‘A Message To You Rudy’ is a song that became one of the most prominent tracks representing the anti-racist RudeBoy culture during the 2Tone era in the UK but also gained worldwide recognition ad became a hymn of the anti-racist and antifascist subcultures. Forty years later, people are inspired by this very ‘Special’ song and its story.
A Message to You, Rudy” is a 1967 rocksteady song by Dandy Livingstone. Originally entitled “Rudy, A Message to You”, the song later achieved broader success when, in 1979, The Specials’ cover reached number 10 in the UK Singles Chart. Elvis Costello produced the recording, and Veteran trombone player Rico Rodriguez played on both Livingstone’s and The Specials’ versions.
Lyrics
‘A Message To You Rudy’
Released on October 1979, by 2 Tone Records *
Stop with your messin around
You’d better think of your future
It’s time you straighten right out
Creating problems in town
Ru-deee
A message to you, ru-deee
A message to you, ru-deee
A message to you, ru-deee
Stop with your messin around
You’d better think of your future
It’s time you straighten right out
Or else you’ll wind up in jail
Ru-deee
A message to you, ru-deee
A message to you, ru-deee
A message to you, ru-deee (that’s right, that’s right, that’s right)
A message to you, ru-deee (that’s right, that’s right)
A message to you, ru-deee (oh, that’s right, that’s right, that’s right)
A message to you, ru-deee (stop with your messin around)
A message to you, ru-deee (you’d better think of your future)
A message to you, ru-deee (it’s time you straighten right out)
A message to you, ru-deee (creating problems in town, that’s right)
A message to you, ru-deee (that’s right, that’s right)
A message to you, ru-deee (that’s right, that’s right)
A message to you, ru-deee (that’s right, that’s right)
A message to you, ru-deee (that’s right, that’s right)
A message to you, ru-deee
Ha ha ha ha ha! I had to do the stupid laugh at the end, didn’t I?
Didn’t I? get outta here!
Bio
—RIP Terry Hall, lead singer of The Specials, who died on December 18, 2022
The Specials started in 1977 in the English Midlands city of Coventry, a time of racial tension, economic gloom, and urban unrest. With its mix of Black and white members and Jamaica-influenced style of sharp suits and porkpie hats, the band became leaders of the anti-racist 2 Tone ska revival movement.
The band began at the same time as Rock Against Racism, which was first organized in 1978. Anti-racism was intrinsic to the formation of the Specials in that the band was formed with the goal of integrating black and white people.
“Music gets political when there are new ideas in music…punk was innovative, so was ska, and that was why bands such as the Specials and the Clash could be political” —Jerry Dammers, The Specials Keyboardist.
Links