Bob Andy-You Don’t Know 7′

At last! German reggae specialists Buyreggae have answered the prayers of many fans of classic reggae music by reissuing this most sought after gem from the late, great Bob Andy. Originally released in the UK on Trojan’s Green Door imprint in 1973 and hard to find on 45rpm ever since, the song, sung with great tenderness by Andy, is autobiographical in theme, describing the alarmed reaction of friends and family to a young man’s life choices, rejecting societal norms and expectations as he searches for truth and enlightenment, hinting at though not explicitly referencing the increasing popularity of the Rastafarian way of life amongst young men in Jamaica, though it could easily be interpreted through the lens of the young adherents of the hippie lifestyle elsewhere in the Western world. The reference to “cocaine” might also be more related to the medieval fool’s paradise myth of the land of Cockaigne than to the pharmaceutical.