Born in Kingston, Jamaica, as a youngster, Barrington Levy formed the Mighty Multitude with his cousin Everton Dacres. They started off playing the sound systems and cut their first single, βMy Black Girl,β in 1977. All of 14, Levy broke out his own the next year and recorded his debut solo single, A Long Time Since We Donβt Have No Love.β It didnβt have much of an impact, however the teenβs appearances in the dancehalls were eagerly awaited events. It was at one of these that Levy met former singer turned producer Junjo Lawes and Mew York-based producer Hyman βJah Lifeβ Wright. The pair took the youth into King Tubbyβs studio, accompanied by the Roots Radics, and recorded a clutch of cuts. The first fruits of this union were βAh Yah We Deh,β quickly followed by βLooking My Loveβ, and β Wedding Ring Aside.β Success was immediate, but it was the mighty βCollie Weedβ that really cemented the teenβs hold of dancehall.
βShine Eye Girlβ, was a smash follow up, and the young Levy was now in great demand. A stream of singles followed βJumpy Girlβ, a lovely version of Horace Andyβs βSkylarkingβ, βReggae Musicβ, Levy joined forces with producer Alvin Ranglin for another sting of hitsββNever Tear My Love Apart,β βJahβ, βYou Made Me So Happy,β and βWhen Youβre Young and in Love.βLevyβs rich vocals were made for duets, both with other vocalists and DJβs , and it wasnβt long before the young star was also recording collaborative singles. Toyan was a great foil on βCall You on the Phoneββ, he paired with Jah Thomas on βMoonlight Loverβ and βSister Debbyβ, and joined forces with Trinity for βLose Respectβ and a follow-up, βI Need a Girlβ in 1980. That same year, Levy made a sensational appearance at Reggae Sunsplash, then returned in 1981. During these early years, the singer seemingly spent all of his time between the recording studios and the dancehalls. Amidst the deluge of singles, four albums arrived as well between 1979 and 1980. First up was Bounty Hunter, which boosted three smash singlesββReggae Musicβ, βShine Eye Girlβ, and βLooking My Loveβ βand a clutch of other tracks that were just about as good. In Britain, the Burning Sounds label released Shine Eye Gal, also a hits heavy package which included the title track-track, βCollie Weedβ, and βAh Yah We Deh.β It was swiftly followed by the mighty Englishman, an absolutely fabulous record which was overseen by the unbeatable studio grouping of Junjo Lawes and two of King Tubbyβs protΓ©gΓ©sβScientist and Prince Jammy. A veteran of the clubs, he brought the spontaneity of the DJ to his records while returning vocals back to the sound system scene which had been purely the realm of the Djs. Utilizing old roots rhythms revitalized by the Radics, and giving the songs a hard, but danceable edge, Lawes and Levy together helped establish a whole new dancehall sound.
1980βs Robin Hood merely affirmed that everyone in Jamaica already knew: That Levy was now the biggest star on t he island, with a talent that was unbeatable. Or more accurately, he was king of the singers, because ruling beside him was DJ Yellowman, another Lawesβ discovery, that was brought to him by Barrington Levy. Robin Hood was as big as its predecessor and was beginning to have an impact in Britain as well, where both it and Englishman had been released by the Greensleeves label. Not surprisingly, both albums heavy rhythms would provide the building blocks for the Scientist V Prince Jammy dub clash album. Unfortunately, Levyβs very popularity was now beginning to have some serious drawbacks. Even before stardom arrived, the singer had noticed with delight fans tapping his sets at the dancehalls, and these tapes were coming back to haunt him. Suddenly, the shelves were buckling under the weight of the bootlegged albums, featuring not just older pirated live material, but also unreleased outtakes and recycled older singles. In response, Levy didnβt release a new album for two years, but in the meantime, new singles more then made up for it. From 1980 came such hits as the haunting Lawes-produced βMary Long Tongueβ producer Linval Thompsonβs βToo Poor,β and a string if hits cut with Karl Pitterson, including β I Have a Problemβ and βEven Tide Fire a Disasterβ. And as the decade progressed, the flood hits continued. βIβm Not in Loveβ, βYou Have Itβ, βTomorrow Is Another Dayβ, βRobbermanβ, βBlackRoseβ βMy Womenβ, and βMoney Moveβ were just a small number of the hits released between 1981 and 1983, with the latter song the biggest smash of the batch. Levy even tried his hand at self-production, recording such excellent songs as βIn the Darkβ and βLove of Jah.β Amongst there were fabulous singles recorded for Joe Gibbs, βMy Womenβ included. The Reggae Vibes album would bundle up Levyβs best with the producer, s well a number of cuts from fellow dancehall singer Sammy Dread.
1983 finally saw the release of Levy album βMoney Moveβ. The latter was excellently overseen by George Phang and boasted a stupendous group of rhythms that Sly & Robbie had specifically made for the producer. In the U.K, the burning sounds label also released Hunter Man, a greatest-hits collection. But the hits were still coming on strong; in 1984 none were bigger then Levy and Jah Screw produced βUnder Mi Sensi.β The pair would also record a new album that year, Here I come, whose title-track would the top 50 in the U.K The album itself took Britain by storm and ensured that Levy walked away with the best Vocalist Award at Britainβs Reggae Awards. It was also these songs that secured his spot in the Guinness Book of World Records, as the first reggae artist to hold both 1st and 2nd place slots in the charts. The same year, the singer also joined forces with another young singer who was tearing up the dance floors, Frankie Paul, for the intriguing sound clash set Barrington Levy meets Frankie Paul. 1985 brought Prison Oval Rock (the Volcano Jamaican label release, and not to be confused with the RAS labelβs U.S. compilation of the same title), which found the singer joining forces with Lawes again, for another roots-fired set equal to its predecessors. It had been six years since Levy burst onto the scene with all the force of a nuclear weapon. Now in his early twenties, the singerβs output significantly began to slow. He did return to Reggae Sunsplash in 1987 and would remain a top attraction at the festival until 1985. He also released βLove the Life you Liveβ in 1988, a rather patchy effort compared to previous releases. It was to be his last new album until 1991.But Levy wasnβt a spent force yet. Before the 80βs were over, he scored tow more hits with βMy Timeβ and βToo Experienceβ, both under the aegis of producer Jah Screw, and both covers of songs written by Bob Andy (ex-Paragons and also of Bob & Marcia fame).
Signing with MCA in t he U.S., Levy attempted to cross over into the North American market with 1983βs Barrington. Produced by Lee Jaffe, the Album featured a re-recorded βUnder Mi Sensiβ, and boasted strong songs as βMurdererβ and βVice Versa Loveβ and βBe Strongβ, a major hit in the Caribbean and South America. However, the relationship with MCA was not a happy one and Levy quickly departed. Meanwhile, back in Britain, the singer was chalking up another hit with βWorkβ. In 1994, Levy was joined by Beenie man on the singles βTwo Soundsβ and βMurdererβ. Both soon reappeared as fiery jungles remixes, with βSensiβ, in particular, mashing up the dance floors.
Under Jack Scorpioβs direction, the singer next paired with Mega Banton for βSheβs Mineβ. Jah Screw took these collaborations to the next logical step, and recorded an entire album and recorded and entire album of shared songs, Duets (this is its American title and it was released in the U.s. by RAS, and in the U.K., Levyβs relationship with Greensleeves continued, where the album there was titled Barrington Levyβs DJ Counteraction). From this set, βLiving Dangerouslyβ with Bounty Killer rocketed up the Jamaican charts and set pace at clubs around the world . Time Capsule came hot on its heels in 1996, a short album (a mere eight tracks plus five dubs), which more than made up for lack of quantity with quality.Over the next two years, his circle of friends was obviously growing, and 1998βs re-make of βMurdererβ featured such diverse artists as rap master Snoop Doggy Dogg and Southern California punk-reggae heroes Long Beach Dub All-Stars. In 2003, his debut album Bounty Hunter was reordered and reissued as Moonlight Lover on the Burning Bush label. Two years later, the Sanctuary label collected his recordings with Henry Lawes and Alvin Ranglin for βLove Your Brother man: The Early Tearβ. Numerous compilations have continued to appear featuring much of the singerβs greatest work.He was also featured in 2000 on rapper on Shyneβs debut album βBad Boyzβ, with two singles βBad Boyzβ which was number 1 on the hip-hop charts, and βBonnie and Shynz.
Barrington Levy continues to tour extensively, selling out shows all over the world. He is currently working in an album which will be titled βIts About Timeβ and he has said it will be his last. This album will feature artist like Damion Marley, Buji Banton, Beres Hammond, Heavy D and a lot more surprises. He expresses love and appreciation to all his fans across the world, and looks forward to seeing you in future events.
Levy's son Krishane is also a musician, and is signed to Atlantic Records.
WΓΆrk
Barrington Levy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wake up every day feeling the same way
Wake up every day feeling the same way
Badi bap bap bap
Badi bap bap bap
Wake up every day
Got to go to work, then hurry home
Badi bap bap bap
Badi bap bap bap
I got to go to work
Then hurry home
Oh every day is just the same
Oh every day is just the same
Badi bap bap bap
Badi bap bap bap
Every day is just the same
Oh it's all the same
All the same
Ha
Oh misery a place in me
Oh misery a place in me
Badi bap bap bap
Badi bap bap bap
Misery is a place in me
Is a place in me
Oh misery
Oh misery is a place in me
Is a place in me
It's a place in me
The lyrics to Barrington Levy's song Work are focused on the monotony of daily life. The repetition of the first two lines, "I wake up every day feeling the same way / Wake up every day feeling the same way," emphasizes the routine nature of the singer's life. The next set of lines, "I got to go to work, then hurry home / Got to go to work, then hurry home," adds to this sense of repetition, as the singer's life is reduced to work and home. The use of 'badi bap bap bap' serves to emphasize the mundane nature of these repeated actions.
The chorus, "Oh every day is just the same / Badi bap bap bap / Every day is just the same / Oh it's all the same / All the same," repeats and reinforces the theme of monotony. The final verse, "Oh misery a place in me / Badi bap bap bap / Misery is a place in me / Is a place in me / Oh misery / Oh misery is a place in me / Is a place in me / It's a place in me," adds a note of sadness to the song, as the singer is trapped in the routine of their life and cannot escape the misery it brings them.
Overall, the song Work is a commentary on the repetitive nature of modern life and the toll it can take on the individual. It speaks to the feelings of frustration and ennui that can come with a life reduced to a series of tasks.
Line by Line Meaning
I wake up every day feeling the same way
I start every day feeling the way I did yesterday, without any change.
Wake up every day
Every day, I wake up without much enthusiasm to face the same routine.
I got to go to work, then hurry home
I need to go to work and then quickly finish work to go back home.
I got to go to work
Then hurry home
My work is monotonous and tiring and I just do it to earn my wages.
Oh every day is just the same
Every day seems the same for me with no positive change in my life.
Every day is just the same
Oh it's all the same
All the same
There is no variation or excitement in my life, making it dull and repetitive.
Oh misery a place in me
Oh misery is a place in me
Is a place in me
I am feeling hopeless, stuck, and unhappy with my life, and it's deeply ingrained in me.
Misery is a place in me
Is a place in me
Oh misery
Oh misery is a place in me
Is a place in me
It's a place in me
The feeling of pain and sorrow is taking me over, and it's a permanent part of my life that's hard to escape or forget.
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
Written by: SLY DUNBAR, ROBBIE SHAKESPEARE, BARRINGTON LEVY, GARY BENSON, LEE JAFFE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@yvonnedixon4058
Barrington Levy big yuself up this song still a gwan wid things good message to the black/Jamaican people. Blessings, respect and much love - mi love Mr. Levyππβ€
@grinfostar
This song is my anthem to start the day
@Izzylifevlog
Thoes 36 ppl that dislike this song is some lazy ppl dont like work ..
@maymounaly5071
Freakly
@angelanojellybeans6481
I play this song all day long for my son no rest for the lazy
@nelliecurrie5625
Me too girl!
@angelanojellybeans6481
@@nelliecurrie5625 Chile he got a job π
@nelliecurrie5625
God is good!! Change had to come!
@angelanojellybeans6481
@@nelliecurrie5625 Yes he is. I pray that lazy spirit never return to our sons Jesus name. ππΎ
@faroukgafoor1464
This should be played in all job centre's