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Information About

Rivers Of Babylon




  Cover Rivers of Babylon Brown Girljpg
  Artist Boney M
  From Album Nightflight To Venus
  Released 1978
  Format 7" Single , 12" Single
  Recorded 1977
  Genre Pop , Disco
  Length 4:18
  Label Hansa Records <small>(FRG)</small> <br>
  Writer Frank Farian , Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton
  Producer Frank Farian
  Chart Position <ul><li>#1 <small>( GBR , AUS , FRG , JAM , SUI , HOL )</small></li></ul>
  Last Single " Belfast " <br>(1977)
  This Single "Rivers of Babylon" <br>(1978)
  Next Single " Rasputin " <br>(1978)


"Rivers of Babylon" is a spiritual Song penned by the late Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton of the Melodians . It is based on the Biblical Hymn Psalm 137 (from the King James Version ). Psalm 137 is a hymn expressing the yearnings of the Jewish people in Exile following the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem in 586 BC . The rivers of Babylon are the Euphrates river, its tributaries, and the Chebar river. The song also has words from Psalm 19:14.

NFTY , the youth group of the Union For Reform Judaism , uses the song in its songbook and sometimes even in youth group services.

The Unitarian Universalist Association has included the song in their supplemental hymnal ''Singing the Journey'' (Hymn #1042) {Link without Title} .

The most popular version of the song is by Boney M in 1978 , which was released as a Single and stayed at the #1 position in the UK for 5 weeks. In the UK, that version sold over 1,985,000 copies, making the single officially 3x Platinum . Other popular versions have been performed by the Melodians , Sublime , Snuff , Steve Earle , Daniel O'Donnell , Yabby You and Sweet Honey In The Rock .

On 19 November 1978 , a Cover Version with lyrics in Swedish , ''Kommer du ihåg Babylon?'' (''Do you remember Babylon?''), performed by Swedish Dansband Schytts entered the 1st place on Svensktoppen .

The Neville Brothers has a version of the song on their "Walkin' in the Shadow of Life" CD released on October 19, 2004 on the Chordant label.

Sinéad O'Connor also recorded it for her 2007 album, Theology .

A Polish Christian Rock group 2Tm2,3 performed the acoustic version of "Rivers of Babylon" based on the Boney M.


TRIVIA

  • King Alpha is referred to in the line ''"How can we sing King Alpha's song in a strange land?"''. King Alpha refers to Haile Selassie . Selassie's wife Menen Asfaw is known as ''Queen Omega'' aka The Queen. {Link without Title}



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  Before " Night Fever " by The Bee Gees
  Title UK Number One Single (Boney M version)
  Years May 13 1978
  After " You're The One That I Want " by John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John