公元前５８６年（中國春秋的時候），猶太國被新巴比倫(也就是加爾底亞)滅亡，耶路撒冷全城的猶太人都成了俘虜，被稱為“巴比倫之囚”。６０年以後，巴比倫又被波斯征服了。波斯王居魯士釋放了囚禁在巴比倫的猶太人。但是，猶太人在回到耶路撒冷之後，並沒有過上和平的生活，不時的遭到外族的侵犯。猶太人在絕望中，只好把希望寄託於“彌賽亞”（救世主）的來臨。巴比倫河在美索不達米亞平原，位於伊拉克和 伊朗之間。
據說《巴比倫河》的曲調最初是牙買加的民間音樂，1969年歌手Brent Dowe, Tony Brevette, and Trevor McNaughton根據《聖經》之讚美詩137：1填詞，歌詞的大意是：西元前586年，奴役者命令流放在巴比倫的猶太人一起唱歌。但此時此刻猶太人那有心情唱歌，因為他們的聖城耶路撒冷已被敵人佔領，要唱的話，也只能是大聲唱出自己的心聲－－自由。1972年《巴比倫河》收錄在音樂片《the Harder they come》, 該片向世界展示了優美的牙買加的民間音樂。1978年，BONEY M 首次演唱《巴比倫河》（歌詞略作改動），在歐洲樂壇引起巨大轟動，單曲銷量創下了英國 唱片史上的紀錄。隨後兩三年，他們的許多歌在世界各個排行榜佔有一席之地
Boney M - Rivers of Babylon
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down
Ye-eah we wept, when we remembered zion.
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down
Ye-eah we wept, when we remembered zion.
When the wicked
Carried us away in captivity
Required from us a song
Now how shall we sing the lords song in a strange land
When the wicked
Carried us away in captivity
Requiering of us a song
Now how shall we sing the lords song in a strange land
Let the words of our mouth and the meditations of our heart
Be acceptable in thy sight here tonight
Let the words of our mouth and the meditation of our hearts
Be acceptable in thy sight here tonight
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down
Ye-eah we wept, when we remembered zion.
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down
Ye-eah we wept, when we remembered zion.
By the rivers of Babylon (dark tears of babylon)
There we sat down (you got to sing a song)
Ye-eah we wept, (sing a song of love)
When we remember zion. (yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah)
By the rivers of Babylon (rough bits of babylon)
There we sat down (you hear the people cry)
Ye-eah we wept, (they need their God)
When we remember zion. (ooh, have the power)
