of the 12 tribes of Israel.
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