The Israelite

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo7x3DHTR8A ^ | (1969) HQ | Decker

[Rabin]

des. deck. eh ! what a little corker he was ! he was famous for saying " ooooh the Israelites " he used to make quite nice pilchard & hot sauce sarnys as well you know

[Rabin]

An repression. lost in time.

g.

[hattend]

We danced to this song in the 8th grade.

Had no idea the guy was black.

[hattend]

Okay, listened to it three times. Still don’t understand the lyrics.

But I’ll give it a 70 because you can dance to it.

[gattaca]

I remembers that song. I always thought he was saying the electrolytes a kid. LOL.

[Califreak]

I thought it was “Oooooh I’m poor, please realize”

Ha!

Great song.

[Feckless]

Been on all my devices for years along with Archie Bell and the Drells... Tighten Up ♫ "and we dance just as good as we want" ♫

[deks]

I think that video is sped up... it’s faster than the original and the singing’s a higher pitch than the original.

I like this live version at the BBC... Desmond Dekker Israelites Reggaae at the BBC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8twFAOKZwg

[Verginius Rufus]

I remember the song when it first came out, hearing it on the radio and not understanding the lyrics.

Just looked up the lyrics online. What I thought was "saying sorpresa" was "slaving for bread, sir." I had figured that, because the song had something to do with an Israelite, "sorpresa" maying be some Hebrew or Yiddish word I didn't know the meaning of.

[Albion Wilde]

Okay, listened to it three times. Still don’t understand the lyrics.

Because he grew up as a Christian in Jamaica, he did not have the same context as African-Americans who wanted to sing about slavery. His reference for slavery was the Israelites of the Old Testament. The original Biblical Israelites were the descendants of Jacob (the grandson of Abraham), whom God renamed Israel, centuries before there was a country of that name. His 12 sons formed the original 12 tribes of Israel, all of whom were captive slaves in Egypt for 400 years before Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt to the land He had promised to Abraham (today's nation of Israel). This is a 1960s song about rat-race wage slavery.

Get up in the morning, slaving for bread, sir
So that every mouth can be fed
Poor, poor me, Israelites. Aah

Get up in the morning, slaving for bread, sir
So that every mouth can be fed
Poor me, the Israelite

My wife and my kids, they packed up and leave me
Darling, she said, "I was yours to be seen"
Poor me, the Israelite

Shirt them a-tear up, trousers are gone
I don't want to end up like Bonnie and Clyde
Poor me, the Israelite

After a storm there must be a calm
They catch me in the farm
You sound your alarm
Poor a-poor a-poor me, the Israelite

[Instrumental break]

I said I get up in the morning, slaving for bread, sir
So that every mouth can be fed
Poor me, Israelite. Aah

I said my wife and my kids, they are packed up and leave me
Darling, she said, I was yours to be seen
Poor me, Israelites. Aah

Look Me shirts them a-tear up, trousers are gone
I don't want to end up like Bonnie and Clyde
A-poor a-poor me, Israelites. Aah

After a storm there must be a calm
They catch me in the farm
You sound your alarm
Poor me, Israelite
A-poor a-poor a-poor me, Israelites. Aah
Poor me, Israelite
Poor me, Israelite

[hattend]

Thanks!

[Manic_Episode]

In the 90s in the twin cities there was a talk radio host, TD Mischke who played the song every Friday night at 8:00.
I grew to like it and have the mp3 on my phone.