He was booed off stage at a show celebrating the visit of Nelson Mandela. In 1993 at the very popular show Sting he accused fellow deejay Bounty Killer that the elder artist had stolen his catchphrase, "people dead". This triggered a lyrical battle which continued on the air with each artist counteracting the other's songs. Finally, in 1995, Beenie Man and Bounty Killer settled their differences on the air by actually signing a peace treaty and the two recorded an album together, Guns Out. This was followed by a single, "No Mama No Cry", a rehash of the Bob Marley classic "No Woman No Cry", speaking out against violence and inspired by the murder of Pan Head, another popular Deejay.
Partially as a result of prodding from his producers, Sly and Robbie, Beenie Man soon converted to the Rastafari movement.
In 1994, he was signed by Island Records and released the critically acclaimed album Blessed.
In 1995, Beenie Man released a remix of Barrington Levy's "Under Mi Sensi" in the United Kingdom, and collaborated with Dennis Brown and Triston Palma to release Three Against War and Lt. Stitchie on Mad Cobra Meets Lt. Stitchie & Beenie Man. He took another step up the ladder in 1996, releasing the seminal Maestro, produced by Patrick Roberts and shot him to UK fame. During the period from the mid to late '90s, Beenie Man dominated the Jamaican charts to the extent that he perhaps had a good claim to the crown of "Dancehall King", a title only bestowed previously on Yellowman in the early 1980s.
In 1998, Beenie Man signed to Virgin Records to release albums in the United States. His first American offering was The Doctor (1998). In 2000, Beenie Man teamed up with Arturo Sandoval and Wyclef Jean (The Fugees) to release The Art & Life. During the late 1990s, Beenie Man began his conquest of America with the hits, "Romie", "Who Am I" and "Girls Dem Sugar", which featured American R&B singer, Mya.
In 2002, he had a sizeable hit with a duet with Janet Jackson called "Feel It Boy", but his biggest break in America came in early 2004 with the release of a remix of "Dude", featuring guest vocals by fellow Jamaican Ms. Thing, as well as rhymes by Shawnna.
Be My Lady
Beenie Man Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Didn't want us when we were nothing
No Thing
Now Lexxus, Flexxus,
To Texas us oh ah
[Chorus]
Now she want be my, be my lady
Be my little lady, be my be my lady
Woh, woh, woh, be my be my lady
Now she want, be my be my lady
But she never want be my be my lady
Woh, Woh, Woh, Woh be my be my lady
Woh, woh, woh, be my be my lady
I use to love har for ever
Think so she smart but tha gal ya no
Clever, how she left all mi fi Peter, and just
Wha, day mi hear sey that she dying
For hungar, she left all mi yard and a style
Man as fraud, and just wha day mi hear
She live a tenament yard, man a treat har like dog
She all a borrow all george and just wha day mi hear
She kotch a Suzie yard, man a call a night bout
I fi tek back Joyce, mi herb up all mi phone and sey
Tha bwoy deh bright, when mi and Joyce a par
Man mi treat har like star, and Joyce run left him
Through rent a car
[Chorus]
Well this girl use to drive mi crazy
And this girl use to rule my mind
Most of all when she turn around and
Give mi that fancy smile
All through that, this girl never want mi
Because a B.M.C. her husband a drive
But when she see mi in a mi Honda Accord
The Gal a scream and she start mek noise
[Chorus]
Verse 3:
But Big Up, the girl dem weh stand by
Beenie, stay by mi side when nothing nah
Gwaan, but now mi turn big super star no
Bother think mi a go run left mi fat gal dawn
All the girls dem weh nice and lovely, Beenie
Man nuff a dem never want, but through mi step
Up ina life, and start eat food dem a jump and France
(Star)
[Chorus]
I use to love har for ever
Think so she smart but tha gal ya no
Clever, how she left all mi fi Peter, and just
Wha, day mi hear sey that she dying
For hungar, she left all mi yard and a style
Man as fraud, and just wha day mi hear
She live a tenement yard, man a treat har like dog
She all a borrow all george and just wha day mi hear
She kotch a Suzie yard, man a call a night bout
I fi tek back Joyce, mi herb up all mi phone and sey
Tha bwoy deh bright, when mi and Joyce a par
Man mi treat har like star, and Joyce run left him
Through rent a car
Chorus
The song "Be My Lady" by Beenie Man is about the artist's past experiences with women who rejected him when he had nothing, but now they want to be with him because of his success. The opening line "for all the girls, didn't want us when we were nothing, no thing" sets the tone for the rest of the song. Beenie Man talks about a particular woman who he "used to love forever" but left him for someone else who was well off. He expresses how hurt he was when he heard that she was living in a tenement yard and being treated like a dog. However, when he became successful, she wanted to be with him again, but he was not interested.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Now she wants to be my lady, but she never wanted to be my lady" to show how the women who rejected him before are now trying to come back into his life.
Beenie Man also acknowledges the women who stayed loyal to him throughout his struggles and praises them in the third verse. He states that he will not leave the women who supported him when he had nothing.
Overall, the song is a reflection of Beenie Man's relationships with women and how success can change people's perceptions of each other.
Line by Line Meaning
For all the girls,
This song is for all the women out there.
Didn't want us when we were nothing
These women did not want the singer when he was poor and had nothing to offer them.
No Thing
The singer had nothing material to offer these women.
Now Lexxus, Flexxus, To Texas us oh ah
The singer, along with Lexxus and Flexxus, are now successful and being invited to Texas.
Now she want be my, be my lady
A woman, who previously did not want to be with the singer, now wants to be his lady.
But she never want, be my be my lady
This woman previously rejected the singer's advances.
Be my little lady, be my be my lady
The singer is requesting for this woman to be his romantic partner.
Woh, woh, woh, be my be my lady
The singer is asking this woman to please be his romantic partner.
Now she want, be my be my lady
This woman now wants to be the singer's romantic partner.
But she never want be my be my lady
This woman previously rejected the singer's advances.
Woh, Woh, Woh, Woh be my be my lady
The singer is still requesting for this woman to be his romantic partner.
Woh, woh, woh, be my be my lady
The singer really wants this woman to be his romantic partner.
I use to love har for ever
The singer used to love this woman for a long time.
Think so she smart but tha gal ya no Clever,
The singer thought this woman was smart but she is not really clever.
how she left all mi fi Peter, and just Wha, day mi hear sey that she dying
This woman left the singer for someone named Peter and the singer only found out that she was in dire straits after she left him.
For hungar, she left all mi yard and a style Man as fraud,
This woman left the singer for food and is now living in poor conditions with a fraudulent man.
and just wha day mi hear She live a tenament yard, man a treat har like dog
The singer heard that this woman is now living in a poor neighborhood and is being treated poorly by the people there.
She all a borrow all george and just wha day mi hear She kotch a Suzie yard, man a call a night bout
This woman is borrowing money from other people and is now living with someone named Suzie who is being harassed by men who want the singer to take her back.
I fi tek back Joyce, mi herb up all mi phone and sey Tha bwoy deh bright, when mi and Joyce a par Man mi treat har like star, and Joyce run left him Through rent a car
The singer is considering going back to an ex-girlfriend named Joyce whom he treated like a queen and she left her current partner through renting a car.
[Chorus]
Repeating the chorus.
Well this girl use to drive mi crazy
This woman used to drive the singer crazy.
And this girl use to rule my mind
This woman had a strong hold on the singer's thoughts and emotions.
Most of all when she turn around and Give mi that fancy smile
The woman's captivating smile was very attractive to the singer.
All through that, this girl never want mi Because a B.M.C. her husband a drive
This woman was never interested in the singer because her husband drove a B.M.C.
But when she see mi in a mi Honda Accord The Gal a scream and she start mek noise
When this woman saw the singer driving a Honda Accord, she started screaming and making a commotion.
[Chorus]
Repeating the chorus.
But Big Up, the girl dem weh stand by Beenie, stay by mi side when nothing nah Gwaan,
The singer is giving appreciation to the women who stood by him through thick and thin.
but now mi turn big super star no Bother think mi a go run left mi fat gal dawn
The singer has become a big superstar and will not abandon his loyal partner despite her weight.
All the girls dem weh nice and lovely, Beenie Man nuff a dem never want, but through mi step Up ina life, and start eat food dem a jump and France
Despite the fact that many beautiful women did not want the singer before he became successful, they now desire him due to his newfound wealth and fame.
(Star)
End of the song.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MOSES ANTHONY DAVIS, DONALD DENNIS, MELBOURNE GEORGE MILLER, TIMMY MORRIS, PATRICK ROBERTS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind