1976 song by Pluto Shervington
"Dat" is a song by Jamaican singer Pluto Shervington, released as a single by him, on the Opal Records record label, in 1976.
The single reached number 6 in the UK Singles Chart on 6 March 1976, staying in the charts for a total of eight weeks. It was Shervington's biggest hit in the UK.[1]
The song is about a Rastafarian, contrary to the faith, trying to buy pork without actually naming it to the butcher, within earshot of his "brethren", thereby saving enough money to be able to afford marijuana:
- Rasta Ozzy, from up the hill
- Decide fi check on 'im grocery bill
- And when 'im add up de things 'im need
- Di dooney done, weh him save fi buy little weed
Unable to get the butcher to take the hint, he asks for a pound of "Dat t'ing dere".[2][3]
Although released in the UK as a novelty song, it reflects on the financial situation faced by many people at the time in the ghettos of Kingston, Jamaica.[4]
On 19 February 1976 Shervington appeared on video, performing the song, on BBC's Top of the Pops[5] and appeared again in the video the following week on 4 March.[6] Trojan Records capitalized on this success by reissuing his first single, "Ram Goat Liver", which peaked just outside the top 40 in the UK.[7][8]
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