<P> "Rivers of Babylon" is a Rastafari song written and recorded by Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton of the Jamaican reggae group The Melodians in 1970 . The lyrics are adapted from the texts of Psalms 19 and 137 in the Hebrew Bible . The Melodians' original version of the song appeared in the soundtrack album of the 1972 movie The Harder They Come, making it internationally known . </P> <P> The song was popularized in Europe by the 1978 Boney M. cover version, which was awarded a platinum disc and is one of the top ten all - time best - selling singles in the UK . The B - side of the single, "Brown Girl in the Ring", also became a hit . </P>

Who wrote the song by the rivers of babylon