The Wailers - Give Me a Ticket (1970)

First known as The Teenagers, then The Wailing Rudeboys, then The Wailing Wailers, and finally just The Wailers, this group was the primary force in spreading reggae from Jamaica to the rest of the world. The three core members, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Neville Livingston a.k.a. Bunny Wailer/Bunny Livingston, began playing together in 1963. By 1974, Livingston and Tosh had quit and Marley continued with his new backing vocalists, The I Threes.

This song, originally titled “The Letter” and written by Wayne Carson Thompson, was a number one hit for The Box Tops in 1967. It has been covered by more than two hundred artists and, in this version, features Peter Tosh on lead vocals. Another version was released in 1971 where Rita Marley, Bob’s first wife, performs the lead vocals, where in this version she performs only backup vocals.



The Wailers - Give Me a Ticket (1970)

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Lyrics:

Give me a ticket for an airplane
(Give me a ticket)
Ain't got no time for the fast train
My lonely days are gone
But I’ll be goin’ home to my baby
Back to my baby
(Yes I am)

I said she wrote me a letter
Sayin’ she couldn’t resist without me anymore
(Listen mister, can't you see?)
Mister, mister, can’t you see?
Got to get back to my baby
(I got to get back to my baby once more)

Don’t care how much money I got to spend
I got to get back to my baby again
My lonely days are gone
But I’ll be goin’ home to my baby
To my baby
(Yes I am)

Wrote me a letter
She couldn’t resist without me anymore
(Listen, mister)

Ooh, listen mister, can’t you see?
I’ve got to get back to my baby once more
Anyway, yeah

Don’t care how much bread I got to spend
I know I got to -got to- get back to my baby again
My lonely dare are gone
But I’ll be goin’ home to my baby
Oh yes, my baby
(Yes I am)

Said she wrote me many letters
She couldn’t resist without me anymore
Listen mister, can’t you see?
I’ve got to get back to my baby (once more)
Ooh, yea
(Anyway)

Give me a ticket for the airplane...