Blair grew up in rural Clarks Town in the northwestern parish of Trelawny. His deeply religious family life (his mother was a Seventh-day Adventist and his grandmother a Revivalist) imbued him with a profound spirituality. During his youth, his favorite singers were reggae legends Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer, musicians who strongly influenced his own style. Peter Tosh's influence can definitely be heard in Anthony B's vocal delivery and revolutionary stance.
Anthony B adopted Rastafarian beliefs as a teenager, a decision which was not well-received by his family. The stubborn and determined Anthony B refused to give up his new religion and his dreadlocks and moved to the home of his aunt and uncle in the Kingston suburb, Portmore.
While attending high school, Anthony B debuted as a deejay for the local sound system, Shaggy Hi-Power. In 1988, he befriended reggae artists such as Determine, Mega Banton, Ricky General and Terror Fabulous.
At this point in the reggae industry, singing "slack" songs about women was the popular thing to do. Anthony B did not believe in degrading women and chose to pen politically-slanted songs rather than so-called "gyal chunes." He hooked up with Little Devon the Half Pint sound-a-like singer he made his debut single "The Living is Hard" on the Wizard label in 1993. Anthony B tried many different producers but found that none of them fit his style of music. Finally, Anthony B teamed up with Richard "Bello" Bell, creating hits such as Fire Pon Rome, Raid Di Barn, Rumour, and Repentance Time. Anthony B's 1996 debut album Real Revolutionary was highly acclaimed in the reggae community. In late 1997, Anthony B released Universal Struggle which showed that Anthony B had a consistent, high-calibre talent. Anthony B has released a large number of albums since that time including 1999's Seven Seals and 2004's Untouchable which featured collaborations with artists including Wyclef Jean.
Anthony B tours extensively in Europe and North America and is known for his fiery, high-energy performances.
Anthony B is a member of the Bobo Ashanti branch of the Rastafarian movement. "Bobo Dreads", as they are known, are recognizable by their long robes and turbans. The strong Afrocentric pride and the other Rastafarian beliefs (or "overstandings" as Rastafarians prefer to call them) which Anthony B holds are reflected in his songs.
Discography
* Predator & Prey (1996, Alpha Enterprises)
* Real Revolutionary / So Many Things (1996, Greensleeves)
* Universal Struggle (1997, VP Records)
* Seven Seals (1999, VP Records)
* That's Life (2001, VP Records)
* More Love (2001, AO ! Records)
* Live On The Battlefield (2002, Jahmin' Records)
* Reggae Max (2002, Jet Star)
* Street Knowledge (2003, Nocturne)
* Judgment Time (2003, 2B1 Records)
* Smoke Free (2003, Bogalusa Records)
* Voice Of Jamaica vol. 2 (2003, Nocturne)
* Wise Man Chant (2004, Black Scorpio)
* Justice Fight (2004, Nocturne)
* Untouchable (2004, Togetherness Records)
* Power Of Creation (2004, Nocturne)
* Black Star (2005, Greensleeves)
* My Hope (2005, AL.TA.FA.AN. / Minor 7 Flat 5)
Try Hard
Anthony B Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
she don't need the grade,
The colors in her hair don't seem to
fade,
I get dressed up when I go out but
she gets dressed down
She's 17 I've told her I'm 20,
I couldn't take her out cause Mom's
It's stuff like this that makes me
wish that I could change somehow
Sitting here at home, it's obvious
She's so out of reach, and I'm
finding it hard cause
She makes me feel, makes me feel,
Like I try, like I try, like I'm trying
too hard,
Cause I'm not being me, and it's
getting me down
She makes me think, makes me
think,
That I try, that I try, that I'm trying
too hard again
Cause I'm trying too hard again
She's got a rude tattoo but she
keeps it covered,
I play guitar but she's into
drummers,
She's seen my face around but she
doesn't even know my name
I pierced my lip so she thinks I'm
cool,
I ripped my jeans and I dropped
out of school,
I followed her around the town but
she thinks that I'm a weirdo now
Sitting here at home, it's obvious
She's so out of reach, and I'm
finding it hard cause
She makes me feel, makes me feel,
Like I try, like I try, like I'm trying
too hard,
Cause I'm not being me, and it's
getting me down
She makes me think, makes me
think,
That I try, that I try, that I'm trying
too hard again
Cause I'm trying too hard again
But now, who knew?
She's in the crowd of my show
Nothing to lose,
She's standing right in the front
row
The perfect view,
She came along after all,
But here's something that you
should know
You're so out of reach, and I'm
finding it hard cause
You make me feel, make me feel,
Yeah she makes me feel, makes me
feel
It's obvious
She's so out of reach, and I'm
finding it hard cause
She makes me feel, makes me feel,
Like I try, like I try, like I'm trying
too hard,
Cause I'm not being me, and it's
getting me down
She makes me think, makes me
think,
That I try, that I try, that I'm trying
too hard again
Cause I'm trying too hard again
The lyrics of Anthony B's song "Try Hard" tell the story of a young man who is trying hard to impress a girl that he is in love with. He describes how he changes his appearance and behavior to try and win her over, but it seems like he is never able to reach her. He feels like he is trying too hard to be someone he is not, and it is getting him down. He wishes he could change but is not sure how to do so.
The chorus repeats the idea that he feels like he is trying too hard, and that it is not helping him win her over. However, towards the end of the song, he discovers that she is actually at one of his shows, and he finally gets a chance to show her who he really is. The song concludes with the same chorus, but this time it is directed towards her, as he realizes that it is not just him who is trying too hard, but both of them are struggling to reach each other.
The lyrics of "Try Hard" highlight the pressure that people feel to conform to certain standards in order to be accepted by others. It also portrays the difficulties of trying to connect with someone while pretending to be someone you are not. Ultimately, the song suggests that being true to yourself is the best way to build meaningful relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
She's dropping out of school cause she don't need the grade,
She has decided to leave school because she feels that what is being taught to her is not of much use.
The colors in her hair don't seem to fade,
The color in her hair is still visible and strong, despite the passage of time.
I get dressed up when I go out but she gets dressed down
I wear my best clothes when I go out, while she prefers to dress casually.
She's 17 I've told her I'm 20,
She is only 17 years old, but I have lied to her, telling her that I am 20 years old.
I couldn't take her out cause Mom's got no money,
I couldn't afford to take her out because my mother is financially struggling.
It's stuff like this that makes me wish that I could change somehow
Experiencing such moments makes me realize that I need to make some changes in my life.
She makes me feel, makes me feel, Like I try, like I try, like I'm trying too hard,
Being around her makes me want to impress her, and I end up trying too hard to do so.
Cause I'm not being me, and it's getting me down
I'm not being true to myself, and it's causing me some distress.
She's got a rude tattoo but she keeps it covered,
She has a tattoo that can be considered impolite, so she keeps it hidden from plain sight.
I play guitar but she's into drummers,
I play the guitar, but she seems to find drummers more attractive.
I followed her around the town but she thinks that I'm a weirdo now
I used to follow her around, but now she thinks that I'm odd for doing so.
But now, who knew? She's in the crowd of my show
But now, surprisingly, she is in the audience of one of my performances.
She's so out of reach, and I'm finding it hard cause She makes me feel, makes me feel, Yeah she makes me feel, makes me feel
She is someone who is difficult to attain, and being around her makes me feel a certain way.
Writer(s): Anthony, Kenneth Daryl Lewis Copyright: Hanseatic Musikverlag Gmbh & Co. Kg
Contributed by Gianna J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Kevin
on Waan Back
Wrong lyrics...c'mon,post genuine lyrics