Pass The Dutchie

"Pass the Dutchie" was a song recorded by the British group Musical Youth from their 1982 album The Youth of Today. It was a major hit, holding the number one position on the UK singles charts for three weeks in September and October 1982. The song was a cover version of the song "Pass the Koutchie" by The Mighty Diamonds, which deals with the recreational use of cannabis, "koutchie" being slang for a cannabis pipe. For the cover version, the song's title was bowdlerized to "Pass the Dutchie", and all obvious drug references were removed from the lyrics; e. g., when the original croons "How does it feel when you got no herb?", the cover version refers to "food" instead. (The term "dutchie" has itself become a drug reference; it refers to a blunt rolled in a wrap from a Dutch Masters cigar.) "Dutchie" was slang at the time for "cooking pot" as in cookware. However, it doesn't take much imagination to figure out what they were trying to say. The song was first championed by radio DJ Zach Diezel and became an instant hit when it was picked up by MCA Records in September 1982. It debuted at #26 on the chart and rose to #1 the following week. In February of the following year, it reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the USA. The song also scored a top 5 success in the Norwegian chart, eventually selling over 4 million copies worldwide. The video, shot partly on the banks of the River Thames in London, across from the Palace of Westminster, was one of the first by black artists to get airplay on MTV.

This generation Rules the nation With version Music happen to be the food of love Sounds to really make you rub and scrub (scatting) I say Pass the Dutchie 'pon the left hand side Pass the Dutchie 'pon the left hand side It a go bun, give me the music, make me jump and prance It a go dung, give me the music, make me rockin' at the dance (Jah know!) It was a cool and lonely breezy afternoon (How does it feel when you've got no food ?) You could feel it cause it was the month of June (How does it feel when you've got no food ?) So I left my gate and went out for a walk (How does it feel when you've got no food ?) As I pass the dreadlocks' camp I heard them say (How does it feel when you've got no food ?) Pass the Dutchie 'pon the left hand side Pass the Dutchie 'pon the left hand side It a go bun, give me the music, make me jump and prance It a go dung, give me the music, make me rockin' at the dance (Jah know!) (scatting) So I stopped to find out what was going on (How does it feel when you've got no food ?) Cause the spirit of Jah, you know he leads you on (How does it feel when you've got no food ?) There was a ring of dreads and a session was there in swing (How does it feel when you've got no food ?) You could feel the chill as I seen and heard them say (How does it feel when you've got no food ?) Pass the Dutchie 'pon the left hand side Pass the Dutchie 'pon the left hand side It a go bun, give me the music, make me jump and prance It a go dung, give me the music, make me rockin' at the dance (Jah know!) Cause me say listen to the drummer, me say listen to the bass Give me little music make me wind up me waist Me say listen to the drummer, me say listen to the bass Give me little music make me wind up me waist, I say Pass the Dutchie 'pon the left hand side Pass the Dutchie 'pon the left hand side It a go bun, give me the music, make me jump and prance It a go dung, give me the music, make me rockin' at the dance (Jah know!) You play it on the radio And so me say, we a go hear it on the stereo And so me know you a go play it on the disco And so me say we a go hear it on the stereo Pass the Dutchie 'pon the left hand side Pass the Dutchie 'pon the left hand side It a go bun, give me the music, make me jump and prance It a go dung, give me the music, make me rockin' at the dance (Jah know!) I say east, say west, say north and south This is gonna really make us jump and shout