Rivers Of Babylon

Actually the meaning of the song is inclined toward the Rastafarian movement, who believed that the black people should unite and go back to Africa. In the Bible (I'm not religious so don't take my word for it, I just study African decolonization) the Hebrew population is enslaved in Babylon, so you can translate this to the African diaspora, people taken away from their homes to suffer forever and always the homeland, this peaceful place before the arrival of the white man. The idea of the Rastafarian movement is translating the Bible in a new way to give answers to the, then, shackled populations all over the world. Ethiopia was first seen as the promised land, because it had withstood colonization until the 1930s, and the term Rastafarian was actually the name of a Ethiopian prince that was popularized in the Western world.

My history isn't the best, so if anyone can confirm or help it would be great.

I love this song. I originally heard the Sublime cover. Apparently it's Biblical. I found all these websites about i t..was pretty interesting. Something about black people identifying with Jews' struggles back in the d ay.

I like it too, but only heard the Sublime version today(Dec 31/05).

It's from Psalm 137. Shame they left out this part:

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.

I think the last bit of the Psalm might have killed the mood a little bit though, no? Even though it's totally awesome.

Psalm 137 New King James Version (NKJV) Longing for Zion in a Foreign Land

137 By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down, yea, we wept When we remembered Zion. 2 We hung our harps Upon the willows in the midst of it. 3 For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song, And those who plundered us requested mirth, Saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

4 How shall we sing the Lord’s song In a foreign land? 5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, Let my right hand forget its skill! 6 If I do not remember you, Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth— If I do not exalt Jerusalem Above my chief joy.

7 Remember, O Lord, against the sons of Edom The day of Jerusalem, Who said, “Raze it, raze it, To its very foundation!”

8 O daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed, Happy the one who repays you as you have served us! 9 Happy the one who takes and dashes Your little ones against the rock!

The song has three parts to it. My take is:

1) The sadness the captive Jews felt when reflecting on the desolation of Zion (Jerusalem).

2) The Babylonian captors mocking them by requesting they sing a song which back then would have a been a song of praise to their God. The captors would have felt their gods gave them victory but the Jew's God had failed in protecting them.

2) The captive Jews felt they couldn't sing such a song in view of their circumstances.

3) They then appeal to God, asking that he see their plight and accept their prayers and thoughts as acceptable to him. In this they must hope he will turn his attention to them and deliver them.

The Bible makes it clear that the Jews being overrun by the Babylonian armies was due to their corrupted worship, not God's inability to defend his people. Point three reflects they understood that and sought forgiveness reconciliation.

The Rastafarian movement probably applied it to themselves as some sort of prophecy of restoration to Africa.