BY THE RIVERS OF BABYLON

BY THE RIVERS OF BABYLONI love this piece of footage of Boney M. performing ‘Rivers of Babylon’ at the Sopot Festival in 1979. I love the song – such a joyous interpretation of the terrifying Psalm 137. Just pure pleasure. Love Susie. x


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3QxT-w3WMo


By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down

Yeah, we wept, when we remembered Zion

By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down

Yeah, we wept, when we remembered Zion

There the wicked

Carried us away in captivity

Required from us a song

Now how shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?

There the wicked

Carried us away in captivity

Requiring of us a song

Now how shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Let the words of our mouth and the meditation of our heart

Be acceptable in thy sight here tonight

Let the words of our mouth and the meditation of our hearts

Be acceptable in thy sight here tonight

By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down

Yeah, we wept, when we remembered Zion

By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down

Yeah, we wept, when we remembered Zion

By the rivers of Babylon (dark tears of Babylon)

There we sat down (you got to sing a song)

Yeah, we wept (sing a song of love)

When we remembered Zion (yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)

By the rivers of Babylon (rough bits of Babylon)

There we sat down (you hear the people cry)

Yeah, we wept (they need their God)

When we remembered Zion (ooh, have the power)

By the rivers of Babylon (oh yeah yeah), there we sat down (yeah, yeah)


Songwriters – Brent Gayford Dowe / Frank Farian / George Reyam / James Agustus Mcnaughton

 

Psalm 137


137 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.

2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.

3 For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.

4 How shall we sing the LORD's song in a strange land?

5 If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.

6 If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.

7 Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof.

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.