Musical Youth – Pass the Dutchie

Released in 1982, this catchy tune sung by two pairs of brothers reached #1 in the UK and the single was even nominated for a grammy. The Jamaican-British band sold over 4 million copies of the single.

The song was based on the Mighty Diamonds “Pass The Koutchie” (which was a song about cannabis), and the title was subtly altered to feature the patois “dutchie”, referring to a type of pot used for cooking. This idea is emphasised throughout the political and economic overtones throughout the song about extreme poverty and Musical Youth asking the question How does it feel when ya got no food after each verse line.

The band did release other singles, but none of them reached the heights of this one.

Enjoy the music video (and the lyrics):

I also found a live version of the song, and it’s great that live they sound the same – not sure the crowd really got into it though 🙂