He was born in St. Andrew, Jamaica and learned to play the organ in Kingston College School. It was at that point an unnamed girl lent him the melodica. Fascinated by the instrument, Pablo rarely put it down. He also met Herman Chin Loy; the Chin family owned an influential record store in Kingston. Swaby recorded “Iggy Iggy” in Clive’s father’s studio, Aquarius Records. He took the name Augustus Pablo for this recording.
After releasing a few more singles, Pablo came out with “East of the River Nile”, a unique blend of East Asian and Jamaican sounds, and the song became a moderate hit. Augustus Pablo popularized the use of the melodica (an instrument used primarily to teach children music in the Jamaican public schools) in reggae music. He soon joined Now Generation (Mikey Chung’s band) and played the keyboard with them while his friend, Clive, began his own career as a record producer. Pablo and Chin recorded “Java” (1972) together, as soon as Pablo quit Now Generation and Clive was able to get the studio time, the instrumental was a massive hit, and launched Pablo’s solo career. He recorded with Chin and various others, including Leonard Chin, his uncle, and Lee Perry. He scored another smash hit with “My Desire” (John Holt).
Pablo formed labels Hot Stuff, Message and Rockers (named after his brother’s soundsystem, Rockers), and released a steady stream of well-received instrumentals, mostly versions of older hits from Studio One. In spite of his success with Rockers, Pablo’s seminal 1974 album, This Is Augustus Pablo was recorded with Clive and Pat Chin. This was followed by a collaboration with the legendary reggae engineer King Tubby to great acclaim, releasing 1975’s Ital Dub.
In the later 1970s, Pablo produced a steady stream of hits, including the hit “Black Star Liner” (Fred Locks). He also worked with Dillinger, Norris Reid, I-Roy, Jacob Miller, Te -Track, The Immortals, Paul Blackman, Earl Sixteen, Roman Stewart, Lacksley Castell, The Heptones, Ricky Grant, Delroy Williams,Junior Delgado, Horace Andy and Freddy McKay. This period was eventually commemorated with critically acclaimed LP’s including King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown (1976) and Hugh Mundell’s classic Africa Must be Free by 1983. This was followed by East of the River Nile (1978, Original Rockers 1979 and Rockers Meets King Tubbys In A Firehouse, another acclaimed hit album.
In the 1980s, Pablo’s career slowed significantly. He had begun to establish an American audience, and released Rising Sun in 1986 to good reviews and sales. Pablo also produced memorable hits, including “Ragamuffin Year” (Junior Delgado), “Humble Yourself” (Asher & Tremble) and “Far Far Away” (Ricky Grant). In addition, Pablo toured extensively throughout the world, making a memorable live album in Tokyo in 1987. That same year, Rockers Come East re-established his career, and he began to release a series of critically acclaimed though somewhat inaccessible albums in the 1990s, including Blowing With the Wind and also producing several, such as Night & Day (Dawn Penn) and Jah Made Them All (Yami Bolo).
Pablo died as a result of a collapsed lung on May 18, 1999. He had been suffering for some time from the nerve disorder Myasthenia gravis.
He was known for his spiritual Rastafarian beliefs.
Everything I Own
Augustus Pablo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Kept me warm, kept me warm
You gave my life to me
Set me free, set me free
The finest years I ever knew
Were all the years I had with you
I would give anything I own
I would give everything I own
Just to have you back again
You taught me how to love
What it's of, what it's of
You never said too much, but still you showed the way
And I knew from watching you
Nobody else could ever know
The part of me that can't let go
And I would give anything I own
Give up my life, my heart, my home
I would give everything I own
Just to have you back again
Is there someone you know
You're loving them so
Taking them all for granted?
You may lose them one day
Someone takes them away
And they don't hear the words you long to say
I would give anything I own
Give up my life, my heart, my home
I would give everthing I own
Just to have you back again
Just to touch you once again
The lyrics of "Everything I Own" by Augustus Pablo are a heartfelt ode to the deep love and gratitude one feels towards a person who has been a source of shelter, warmth, and guidance in their life. The opening lines address the person who has been a protector and comforter, someone who has kept them safe from harm and provided solace during difficult times. The lyrics then go on to express how the person has given meaning and purpose to their life, freeing them from whatever shackles were holding them back. The person has been a source of guidance, teaching them how to love and showing them the way forward without ever having to say too much.
The chorus then reveals the true depth of feeling behind the lyrics, as the singer declares that they would give up everything they own - their life, their heart, their home - just to have this person back in their life. The finest years they ever knew were all the years they spent with this person, and they acknowledge that no one else will ever truly know the part of them that can't let go. The second verse serves as a warning to anyone who might be taking their loved ones for granted, reminding them that nothing is permanent and they may one day lose the person they love. The song concludes with a repetition of the chorus, emphasizing the singer's longing to be reunited with their lost love.
Overall, "Everything I Own" is a powerful testament to the transformative power of love and the deep sense of loss that results when that love is taken away. Through its heartfelt lyrics and gentle melody, the song serves as a reminder to cherish the people in our lives who provide us with shelter, warmth, and guidance - for we never know when we may need them most.
Line by Line Meaning
You sheltered me from harm
You protected me from dangers and kept me safe
Kept me warm, kept me warm
You provided me comfort and made me feel welcomed
You gave my life to me
You provided me with life by giving birth to me or raising me
Set me free, set me free
You allowed me to become independent and make my own choices
The finest years I ever knew
Were all the years I had with you
The best moments of my life were spent with you
I would give anything I own
Give up my life, my heart, my home
I would give everything I own
Just to have you back again
I am willing to give up everything I possess and sacrifice my life just to have you back in my life
You taught me how to love
What it's of, what it's of
You showed me how to love and what love truly means
You never said too much, but still you showed the way
And I knew from watching you
Nobody else could ever know
The part of me that can't let go
You didn't need to say anything, but your actions taught me how to live and cope with loss. No one else can understand my pain like you do.
Is there someone you know
You're loving them so
Taking them all for granted?
Do you have someone in your life that you love but are taking for granted?
You may lose them one day
Someone takes them away
And they don't hear the words you long to say
You might lose that person someday, and they might not have heard the things you wanted to tell them before they left.
Just to touch you once again
I miss you so much that I would do anything just to touch you again
Contributed by James T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.