The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
[Intro]
Glorious be to the most high, Jah, Rastafari
Oh, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nigh
Hey, you see Sly and Robbie
[Chorus]
A just Selassie send them, well
Play music fi heathen, well
Si di Christian we call them, yeh
Dut just di devil control them, Sly
A Selassie send dem, well
Cause music a fi play them, yeh
Mr. Robbie him bass them, well
Taxi Gang come tell them that
[Verse 1]
Well Mr. Sly, well
Music we al play an we a trample over jungle
trample down a TG, rema man we a talk to
All rema man unuh fi cool an unuh fi humble
Put down all di guns an leave di chain an all di bangle
Cause Selassie, well we ready fi di people
All rastaman an bogo man we all a talk to
Sly them a play, we licking out di devil
Come Taxi Gang come play fi di people
[Chorus]
[Verse 2]
Long time we a tell them fi louh all di band
Dem want mix rastaman in them Bachanal
Chu Missa Sly him a foundation
thats why we play di music fi each and everyone
[Verse 3]
Music we a play yes a we run di route
Music we a play fi all them down a south
Easy Mr. Sly and Taxi Gang run di route
Yuh nuh hear music them a bawl out
Mission Impossible and a teach people
Play fi all di dumb, di deaf, di blind and all di cripple
Oh Mr. Sly how yuh humble, nah rumble
Because we too comfortable so we tell them
[Chorus]
[Verse 4]
Well, trample di Christian, di beast a albashan
Dis rastaman don't yuh know seh yuh ever wrong
Mr. Sly play di music from 19 how long
Dem a play fi Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, how much
How them fi dis we when yuh know seh we nuh nervous
A foundation, a we dig di land
A wi set di plan, an a wi buy, oh na
[Chorus]
[Verse 5]
Dis yah one yah pass January morning
From now mi a give out di warning
Some bwoy a fi try do some farming
Mr. Sly a music wi playing
Well from now bad man I talking
Well Taxi Gang don't you know them run di tune
And don't yuh know sehh a we have di engine
Well follow Beenie Man and sing
Glorious be to the most high, Jah, Rastafari
Oh, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nigh
Hey, you see Sly and Robbie
[Chorus]
A just Selassie send them, well
Play music fi heathen, well
Si di Christian we call them, yeh
Dut just di devil control them, Sly
A Selassie send dem, well
Cause music a fi play them, yeh
Mr. Robbie him bass them, well
Taxi Gang come tell them that
[Verse 1]
Well Mr. Sly, well
Music we al play an we a trample over jungle
trample down a TG, rema man we a talk to
All rema man unuh fi cool an unuh fi humble
Put down all di guns an leave di chain an all di bangle
Cause Selassie, well we ready fi di people
All rastaman an bogo man we all a talk to
Sly them a play, we licking out di devil
Come Taxi Gang come play fi di people
[Chorus]
[Verse 2]
Long time we a tell them fi louh all di band
Dem want mix rastaman in them Bachanal
Chu Missa Sly him a foundation
thats why we play di music fi each and everyone
[Verse 3]
Music we a play yes a we run di route
Music we a play fi all them down a south
Easy Mr. Sly and Taxi Gang run di route
Yuh nuh hear music them a bawl out
Mission Impossible and a teach people
Play fi all di dumb, di deaf, di blind and all di cripple
Oh Mr. Sly how yuh humble, nah rumble
Because we too comfortable so we tell them
[Chorus]
[Verse 4]
Well, trample di Christian, di beast a albashan
Dis rastaman don't yuh know seh yuh ever wrong
Mr. Sly play di music from 19 how long
Dem a play fi Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, how much
How them fi dis we when yuh know seh we nuh nervous
A foundation, a we dig di land
A wi set di plan, an a wi buy, oh na
[Chorus]
[Verse 5]
Dis yah one yah pass January morning
From now mi a give out di warning
Some bwoy a fi try do some farming
Mr. Sly a music wi playing
Well from now bad man I talking
Well Taxi Gang don't you know them run di tune
And don't yuh know sehh a we have di engine
Well follow Beenie Man and sing
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Foundation Lyrics as written by Lorenzo Dechalus Derek Murphy
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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