Palestinians ban ‘Rivers of Babylon’ song from West Bank international music fest
The lead singer of the iconic 1970s disco group Boney M said Thursday that the band was asked to skip one of its biggest hits in a West Bank concert this week.
Maizie Williams says Palestinian concert organizers told her not to sing “Rivers of Babylon.” The song’s chorus quotes from the Book of Psalms, referring to the exiled Jewish people’s yearning to return to the land of Israel.
Williams said she did not know if it was “a political thing or what, but they asked us not to do it and we were a bit disappointed.” Organizers said they asked for the song to be skipped, deeming it “inappropriate.”
Lyrics:
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down
ye-eah we wept, when we remembered Zion.
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down
ye-eah we wept, when we remembered Zion.
When 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
When the wicked
Carried us away in captivity
Requiering of us a song
Now how shall we sing the lord’s song in a strange land
Let the words of our mouth and the meditations 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
ye-eah we wept, when we remembered Zion.
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down
ye-eah 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)
ye-eah we wept, (Sing a song of love)
when we remember Zion. (Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah)
By the rivers of Babylon (Rough bits of Babylon)
there we sat down (You hear the people cry)
ye-eah we wept, (They need their God)
when we remember Zion. (Ooh, have the power)