As naturalised children of immigrants from the Caribbean, part of the aftermath of World War II, the children were moved to London. They attended a local high school near Ladbroke Grove, and various junior schools as Tan Tan children of immigrants from the Caribbean around West London in 1975. Vocalist Brinsley Forde had a brief career on television on the British children's television series "Here Come the Double Deckers" in 1970-71.
The original members of Aswad were Brinsley Forde, George Oban, Drummie Zeb, and Donald Griffiths. Courtney Hemmings was a frequent contributor in the 1970s, including as part of the backing band on Burning Spear's 1979 Live album, recorded at the Rainbow Theatre in London.
They became one the U.K.'s top reggae bands with songs, typical of the time, about the oppression of black youth, such as "Three Babylon" and "It's Not Our Wish", and the powerful jazz-influenced instrumental "Warrior Charge".
The band gained a wider audience with the New Chapter album (1981). "Fire", the opening track gained wide recognition when it was used as the backing rhythm for Dennis Brown's "Promised Land."
Among Aswad's catalogue of hits is "Don't Turn Around", a pop hit in 1988. This track was originally a B-side to Tina Turner's hit "Typical Male", which was later covered by Ace of Base; and a reggae flavoured rendition of "Best of My Love", first popularised and written by The Eagles. Their next hit, Shine, was released in 1994. Another track was the upbeat 1998 remake of The Police's "Invisible Sun", performed with Sting.
The band also hold the distinction of having played with each one of the ex-Wailers.
Band members
* Martin Augustine aka "Tatta" - Lead guitar
* Brinsley Forde aka "Dan" (born 16 October 1952, Guyana) - Vocals, Rhythm guitar
* Drummie Zeb aka Angus Gaye (born 1959, London, United Kingdom) - Vocals, Drums
* Donald Griffiths (born 1954, Jamaica)
* Jimmy Haynes aka "Senyah" - Lead guitar, Acoustic guitar
* Clifton Morrison aka "Bigga" - Vocals, Keyboards, Melodica
* George Oban - Left in 1980 - Bass guitar
* Tony Gad - real name Dennis Anthony Robinson, born 11 November 1957, London. Joined in 1980 - Vocals, Bass guitar
Discography
* 1976: Aswad - Mango Records
* 1978: Hulet - Mango Records
* 1981: New Chapter - Columbia Records
* 1981: Showcase - Mango Records
* 1982: A New Chapter of Dub - Mango Records
* 1982: Not Satisfied - Columbia Records
* 1983: Live and Direct - Mango Records
* 1984: Rebel Souls - Mango Records
* 1986: To the Top - Simba
* 1988: Jah Shaka Meets Aswad in Addis Ababa Studio - Jah Shaka
* 1988: Distant Thunder - Mango Records
* 1988: Renaissance - 20 Crucial Tracks - Stylus
* 1989: Aswad: Crucial Tracks
* 1990: Next to You - Alex
* 1990: Too Wicked - Mango Records
* 1993: Firesticks - Alex
* 1994: Rise and Shine - Rhino Entertainment
* 1995: Rise and Shine Again! - Mesa
* 1995: Dub: The Next Frontier - Mesa
* 1997: Big Up - Atlantic Records
* 1999: Roots Revival - Ark 21
* 2002: Cool Summer Reggae
Next to You
Aswad Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oooh
Oooh, oooh, ooohooohooo
I, I've waited such a long time, baby, yeah, yeah
To get next to you
I, I've waited such a long time, darling, oh, girl
Something's got to give
To be your love I need to live
Don't you know the way I feel?
My situation's clear
I need you here
Don't wanna stand another night here without you
I, I've waited such a long time, baby, sure, girl
To get next to you
I, I've waited such a long time, darling
To get next to you
Time is fun, alright
Opportunities are tight
Girl, you know the way I feel
I think about you all the time
Wanna make you mine
I need you near, right here, my dear
Don't you know that I (I)
See, need to have you close
Have you whisper in my ear
Oho, I (I)
Don't wanna spend another night
Talkin' to the air
I, I've waited such a long time, baby, oh, girl
To get next to you
I, I've waited such a long time, darling
To get next to you
For some turning makes me weak
The thought of you keeps me from sleep
I need to talk to you
Ooohooo
For when all is said and done
Before the fact we two'll be one
I need to know: do you feel the same way as I do?
Yeah, we'll be alright
Rockin' and jammin' to the bassline, yeah
On the drums, gimme rhythm too
When you hear what you know what to do
Yes, a little bit of that
You don't blame your turn and you rev' it up like that
So come on the floor, make me show you as they do
Babe, and it's good for you
I, I, I, I waited such a long time
Waited such a long time to get next to you
I've waited such a long time, darling
To get next to you
I wanna get, I need to get, I wanna get
(Waited such a long time)
Rock me, darling, I need to get, I wanna get
I wanna get next to you
I, I, I, I waited such a long time, baby
I wanna get (Next to you)
I, I've waited such a long time, darling
I wanna get next to you
The lyrics to Aswad’s song “Next to You” express the singer’s long-awaited desire to be close to the person they love. The opening “Ooohs” set an affectionate tone that continues throughout the song. The repetition of “I’ve waited such a long time” emphasizes the singer’s yearning for companionship. The lyrics reflect the idea that love is necessary for life, as the singer states “to be your love I need to live”. The line “my situation’s clear, I need you here” reflects the straightforward and honest sentiment of the song. The singer is tired of standing night after night without the one they love, and they want them to know how they feel.
The song also features a midsection that features a shift in tone. The lyrics describe the desire to dance with the one they love and rock to the bassline. The change-up in the lyrics mirrors the change-up in the music as the song takes on a more upbeat and lively tempo. The song concludes with a plea to be close to the person they love, as the singer implores “I wanna get next to you”.
Line by Line Meaning
Oooh!
Expression of excitement and anticipation.
I, I've waited such a long time, baby, yeah, yeah
To get next to you
I, I've waited such a long time, darling, oh, girl
To get next to you
The singer has been waiting for a long time to be close to the person they love and is expressing their eagerness and longing to be with them.
Something's got to give
To be your love I need to live
Don't you know the way I feel?
The singer is feeling desperate to be with their love interest and is willing to make sacrifices to make it happen.
My situation's clear
I need you here
Don't wanna stand another night here without you
The singer is clear about their feelings and wants their love interest to be with them. They cannot bear another night without them.
Time is fun, alright
Opportunities are tight
Girl, you know the way I feel
The singer acknowledges that time is precious and there are limited opportunities to be with their love interest. They want their love interest to know how deeply they feel about them.
I think about you all the time
Wanna make you mine
I need you near, right here, my dear
The singer cannot stop thinking about their love interest and wants to be in a relationship with them. They need their love interest to be physically close to them.
Don't you know that I (I)
See, need to have you close
Have you whisper in my ear
The singer emphasizes their need to be physically close to their love interest and wants to hear their voice whispering in their ear.
I, I don't wanna spend another night
Talkin' to the air
The singer cannot bear another night without their love interest and is tired of talking to an empty room.
For some turning makes me weak
The thought of you keeps me from sleep
I need to talk to you
The singer is unable to sleep due to the overwhelming thoughts of their love interest. They need to talk to them to put their mind at ease.
For when all is said and done
Before the fact we two'll be one
I need to know: do you feel the same way as I do?
The singer believes that they and their love interest are meant to be together and wants to know if their feelings are mutual before making a move.
Yeah, we'll be alright
Rockin' and jammin' to the bassline, yeah
On the drums, gimme rhythm too
When you hear what you know what to do
The singer is confident that they and their love interest will have a good time together and will dance to the music that they both love.
Yes, a little bit of that
You don't blame your turn and you rev' it up like that
So come on the floor, make me show you as they do
Babe, and it's good for you
The singer wants their love interest to dance with them and enjoy the moment. They want to show them a good time and make them happy.
I, I, I, I waited such a long time
Waited such a long time to get next to you
I've waited such a long time, darling
To get next to you
I wanna get, I need to get, I wanna get
(Waited such a long time)
Rock me, darling, I need to get, I wanna get
I wanna get next to you
I, I, I, I waited such a long time, baby
I wanna get (Next to you)
I, I've waited such a long time, darling
I wanna get next to you
The singer repeats their need and desire to be with their love interest, expressing their longing to finally be next to them after waiting for so long.
Contributed by Camden D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@patrickstocks3576
Maybe it’s just my imagination
Makes me start to wonder
So baby going me crazy but I think you feel it to
Baby ah, baby ah
I gets next to you
As
Maybe it’s just my imagination
Makes me start to wonder
So baby going me crazy but I think you feel it to
Baby ah, baby ah
I gets next to you
As
@arnoldgomes9935
Rip Angus drummie zeb gaye gone but you left a great legacy 🇬🇩 to the world
@seralekataka1861
I llllllloooove this song!!!! Waaaaaaaaah
@christophercampbell1844
love this tune from youth days ever smooth aswad
@christophercampbell1844
so smooth
@audioreinforcementconcepts3537
The wild incursion of these three giants of reggae music in the house music unexplored territories. May you rest in peace Drummie ZEB.
@citizenseventies6738
Haven't heard this since it came out.
Reached #24 here in the UK .
Better music and better times back then.
@Soulhead1981
Great tune. Not the old skool type stuff they did way back, but at the time the sound was changing and they adapted brilliantly. So Big up!!! wherever you boys are now and thanks for your contribution to UK reggae. Peace and love :)
@vlweb3d
Long time since I heard this song, my favorite song from these guys
@danderson029
I used to go and see Aswad at the Greek Theatre at Griffith Park. for the Sun Splash concerts. 1990's it was powerful and fun. Enjoyable time with friends and family.
@sharonmaynard1
A cracking song. Harmonious