Desmond Dekker is dead at 64. The original rudeboy died after collapsing from a heart attack at his home in Surrey, England. Desmond Dekker was a tireless performer and was still performing at the time of his death. He appeared at countless anti- racist gigs which reflects the true universal appeal to all of his music and message.

“Israelites” was and is one of my fave tracks of all time.

I think it’s particularly poignant to this forum, to remind us of the true origins of the skinhead movement.

The dress code started with Jamaican rudeboy dockworkers, and when the mods started a lot of working class youth couldn’t afford the fancy clothes of the mods so adopted the dress and musical styles, mainly ska of the Jamaican rudeboys, with a few mod faves in there as well.

Some more info on Skinhead history can be found on wikipedia.

There was no room for racists in the original skinheads of the 60’s. The nazi crap only started in the late 70’s, and certainly not all skinheads are racists. We have plenty of mates who are SHARP (skinheads against racial prejudice) or trad (adhering to the multiracial origins of skinheads in the 60’s). To differentiate we tend to call nazi skins “boneheads”.

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

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

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

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

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