In the mid to late ’80s, Bad Brains was an independent hard rock band of four young, wildly energetic musicians who were tearing up the rock and roll stage at home and abroad.

On contact, I mean immediately, Bad Brains became one of my few favorite rock bands. It happened on a hot New York summer night of my younger days, the first time I saw them at CBGB. I remember thinking it was a really good idea to go, after a coworker at the bagel shop where I worked part time suggested it.

My sense of Bad Brains, from the years when I was most energetic myself, and all the memories in which the band is either the scene itself or the music in the background, take up a large part of my consciousness and my defining memories.

“Defining,” I say, because in those days I was deeply engaged in the search for a definition of I.

Among Bad Brains’ reggae work, as they switched at will between that and hard heavy metal, “The Prophet’s Eye” is a top favorite of mine. Always.

The Prophets eye
What did aya see
The Prophets eye
We know you sit there and see what’s going on,
and take a sigh
Cause after all you done for them one still can’t learn,
nourish the land
Well if you think it’s easy to give up
then why are we still trying
Beefsteak to mistake don’t beam me up Scotty
Let the words of I and I mouth be acceptable
in thy sight
And the meditation of I and I, Oh Ras Tafari
The Prophets eye
The Prophets eye
We know you sit there and see what’s going on,
and take a side
Cause after all you done for them one still can’t learn,
nourish the land
Yes they’re theirs, there’s a brighter side
And we not going to stop till we find it,
not going to stop till we reach
Lord
not going to stop till we reach Mount Zion
The Prophets eye
What did aya see
The Prophets eye
Let the words of I and I mouth be acceptable
in thy sight
And the meditation of I and I, Oh Ras Tafari
Yea…
The Prophets eye
The Prophets eye