When You Gonna Learn
Beverley Knight Lyrics


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Have you heard the news today
People right across the world
Are pledging they will play the game
Victims of a modern world
Circumstance has brought us here
Armageddon's come too near
Too too near now
Now foresight is the only key
To save our children's destiny
The consequences are so grave
So so grave now
The hypocrites we are their slaves
So my friend to stop the end
On each other we depend oh we depend

Mountain high and river deep
We gotta stop it going on
We gotta wake this world up from its sleep
Oh people, stop it going on

Oh yeah
Have you heard the news today
Money's on the menu in my favourite restaurant
Now don't talk about quantity
'Cause there's no fish left in the sea
Greedy men been killing all the life there ever was
So you better play it nature's way
Or she will take it all away
And don't try tell me you know more than her about right or wrong

Oh you've upset the balance man
Done the only thing you can
Now my life is in your hands
In your hands, it's in your hands

Mountain high and river deep yes
We gotta stop it going on
We gotta wake this world up from its sleep, yeah people
We gotta stop it going on

Mountain high and river deep
We gotta stop it going on, yes we do
We gotta wake this world up from its sleep
Oh people, we gotta stop it going on
Oh when you gonna learn stop it going on
When you gonna learn stop it going on




When you gonna learn stop it going on
When you gonna learn stop it going on

Overall Meaning

The song "When You Gonna Learn" by Beverley Knight is a call to action for people to take responsibility for the state of the world and its rapid destruction. The song is addressing greed and modernization that leads to overfishing, pollution, and climate change. The song starts with a call to attention, asking if people have heard the news today. The news being referred to is the worldwide crisis caused by the damage humans have done to the environment. The lyrics then mention how people across the world have pledged to play the game, to take responsibility and change their ways.


The song suggests that the only way to prevent catastrophe is to act now before it's too late. The line "Armageddon's come too near" acknowledges that the world is on the brink of disaster, and that foresight is necessary to save future generations. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Mountain high and river deep, we gotta stop it going on" to show how vast and destructive the impact of humanity's actions are. The imagery of "Mountain high" and "river deep" creates an image of the world's natural beauty, which is being destroyed, and the need for everyone to come together to help protect it.


The lyrics also mention the idea of greed, where people prioritize their own interests over the survival of the planet. The line "Money's on the menu in my favourite restaurant" is a metaphor for how money is controlling human behavior to the point where even basic necessities like food are being consumed at the expense of natural resources. The song suggests that people should follow nature's way, rather than thinking they know better, because there's no going against it.


Overall, the song is an appeal to people to come together and take responsibility for their actions before it's too late. The lyrics convey how each individual's responsibility can impact the whole world and the future of the planet.


Line by Line Meaning

Have you heard the news today
Do you know what's happening in the world today?


People right across the world
People around the world


Are pledging they will play the game
Are promising to participate


Victims of a modern world
Sufferers of a contemporary society


Circumstance has brought us here
The present situation has resulted from various factors


Armageddon's come too near
The end of the world is approaching soon


Now foresight is the only key
Predictive ability is the only solution now


To save our children's destiny
To secure the future for our offspring


The consequences are so grave
The outcome would be disastrous


The hypocrites we are their slaves
We are controlled by our own hypocrisy


So my friend to stop the end
To prevent the end of the world


On each other we depend oh we depend
We rely on each other


Mountain high and river deep
Land and water


We gotta stop it going on
We must put an end to it


We gotta wake this world up from its sleep
We must alert the world to reality


Oh yeah
An exclamation of agreement or confirmation


Money's on the menu in my favourite restaurant
Money is the top priority


Now don't talk about quantity
Quantity is not the issue


'Cause there's no fish left in the sea
Because all the fish have been killed


Greedy men been killing all the life there ever was
Selfish people have destroyed all the living things


So you better play it nature's way
You should follow the natural way of life


Or she will take it all away
Or nature will destroy everything


And don't try tell me you know more than her about right or wrong
And do not claim to know more about morality than nature


Oh you've upset the balance man
You have disrupted the equilibrium


Done the only thing you can
Done what you had to do


Now my life is in your hands
Now my (our) fate is in your control


We gotta stop it going on, yes we do
We have to put an end to it


Oh when you gonna learn stop it going on
When are you going to learn to end this?




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Comments from YouTube:

G. Mos

To me this is the only worthy Jamiroquai cover in existence :)

T-Top Deluxe

This is amazing....One of my all time favorite Jamiroquai songs especially the demo version that was played on the Gilles Peterson show on KISS FM in 1992!!

Cazzag G

Beverley is fantastic!!...backing singers smashed it too :-)

Juan Gallego

Love this version by Beverly.She is such a good entertainer!

Tony Teka

Dear Beverley, it's a tribute to Jay Kay , Roachford , Luther Vandross, Junior. Just like the song Main Vein, you smash your voice through your throat. Magnificent, just keep singing. Greetz Tony

Maria Brown

Simply tops. I love Jamiroquai and this cover does it justice.

Tim Hargrove

Absolutely love this. Smashing version.

WAY Ta GO

Brilliant, I love the original BUT... WOW Beverley!!!

sneaky1g

OMG!!!!!! I can not believe this! This is unbelievably fantastic!!! I know you've done Jamiroquai proud. Tell my future husband you're singing this at our wedding! lol. Well done Bev!!!!

Daniel Matthews

Wow...just wow....what a great version....Beverley puts her own mark on an already brilliant song and makes it her own.....

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