THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

122-Desmond Dekker & The Aces-Israelites.

1969-Number 1 single. When it was re-issued in 1975 it made Number 10.

Best Bit-At 0.19. If you can’t make out the lyrics to a song, like me, do you make your own up?

Desmond Dekker was born Desmond Adolphus Dacres on July 16th, 1941, in Saint Andrew Parish, Colony of Jamaica, he died of a heart attack on May 25th, 2006, in his adopted home of London, England, at the age of 64. In 1961 he auditioned for Leslie Kong (1933-1971) (see also best songs 291) who was the owner of ‘Beverley’s’ record label, which was situated on Orange Street in Kingston, Jamaica, he was signed to his first contract by Kong, although it would be a further two years until his first recording would be released. It was Dekker who having heard Bob Marley (1945-1981) (see also best songs 618 and 56) alerted Leslie Kong, who signed him, and released his first singles ‘Judge Not,’ and ‘One Cup of Coffee,’ in 1962.

The discography of Desmond Dekker includes 12 studio Albums issued between 1967-2019, and a further 25 compilations Albums released on various labels between 1969-2021. His first four solo singles which were released between 1963-1964 were all local hits in Jamaica, as were his next four recorded with his backing band the ‘Four Aces’ in 1965. He finally broke through internationally in 1967, with his backing band ‘Aces,’ with a cover version of ‘007 (Shanty Town’) which reached Number 14 in the UK, making it the first Jamaican produced record to reach the UK top 20. Dekker would go on to issue a further 20 singles with the Aces through until 1969, and then a further 18 as a solo artist between 1970-1993. In total Desmond Dekker achieved five UK top 40 singles, while in America on Billboard the ‘Israelites’ was his only charting song, reaching Number 9 in 1969.

‘Israelites’ was co-written by Desmond Dekker and Leslie Kong, and also produced by Kong, and was also the title track of Dekker’s third studio Album from 1969. The song became an international hit, with sales said to be around the 2 million mark worldwide. It became the first Reggae song to reach Number 1 in the UK, and it also topped the charts in Germany, and Holland, while making Number 5 in Australia. Dekker composed the lyrics after overhearing an argument, he has explained,’I was walking in the park, I heard a couple arguing about money. She was saying she needs money, and he was saying the work he was doing was not giving him enough.’

The songs title has always been a source of confusion, but the best explanation is that of the ‘Rastafarians’ religious similarities to the religion of ‘Judaism,’ and being likened to the ‘Twelve Tribes of Israel,’hence the application of the ‘Israelites’ to refer to fellow devout Rastafarians. In the 1960’s Jamaican Rastafarians were seen as outsiders even by the conservative Christian church in Kingston. Many Rastafarians living in Jamaica were destitute (‘slaving for bread’) and unkempt (‘shirt them a tear up, trousers is gone’) which led to some Rastafarians being tempted to a life of crime (‘I don’t want to end up like Bonnie and Clyde.’) The ‘Israelites’ tells of the struggle of living day to day, not only for the Rastafarians, but also for the poor people of Jamaica.

‘After a storm there must be a calm, they catch me in the farm you sound your alarm, poor me Israelites.’