Johnny Dowd (born March 29, 1948 in Fort Worth, Texas) is an American alternative country musician from Ithaca, New York. Typical of his style are experimental, noisy breaks in his songs and strong gothic (in the sense of dark and gloomy) elements in the lyrics as well as in the music. There is also a strong undercurrent of black humor and the absurd in his work.
Although his early albums were most celebrated in the alternative country community, he has never quite fit into any particular genre. As a singer-songwriter, his music is more often compared to that of Tom Waits, Nick Cave and Captain Beefheart.
Born in Fort Worth, Texas in 1948, Dowd's family moved to Memphis, Tennessee in 1950, and then to his father's hometown of Pauls Valley, Oklahoma in 1953. He received a record player for Christmas in 1956 and began buying records at a local appliance store. Although the first LP he owned was by the Ray Conniff Singers, it was the music of Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, Ray Charles and James Brown that changed his life. He cites James Brown's Live at the Apollo as his lifelong favorite album.
They tried to fool a whole population
By telling us Jah Jah dead
Say them try to fool a whole population
By telling us Jah Jah dead
I & I knows that Jah nuh dead, Jah nuh dead
Jah nuh dead, Jah nuh dead
Jah nuh dead, Jah nuh dead
Oh no, Jah nuh dead
My knowledge increase
My memory reflect
Marcus Garvey did say
A rumour rumour rumour rumour rumour
Oh Marcus say
Jah no dead
Jah no dead
Jah nuh dead, Jah nuh dead
Jah nuh dead, Jah nuh dead
Oh no, Jah nuh dead
It was I-man who said
Ites, green, gold, it's the rainbow
The lion, the lion did crown the king
The lion, the lion did crown the king
Inna Addis Ababa, Africa
Jah nuh dead, Jah nuh dead
Jah nuh dead, Jah nuh dead
Jah nuh dead, Jah nuh dead
Oh no
Meet me at the bank of the beautiful river
When your journey has end
I & I will discuss about this matter
Jah nuh dead, Jah nuh dead
Jah nuh dead
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