Many compilations give the spelling in this track as Nicodeemus, but I have gone with the spelling which the track was given when it was first issued as one side of a single in 1977. To get a more complete idea of what The Congos were doing while recording around this time, I would direct interested parties to the expanded versions of their album, Heart of the Congos.
The inspiration for the track appears to be the Christian saint, Nicodemus. His conversation with Jesus, as referenced in Chapter 3 of the Gospel of John is the subject of the song from 1:15 to 1:40:
Neckodeemus! Neckodeemus!
Neckodeemus went to Jah Jah by night.
To ask Him the way of salvation and right.
You gotta be born again, you gotta be born again!
The triumph of the first half of the track is the way that the Congos wring melodic gold out of phrases such as a yard and on edge. As well as references to theology, they also reaffirm their commitment to the ongoing wait for spiritual enlightenment:
Now it’s a long long time we a gwaan sah.
I never get weary yet, oh no.
Now it’s a long long time we a gwann sah.
I never get weary yet.
Everything flows beautifully about both the performance and the production except for the clunky edit at around 3:35, where what would have been the dub version side on a conventional single release would have started. However, the Congos were so overflowing with music at this time, they put vocal and dub as a continuous piece on one side of the single, and backed it with the slightly dull, Solid Foundation.
All lyrics are copyright of Roydel Johnson
Video courtesy of Mystic Revelation.
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