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Rivers of Babylon
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This article is about the song. For other uses, see Rivers of Babylon (disambiguation).
"Rivers of Babylon" is a Rastafarian song written and recorded by Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton of the Jamaican reggae group The Melodians in 1970. The lyrics are adapted from the texts of Psalms 19 and 137 in the Hebrew Bible. The Melodians' original version of the song appeared in the soundtrack album of the 1972 movie The Harder They Come, making it internationally known.
The song was popularized in Europe by the 1978 Boney M. cover version, which was awarded a platinum disc and is one of the top ten all-time best-selling singles in the UK. The B-side of the single, "Brown Girl in the Ring", also became a hit.
Contents
[hide]
1 Background
1.1 Biblical psalms
1.2 Rastafari
2 Melodians version
3 Boney M. version
3.1 Different versions
3.2 "Brown Girl in the Ring"
3.3 Charts and certifications
3.3.1 Weekly charts
3.3.2 Year-end charts
3.3.3 Sales and certifications
3.3.4 Chart successions
3.3.4.1 Weekly charts
3.3.4.2 Year-end charts
3.4 1988 Remix
3.5 Parody
4 Other recorded versions
5 In popular culture
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
Background[edit]
Biblical psalms[edit]
The song is based on the Biblical Psalm 137:1-4, a hymn expressing the lamentations of the Jewish people in exile following the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem in 586 BC:[1] Previously the Kingdom of Judah, after being united under Kings David and Solomon, was split in two, with the Kingdom Of Israel in the north, conquered by the Assyrians in 722 BC which caused the dispersion of 10 of the 12 tribes of Israel. The southern Kingdom of Judah (hence the name Jews), home of the tribe of Judah and part of the Tribe of Levi, was free from foreign domination until the Babylonian conquest to which Rivers Of Babylon refers.
“ By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion... They carried us away in captivity requiring of us a song... Now how shall we sing the LORD's song in a strange land? ”
The namesake rivers of Babylon are the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The song also has words from Psalm 19:15:[2]
“ Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight... ”
It is one of a few pop songs whose lyrics come directly from the Bible (See also "Turn! Turn! Turn!" by Pete Seeger, "40" by U2, and "The Lord's Prayer" by Sister Janet Mead). The melody bears a strong resemblance to "How Dry I Am".
Rastafari[edit]
In the Rastafarian faith, the term "Babylon" is used for any governmental system which is either oppressive or unjust. In Jamaica, Rastafarians also use "Babylon" to refer to the police, often seen as a source of oppression because they arrest members for the use of marijuana (which is sacramental for Rastafarians). Therefore, "By the rivers of Babylon" refers to living in a repressive society and the longing for freedom, just like the Israelites in captivity. Rastafarians also identify themselves as belonging to the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The original version specifically refers to Rastafarian belief in Haile Selassie, by changing references to "the Lord" in the Biblical text to "Far-I" and "King Alpha". Both terms refer to Selassie (Selassie's wife Menen Asfaw is known as Queen Omega).[3] In addition, the term "the wicked" replaces the neutral "they" of Psalm 137 in the line "they that carried us away captive required of us a song...".[4] According to David Stowe,
Brent Dowe, the lead singer of the Melodians, told Kenneth Bilby that he had adapted Psalm 137 to the new reggae style because he wanted to increase the public's consciousness of the growing Rastafarian movement and its calls for black liberation and social justice. Like the Afro-Protestant Revival services, traditional Rastafarian worship often included psalm singing and hymn singing, and Rastas typically modified the words to fit their own spiritual conceptions; Psalm 137 was among their sacred chants.[4]
Melodians version[edit]
After its release in 1970, the song quickly became well known in Jamaica. According to Brent Dowe, the song was initially banned by the Jamaican government because "its overt Rastafarian references ('King Alpha' and 'O Far-I') were considered subversive and potentially inflammatory".[4] Leslie Kong, the group's producer, attacked the government for banning a song with words taken almost entirely from the Bible, stating that the Psalms had been "sung by Jamaican Christians since time immemorial".[4] The government lifted the ban. After that, it took only three weeks to become a number one hit in the Jamaican charts.[4]
It reached an international audience thanks to the soundtrack album of the 1972 film The Harder They Come, which is credited with having "brought Reggae to the world".[5] The song was later used in the 1999 Nicolas Cage movie Bringing Out the Dead and the 2010 Philip Seymour Hoffman film Jack Goes Boating.
An early reggae classic, "Rivers of Babylon" was remixed in 1970 in typical Jamaican dub fashion. One variation of the recording became "Sound of Babylon", another reggae classic featuring DJ/rapper Samuel The First, one of the Jamaican deejays who pioneered rap as early as the 1950s. "Sound of Babylon" includes several samples of the Melodians' original vocal as well as overdubbed mystical Rastafarian comments by Samuel The First. His version can be found on the 1988 CD Jamaican Deejay Music 1969-1973 - Keep on Coming Through the Door… (Trojan CDTRL255).
Boney M. version[edit]
"Rivers of Babylon"
Single by Boney M.
from the album Nightflight to Venus
B-side
"Brown Girl in the Ring"
Released
3 April 1978
14 April 1978 (UK)
Format
7" single
12" single
Recorded
1978
Genre
Disco
rocksteady
reggae
Length
4:16
Label
Hansa Records (FRG)
Sire Records (USA)
Atlantic Records (UK/AUS)
Songwriter(s)
Brent Dowe
Trevor McNaughton
Frank Farian
Reyam
Producer(s)
Frank Farian
Boney M. singles chronology
"Belfast"
(1977) "Rivers of Babylon" / "Brown Girl in the Ring"
(1978) "Rasputin"
(1978)
"Belfast"
(1977) "Rivers of Babylon" / "Brown Girl in the Ring"
(1978) "Rasputin"
(1978)
"Rivers of Babylon" was covered in 1978 by Germany-based disco band Boney M., with a version that was released as a single. Boney M.'s release stayed at the no. 1 position in the UK for five weeks and was also the group's only significant US chart entry, peaking at no. 30 in the Pop charts. Boney M.'s version of the song remains one of the top ten all-time best-selling singles in the UK, where it is one of only seven songs to have sold over 2 million copies.[6] In Canada, the song was a Top 25 hit on the RPM magazine top 100 singles chart and reached no. 9 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The song was the first single from the band's equally successful 1978 album Nightflight to Venus. Some controversy arose when the first single pressings only credited Frank Farian and Reyam (aka Hans-Jörg Mayer) of Boney M; after an agreement with Dowe and McNaughton, these two were also credited on later pressings.
The Rastafarian language was excised from the Boney M. version of the lyrics. They did perform an early mix of the song in a German TV show singing "How can we sing King Alpha's song", as in the Melodians version, although it was changed to "the Lord's song", restoring the original biblical words, in the released versions.[3] To fit the meter, "O Far-I" became "here tonight" rather than the Biblical original "O Lord".
Different versions[edit]
Just as in the case of "Ma Baker", "Rivers of Babylon" established what was to become a habit of Boney M. singles, namely that the original pressings featured an early version that was soon replaced by a more widely available mix.
The initial single mix of "Rivers of Babylon" is most notable for lead singer Liz Mitchell's ad-libs (Dark tears of Babylon, you got to sing a song, sing a song of love, yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah) between the two verses. On subsequent single pressings, only the 'yeah's were maintained. The full ad-libs however re-emerged in the US-only 12" version.
The single mix differs from the album version by having Liz Mitchell singing the verse "Let the words of our mouth ..." with Frank Farian, on the LP, Farian sings this as a solo part; it is also slightly shorter, the instrumental passage before the last "humming" part is edited out, and the fade out is a little longer ("Oooooh of the power... yeah yeah yeah yeah" can only be heard in the single mix).
"Brown Girl in the Ring"[edit]
The single's B-side "Brown Girl in the Ring" was a traditional Caribbean nursery rhyme. When "Rivers of Babylon" had slipped to no. 20 in the UK charts, radio stations suddenly flipped the single, seeing "Brown Girl in the Ring" going all the way to no. 2 and becoming a hit in its own right. The early single pressing features the full-length 4:18 version with a chorus bit being edited out. The single mix is also slightly different from the album version which features steel drums on the outro riff of the song, the single mix doesn't.
"Brown Girl in the Ring" was also issued separately in Canada as an A-side in the summer of 1979. It reached no. 8 on the Canadian AC chart in July 1979, becoming the third Boney M song to reach the top 10 on that chart, after "Rivers of Babylon" and "Rasputin". On RPM's Top 100 singles chart, the song stalled at no. 79.
Liz Mitchell had previously recorded "Brown Girl in the Ring" in 1975 with the group Malcolm's Locks, her ex-boy friend Malcolm Magaron as the lead singer and arranger Peter Herbolzheimer accused Frank Farian for stealing his arrangement for the song.[7] The court case ran for more than 20 years in Germany.
"Rivers of Babylon" (Remix) /
"Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord" (Remix)"
Single by Boney M.
from the album
Greatest Hits of All Times – Remix '88
Released
October 1988
Format
7" single
12" single
CD single
Genre
Pop
disco
Label
Hansa (FRG)
Producer(s)
Frank Farian
Boney M. singles chronology
"Bang Bang Lulu"
(1986) "Rivers of Babylon" (Remix) /
"Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord" (Remix)"
(1988) "Megamix"
(1988)
"Bang Bang Lulu"
(1986) "Rivers of Babylon (Remix) /
Mary's Boy Child /
Oh My Lord (Remix)"
(1988) "Megamix"
(1988)
Charts and certifications[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
Chart (1978)
Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[8] 1
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[9] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[10] 1
Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)[11] 1
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[12] 9
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[13] 24
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[14] 1
France (IFOP)[15] 1
Germany (Official German Charts)[16] 1
Ireland (IRMA)[17] 1
Italy (FIMI)[18] 11
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[19] 1
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[20] 1
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[21] 1
Norway (VG-lista)[22] 1
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[23] 1
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[24] 1
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[25] 1
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[26] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[27] 30
US Cash Box[28] 54
Year-end charts[edit]
Chart (1978)
Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[29] 3
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[30] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[31] 3
France (IFOP)[32] 7
Germany (Media Control Charts)[33] 2
Italy (FIMI)[18] 36
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[34] 3
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[35] 1
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[36] 1
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[37] 1
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[38] 1
Sales and certifications[edit]
Region
Certification
Certified units/Sales
Belgium
200,000[39]
France (SNEP)[40]
Gold 1,070,000[41]
Germany (BVMI)[42]
Platinum 1,000,000[39]
Netherlands
300,000[39]
United Kingdom (BPI)[43]
Platinum 2,020,000[6]
Total available sales:
4,590,000
*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
Chart successions[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
[show]Order of precedence
Preceded by
"Take a Chance on Me" by ABBA Austrian number-one single
15 May 1978 – 15 August 1978 (13 weeks) Succeeded by
"Mama Leone" by Bino
Preceded by
"Mull of Kintyre" by Wings Swiss number-one single
15 April 1978 – 15 July 1978 (14 weeks) Succeeded by
"Tu" by Umberto Tozzi
Preceded by
"Stayin' Alive" by The Bee Gees South African number-one single
23 June 1978 – 1 September 1978 (11 weeks) Succeeded by
"Baker Street" by Gerry Rafferty
Eurochart Hot 100 number-one single
4 May 1978 – 27 July 1978 (13 weeks) Succeeded by
"You're the One That I Want"
by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John
Dutch Top 40 number-one single
29 April 1978 – 24 June 1978 (9 weeks)
Preceded by
"Night Fever" by The Bee Gees Irish Singles Chart number-one single
18 May 1978 – 15 June 1978 (5 weeks)
UK Singles Chart number-one single
13 May 1978 – 10 June 1978 (5 weeks)
Preceded by
"Denis" by Blondie Belgian Ultratop 50 Flanders number-one single
29 April 1978 – 8 July 1978 (11 weeks)
Single Top 100 number-one single
22 April 1978 – 1 July 1978 (11 weeks)
Preceded by
"Mil etter mil" by Jahn Teigen Norwegian number-one single
27/1978 – 32/1978 (6 weeks)
Preceded by
"Das Lied der Schlümpfe" by Vader Abraham
"You're the One That I Want"
by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John German number-one single
24 April 1978 – 7 August 1978 (16 weeks)
21 August 1978 (1 week)
Preceded by
"You're the One That I Want"
by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John Australian number-one single
10 July 1978 – 14 August 1978 (6 weeks)
New Zealand number-one single
9 July 1978 – 8 October 1978 (14 weeks) Succeeded by
"Kiss You All Over" by Exile
Preceded by
"It's a Heartache" by Bonnie Tyler French number-one single
23 June 1978 – 14 July 1978 (4 weeks) Succeeded by
"En chantant" by Michel Sardou
Swedish number-one single
14 July 1978 – 8 September 1978 (5 weeks) Succeeded by
"Skateboard" by Magnum Bonum
Year-end charts[edit]
[show]Order of precedence
Preceded by
"Living Next Door to Alice" by Smokie
1977 Austrian best-selling single of the year
1978 Succeeded by
"One Way Ticket" by Eruption
1979
Swiss best-selling single of the year
1978 Succeeded by
"Y.M.C.A." by Village People
1979
Preceded by
"Mississippi" by Pussycat
1977 South African best-selling single of the year
1978 Succeeded by
"Michael Row the Boat Ashore" by Richard Jon Smith
1979
Preceded by
"Do You Remember" by Long Tall Ernie & The Shakers
1977 Single Top 100 best-selling single of the year
1978 Succeeded by
"Bright Eyes" by Art Garfunkel
1979
Preceded by
"Mull of Kintyre" by Wings
1977 UK Singles Chart best-selling single of the year
1978
1988 Remix[edit]
"Rivers of Babylon" / "Mary's Boy Child" / "Oh My Lord" is a 1988 remix single, issued to launch the group's reunion, having been split since their 10th anniversary, 1986. The double-A-side single contained new mixes of the band's two most successful single releases ever. Although their remix album sold well, the single failed to chart.
Parody[edit]
The song was parodied by The Barron Knights in their UK comedy hit "A Taste Of Aggro" (1978), in which the lyrics are changed to "There's a dentist in Birmingham, he fixed my crown / And as I slept, he filled my mouth with iron". The song was their biggest hit, reaching number 3 in the UK charts.[44]
Other recorded versions[edit]
Other popular versions have been performed by Dennis Brown, Snuff, Steve Earle, Daniel O'Donnell, Yabby You, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Linda Ronstadt and the Skatalites.
The Unitarian Universalist Association has included the song in their supplemental hymnal Singing the Journey (Hymn #1042).[45]
In 1978, Brazilian-Paraguayan singer Perla recorded a version of the song with lyrics in Portuguese entitled "Rios da Babilônia", which reached great popularity in Brazil and Latin America.
On 19 November 1978, a cover version with lyrics in Swedish, "Kommer du ihåg Babylon?" ("Do you remember Babylon?"), performed by Swedish dansband Schytts[46] entered the first place on Svensktoppen.[47] where it stayed for 10 weeks up to 14 January 1979.[48]
Canadian Christian rock band The Kry covered this song on their 1996 album What About Now (although the song was entitled "By the Rivers of Babylon").
In 1992 the Croatian group Vatrogasci (Firefighters) made a parody of this song, translating it into Croatian (naming it "Joj što volim") and making it into a turbo-folk arrangement.
Pop group Brotherhood of Man recorded a version for their Sing 20 Number One Hits album in 1980.
The Neville Brothers has a version of the song on their Walkin' in the Shadow of Life CD released on 19 October 2004 on the Chordant label.
Jorma Kaukonen recorded a version of the song for his 2007 album Stars In My Crown.
Sinéad O'Connor also recorded it for her 2007 album, Theology.
Polish Christian rock group 2Tm2,3 performed an acoustic version of "Rivers of Babylon" based on the Boney M recording.
A somewhat different, but still recognisable as the same song, version appeared on Don McLean's 1972 LP American Pie, entitled just 'Babylon'.
The song was also covered in 1992 by Sublime on their album 40oz. to Freedom.
Macedonian band Anastasia recorded a version of this song in Old Slavic language for their album Melourgia in 1997.
Catalan musician Quimi Portet, former member of the Spanish rock band El Último de la Fila, also composed a version called "Rius de Babylon". The lyrics are translated into the Catalan language. In the song's video the musician performs a sort of Tai Chi dance in a screen divided in two parts with subtitles in the Basque language.[49]
Jazz band Sons of Kemet recorded a version on their 2013 album Burn.
In popular culture[edit]
On 30 September 1979, "Rivers of Babylon" was sung by an estimated crowd of 280,000 people attending the papal visit of John Paul II in Galway near Limerick, Ireland.[50][51]
The song appears in Bravo Two Zero, which was based on Andy McNab's best-selling novel, in a scene before McNab's 8-man SAS patrol carried out its ill-fated mission.
The song "Rivers of Babylon" features prominently in the 2009 Kazakh film Tulpan.[52] It is also played as background music in the 2009 film Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel.[53] Also, it is used in the 2010 movie Jack Goes Boating, in the opening scene and a couple of other important scenes.
The song appears as part of the soundtrack in the 2009 video game Rabbids Go Home.
See also[edit]
"Va, pensiero", story of Jewish exiles from Judea
List of best-selling singles in Germany
References[edit]
Jump up ^ "Psalms 137. The Holy Bible: King James Version". Bartleby.com. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
Jump up ^ "Psalms 19. The Holy Bible: King James Version". Bartleby.com. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b Murrell, Nathaniel Samuel (2000). "Tuning Hebrew Psalms to Reggae Rhythms: Rastas' Revolutionary Lamentations for Social Change". CrossCurrents.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e Stowe, David W. (Spring 2012). "Babylon Revisited: Psalm 137 as American Protest Song". Black Music Research Journal. 32 (1): 95 and 2008.
Jump up ^ McLellan, Dennis (12 January 2006). "Perry Henzell, 70; his movie `The Harder They Come' brought reggae to the world". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
^ Jump up to: a b Lane, Daniel (27 June 2013). "Daft Punk's Get Lucky becomes one of the UK's biggest selling singles of all-time!". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
Jump up ^ "Malcolm's Locks". Archived from the original on 1 May 2003. . Lizmitchellfanclub.com.
Jump up ^ "Australia No. 1 hits -- 1970's". World Charts. Archived from the original on 24 April 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
Jump up ^ "Austriancharts.at – Boney M. – Rivers Of Babylon" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
Jump up ^ "Ultratop.be – Boney M. – Rivers Of Babylon / Brown Girl In The Ring" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
Jump up ^ "Radio 2 Top 30 : 29 april 1978" (in Dutch). Top 30. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
Jump up ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 4668." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
Jump up ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4618a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
Jump up ^ "MusicSeek.info – UK, Eurochart, Billboard & Cashbox No.1 Hits". Archived from the original on 14 June 2006. . MusicSeek.info.
Jump up ^ "Toutes les Chansons N° 1 des Années 70" (in French). InfoDisc. Archived from the original on 30 March 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
Jump up ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Boney M. – Rivers Of Babylon". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
Jump up ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Rivers of Babylon". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
^ Jump up to: a b "I singoli più venduti del 1978" (in Italian). Hit Parade Italia. Creative Commons. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
Jump up ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Boney M. - Rivers Of Babylon search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
Jump up ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Boney M. – Rivers Of Babylon / Brown Girl In The Ring" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
Jump up ^ "Charts.org.nz – Boney M. – Rivers Of Babylon". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
Jump up ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Boney M. – Rivers Of Babylon". VG-lista. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
Jump up ^ "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (B)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
Jump up ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Boney M. – Rivers Of Babylon". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
Jump up ^ "Swisscharts.com – Boney M. – Rivers Of Babylon". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
Jump up ^ "Archive Chart: 1978-05-13" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
Jump up ^ "Nightflight to Venus – Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
Jump up ^ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending AUGUST 5, 1978". Archived from the original on 4 October 2012. . Cash Box magazine.
Jump up ^ "Forum - ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1970s". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 6 November 2013. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
Jump up ^ "Jahreshitparade 1978" (in German). Austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
Jump up ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1978" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
Jump up ^ "TOP – 1978" (in French). Top-france.fr. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
Jump up ^ (in German) "Jahrescharts – 1978". Archived from the original on 16 December 2014. . Officialcharts.de. GfK Entertainment.
Jump up ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1978" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
Jump up ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1978" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
Jump up ^ "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1978". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
Jump up ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1978" (in German). Hitparade.ch. Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
Jump up ^ Lane, Dan (18 November 2012). "The biggest selling singles of every year revealed! (1952-2011)". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
^ Jump up to: a b c "The Biggest River In The World Just Got Bigger" (PDF). Radio & Records: 6. 23 June 1978. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
Jump up ^ "French single certifications – Boney M. – Rivers of Babylon" (in French). InfoDisc. Select BONEY M. and click OK
Jump up ^ "InfoDisc : Tous les Titres par Artiste" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
Jump up ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Boney M; 'Rivers of Babylon')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
Jump up ^ "British single certifications – Boney M – Rivers of Babylon". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 29 March 2012. Enter Rivers of Babylon in the search field and then press Enter.
Jump up ^ "Barron Knights". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
Jump up ^ "Generated Recordings of Hymns For Educational Use". Unitarian Universalist Association. 25 October 2012. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
Jump up ^ "Kommer du ihåg Babylon / Schytts" (in Swedish). Svensk mediedatabas. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
Jump up ^ "Svensktoppen – 1978". Sveriges Radio. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
Jump up ^ "Svensktoppen – 1979". Sveriges Radio. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
Jump up ^ "QUIMI PORTET – RIUS DE BABYLON". YouTube. 7 February 2011. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
Jump up ^ "Pope arrives for U.S. visit". The Kingman Daily Miner. 1 October 1979. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
Jump up ^ "Papal Visit 30th September, 1979". Archived from the original on 21 April 2009. . Galway Races.
Jump up ^ "Tulpan (2008)". Efareviews.cineuropa.org. 13 March 2009. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
Jump up ^ "Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel (2009) – Soundtracks". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
External links[edit]
Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
[show]
v
t
e
Boney M.
Liz Mitchell
Marcia Barrett
Maizie Williams
Bobby Farrell
Reggie Tsiboe
Studio albums and
main compilations
(1976–1985)
Take the Heat off Me (1976)
Love for Sale (1977)
Nightflight to Venus (1978)
Oceans of Fantasy (1979)
The Magic of Boney M. - 20 Golden Hits (1980)
Children of Paradise - The Greatest Hits of Boney M. - Vol. 2 (1981)
Boonoonoonoos (1981)
Christmas Album (1981)
Ten Thousand Lightyears (1984)
Kalimba de Luna - 16 Happy Songs (1984)
Fantastic Boney M. (1984)
Christmas with Boney M. (1984)
Eye Dance (1985)
Main compilations
and remix albums
(1986–present)
The Best of 10 Years - 32 Superhits (1986)
The 20 Greatest Christmas Songs (1986)
Greatest Hits of All Times - Remix '88 (1988)
Ma Baker (1989)
Greatest Hits of All Times - Remix '89 - Volume II (1989)
The Collection (1991)
Daddy Cool - Star Collection (1991)
The Most Beautiful Christmas Songs of the World (1992)
Gold - 20 Super Hits (1992)
The Greatest Hits (1993)
More Gold - 20 Super Hits Vol. II (1993)
Hit Collection (1996)
Best in Spain (1996)
The Best of Boney M. (1997)
Norske Hits (1998)
Ultimate (1999)
20th Century Hits (1999)
25 Jaar Na Daddy Cool (2000)
The Complete Collection (2000)
Their Most Beautiful Ballads (2000)
The Greatest Hits (2001)
The Magic of Boney M. (2006)
Hit Collection (2007)
Christmas With Boney M. (2007)
The Collection (2008)
Rivers of Babylon (A Best of Collection) (2008)
Ultimate Boney M. - Long Versions & Rarities, Volume 1 (2008)
Christmas Time (2008)
The Complete Boney M. (2008)
In the Mix (2008)
The Magic of Boney M. - The Danish Collection (2008)
Ultimate Boney M. - Long Versions & Rarities, Volume 2 (2009)
Let It All Be Music - The Party Album (2009)
Ultimate Boney M. - Long Versions & Rarities, Volume 3 (2009)
Main single
discography
"Baby Do You Wanna Bump" (1975)
"Daddy Cool" (1976)
"Sunny" (1976)
"Ma Baker" (1977)
"Belfast" (1977)
"Rivers of Babylon"/"Brown Girl in the Ring" (1978)
"Rasputin" (1978)
"Mary's Boy Child – Oh My Lord" (1978)
"Painter Man" (1979)
"Hooray! Hooray! It's a Holi-Holiday" (1979)
"El Lute"/"Gotta Go Home" (1979)
"I'm Born Again"/"Bahama Mama" (1979)
"I See a Boat on the River"/"My Friend Jack" (1980)
"Children of Paradise"/"Gadda-Da-Vida" (1980)
"Felicidad (Margherita)" (1980)
"Malaika"/"Consuela Biaz" (1981)
"We Kill the World"/"Boonoonoonoos" (1981)
"The Little Drummer Boy"/"6 Years of Boney M. Hits" (1981)
"The Carnival Is Over"/"Going Back West" (1982)
"Zion's Daughter" (1982)
"Jambo - Hakuna Matata (No Problems)" (1983)
"Somewhere in the World" (1984)
"Kalimba de Luna" (1984)
"Happy Song" (1984)
"My Cherie Amour" (1985)
"Young, Free and Single" (1985)
"Daddy Cool (Anniversary Recording '86)" (1986)
"Bang Bang Lulu" (1986)
"Rivers of Babylon (Remix)"/"Mary's Boy Child – Oh My Lord (Remix)" (1988)
"Megamix" (1988)
"The Summer Mega Mix" (1989)
"Malaika (Lambada Remix)" (1989)
"Everybody Wants to Dance Like Josephine Baker" (1989)
"Stories" (1990)
"Christmas Mega Mix" (1992)
"Megamix" (1992)
"Brown Girl in the Ring (Remix)" (1993)
"Ma Baker (Remix)" (1993)
"Papa Chico" (1994)
"Somebody Scream - Ma Baker" (1998)
"Daddy Cool '99" (1999)
"Hooray! Hooray! (Caribbean Night Fever)" (1999)
"Sunny (Remix)" (2000)
"Daddy Cool 2001" (2001)
"Sunny (Mousse T. Remix)" (2006)
"Felicidad America (Obama-Obama)" (2009)
Book
[show]
v
t
e
Best-selling singles by year in the United Kingdom
1952–1969
1952: "Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart" – Vera Lynn (UK)
1953: "I Believe" – Frankie Laine
1954: "Secret Love" – Doris Day
1955: "Rose Marie" – Slim Whitman
1956: "I'll Be Home" – Pat Boone
1957: "Diana" – Paul Anka
1958: "Jailhouse Rock" – Elvis Presley
1959: "Living Doll" – Cliff Richard (UK)
1960: "It's Now or Never" – Elvis Presley
1961: "Wooden Heart" – Elvis Presley
1962: "I Remember You" – Frank Ifield (UK)
1963: "She Loves You" – The Beatles (UK)
1964: "Can't Buy Me Love" – The Beatles (UK)
1965: "Tears" – Ken Dodd (UK)
1966: "Green, Green Grass of Home" – Tom Jones (UK)
1967: "Release Me" – Engelbert Humperdinck (UK)
1968: "Hey Jude" – The Beatles (UK)
1969: "Sugar, Sugar" – The Archies
1970–1989
1970: "The Wonder of You" – Elvis Presley
1971: "My Sweet Lord" – George Harrison (UK)
1972: "Amazing Grace" – The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Band (UK)
1973: "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" – Tony Orlando and Dawn
1974: "Tiger Feet" – Mud (UK)
1975: "Bye Bye Baby" – Bay City Rollers (UK)
1976: "Save Your Kisses for Me" – Brotherhood of Man (UK)
1977: "Mull of Kintyre" / "Girls' School" – Wings (UK)
1978: "Rivers of Babylon" / "Brown Girl in the Ring" – Boney M.
1979: "Bright Eyes" – Art Garfunkel
1980: "Don't Stand So Close to Me" – The Police (UK)
1981: "Don't You Want Me" – The Human League (UK)
1982: "Come On Eileen" – Dexys Midnight Runners (UK)
1983: "Karma Chameleon" – Culture Club (UK)
1984: "Do They Know It's Christmas?" – Band Aid (UK)
1985: "The Power of Love" – Jennifer Rush
1986: "Don't Leave Me This Way" – The Communards (UK)
1987: "Never Gonna Give You Up" – Rick Astley (UK)
1988: "Mistletoe and Wine" – Cliff Richard (UK)
1989: "Ride on Time" – Black Box
1990–2009
1990: "Unchained Melody" – The Righteous Brothers
1991: "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" – Bryan Adams
1992: "I Will Always Love You" – Whitney Houston
1993: "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" – Meat Loaf
1994: "Love Is All Around" – Wet Wet Wet (UK)
1995: "Unchained Melody" – Robson & Jerome (UK)
1996: "Killing Me Softly" – Fugees
1997: "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" / "Candle in the Wind 1997" – Elton John (UK)
1998: "Believe" – Cher
1999: "...Baby One More Time" – Britney Spears
2000: "Can We Fix It?" – Bob the Builder (UK)
2001: "It Wasn't Me" – Shaggy featuring Rikrok (UK)
2002: "Anything Is Possible" / "Evergreen" – Will Young (UK)
2003: "Where Is the Love?" – The Black Eyed Peas
2004: "Do They Know It's Christmas?" – Band Aid 20 (UK)
2005: "Is This the Way to Amarillo" – Tony Christie featuring Peter Kay (UK)
2006: "Crazy" – Gnarls Barkley
2007: "Bleeding Love" – Leona Lewis (UK)
2008: "Hallelujah" – Alexandra Burke (UK)
2009: "Poker Face" – Lady Gaga
2010–present
2010: "Love the Way You Lie" – Eminem featuring Rihanna
2011: "Someone Like You" – Adele (UK)
2012: "Somebody That I Used to Know" – Gotye featuring Kimbra
2013: "Blurred Lines" – Robin Thicke featuring T.I. & Pharrell Williams
2014: "Happy" – Pharrell Williams
2015: "Uptown Funk" – Mark Ronson (UK) featuring Bruno Mars
2016: "One Dance" – Drake featuring Wizkid and Kyla (UK)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rivers_of_Babylon&oldid=800943798"
Categories:
1970 songs
1978 singles
Boney M. songs
Dutch Top 40 number-one singles
European Hot 100 Singles number-one singles
Hansa Records singles
Irish Singles Chart number-one singles
Music based on the Bible
Number-one singles in Australia
Number-one singles in Austria
Number-one singles in France
Number-one singles in Germany
Number-one singles in New Zealand
Number-one singles in Norway
Number-one singles in South Africa
Number-one singles in Sweden
Number-one singles in Switzerland
Psalm settings
Reggae songs
Schytts songs
Song recordings produced by Frank Farian
Sublime (band) songs
UK Singles Chart number-one singles
Ultratop 50 Singles (Flanders) number-one singles
Hidden categories:
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Singlechart usages for Austria
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Singlechart usages for Canadaadultcontemporary
Singlechart called without artist
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Singlechart usages for Germany2
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Singlechart usages for Dutch40
Singlechart usages for Dutch100
Singlechart usages for New Zealand
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Singlechart usages for Switzerland
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