Boney M. - Rivers of Babylon

What this video is

Released in 1978, 'Rivers of Babylon' by Boney M. represents a landmark intersection of Rastafarian spiritual source material, Biblical psalm text, and mainstream European Eurodisco commercialization. The original song was written by Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton of The Melodians in 1970 and drew on Psalm 137, expressing themes of exile and longing. Boney M.'s version — crafted by West German producer Frank…

Why it matters

A defining artifact of the Eurodisco era, this video documents Boney M. at peak commercial and cultural impact. The clip exemplifies the West German disco-pop promo format — performance-driven, broadcast-optimized, and visually centered on the group's Caribbean-diaspora stage identity — while the…