He was born in Fyzabad, Trinidad and Tobago to Grenadian parents, and moved to England with his family at the age of eight. Oceans' musical influence came at an early age of his life, as his father was a musician, and realised he was inline to follow those ambitions as he was growing up. During his teenage years, he sang regularly in London clubs while also working as a tailor in London's Savile Row. He released his first single in 1972 on Spark Records as Les Charles.
When in Trinidad as a boy he adopted the name Billy Ocean, taking the surname from the local football team 'Ocean's Eleven', who had gotten the name from the famous film of the same name. The next year, 1976, was when he recorded his first album, Billy Ocean, with its first single release, "Love Really Hurts Without You," charting at number 2 in the UK Singles Chart and number 22 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. More successes ensued, including "L.O.D. (Love On Delivery)". He also wrote songs for other artists, such as La Toya Jackson. In 1981, he scored the U.S. R&B chart with "Nights (Feel Like Getting Down)".
Ocean's period of greatest success began with Suddenly during 1984, and its main single, "Caribbean Queen". The song's title and lyrics were changed for different regions, such that the song is also known as "African Queen" or "European Queen". The song won Ocean the Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance at the 1985 Grammy Awards. The album's title track also became a success, its score maximizing at #4 in both the US and the UK; and the song "Loverboy", while also being a #2 US success during 1985, from the album, was also the background music for the first scene of the popular UK BBC One TV series, Casualty, during 1986.
Ocean appeared at Live Aid in 1985, singing "Caribbean Queen" and "Loverboy", from the JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
His 1986 album Love Zone also sold well. It included the successful singles "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going" (the theme from the film The Jewel of the Nile); this was a number one success in the UK and a number two in the U.S.; and "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)" (a U.S. number one, and also a major UK success). Also included were the title track and "Love Is Forever", which were #10 and #16 U.S. successes for Ocean, respectively.
In February 1986, Ocean's video of "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going" was banned by the BBC, owing to non-union members (including Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito) miming to backing vocals.
Ocean's next album, Tear Down These Walls (1988) featured another number one single, "Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car", while the album was certified platinum.
His 1993 album Time to Move On failed to produce any major successes, but his 1989 Greatest Hits collection has been a steady seller over the years, and his 1997 compilation Love Is For Ever made #7 on the UK album chart. Ocean's last studio album for Jive Records was Time to Move On, which he recorded in Chicago with R&B star R. Kelly. It turned out that R. Kelly had been a long-time admirer of the way Ocean was able to mix the more emotive soul style with a crossover popular style.
In 2002, the University of Westminster awarded Ocean an honorary doctorate of music. The awards ceremony took place in the Barbican Centre, in London. He continues to tour and record in Europe. He lives in Sunningdale, Berkshire with his wife of 27 years, Judy; and their three children Cherie, Antony and Rachel. Ocean is now a patron for Tech Music Schools in London, made up of Drumtech, Vocaltech, Guitar-X and Keyboardtech. He regularly visits to hold clinics and seminars for the students.
In October 2007, Ocean commenced his first British tour in over 15 years. In February and March 2008 he toured Australia and the Far East. His new album, Because I Love You was released on 2 February 2009. To coincide with this new tour and album launch, Ocean has been working with Adoseof Design on a website revision which is due March 2009.
For more information got to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Ocean
No Woman No Cry
Billy Ocean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yea, yea
No, woman, no cry
No, woman, no cry
Said, I remember when we used to sit
In the government yard in Trenchtown
Oba observing the 'ypocrites
Mingle with the good people we meet
Along the way
In this great future that you can't forget your past
So dry your tears, I so you
No, woman, no cry
No, woman, no cry
'Ere, little darlin', don't shed no tears
No, woman, no cry
Said, said, I remember when-a we used to sit
In the government yard in Trenchtown
And then Georgie would make the fire lights,
A log wood burnin' through the night
Then we would cook cornmeal porridge,
Of which I'll share with you
My feet is my only carriage
So I'get a carriage
And so I've got to push on through
But while I'm gone
Everything's gonna be all right,
Everything's gonna be all right,
Everything's gonna be all right,
Everything's gonna be all right,
Everything's gonna be all right,
Everything's gonna be all right
Everything,
Everything
Everything's gonna be all right
So, no woman, no cry
No woman, no cry
So, no woman, no woman, no cry
Oh little sister, don't shed no tears
No woman, no cry,
No woman, no cry
No woman, no cry, one more time I've got to say
Oh little little sister, please don't shed no tears
No woman, no cry
No woman, no woman no cry
Oh little little sister, please don't shed no tears
No woman, no cry
Everything's gonna be all right
The song “No Woman No Cry” by Billy Ocean speaks about a group of people sitting in the government yard in Trenchtown. They are discussing how they have lost some friends along the way and how they need to remember their past to move forward. The singer then comforts someone, telling them not to cry because everything will be alright. He then sings about his memories of Georgie making a fire at night and cooking cornmeal porridge, which he would share with others. He shares how his feet are his only way of transportation and how he has to keep pushing on. Even though he is gone, he assures everyone that everything will be alright.
The song contains many references to Jamaica, such as the government yard in Trenchtown and the way of speaking. Trenchtown is a poor area in Kingston, Jamaica, where many famous musicians, including Bob Marley, started their careers. The song's message is one of hope, despite the hardships and struggles that the singer and his community face. The line "no woman no cry" is often interpreted as a message to women to not cry, but it means something different in Jamaican patois. “No woman no cry” translates to “No, woman, don’t cry”, meaning that the singer is comforting a woman who is crying.
Line by Line Meaning
Ummm, yea,
A casual expression of acknowledgement.
Yea, yea
An affirmative response.
No, woman, no cry
Do not cry, woman.
Said, I remember when we used to sit
I recall a time when we sat...
In the government yard in Trenchtown
A location in Jamaica where government officials lived.
Oba observing the 'ypocrites
Watching the hypocrites.
Mingle with the good people we meet
Interacting with genuine, honest people.
Good friends we have, oh, good friends we've lost
We have had wonderful friends, and some we have lost along the way.
Along the way
During our journey through life so far.
In this great future that you can't forget your past
We must remember our past, even as we look forward to a bright future.
So dry your tears, I so you
Do not cry, I see you are upset.
'Ere, little darlin', don't shed no tears
Hey, my dear, please don't cry.
And then Georgie would make the fire lights
Georgie was in charge of lighting the fire.
A log wood burnin' through the night
The logs burned all night long.
Then we would cook cornmeal porridge,
Next, we would make cornmeal porridge.
Of which I'll share with you
I'll give some porridge to you.
My feet is my only carriage
I have no other form of transportation than walking.
So I'get a carriage
So I have to get a carriage someday.
And so I've got to push on through
I have to keep pushing forward, no matter what.
But while I'm gone
While I am away,
Everything's gonna be all right,
Everything will be okay.
Everything,
Every situation, every circumstance.
Everything's gonna be all right
Everything will be okay.
So, no woman, no cry
Do not cry, woman.
Oh little sister, don't shed no tears
Hey, little sister, please don't cry.
No woman, no cry,
Do not cry, woman.
No woman, no woman, no cry
If there is no woman around, there will be no crying.
No woman, no cry, one more time I've got to say
I have to say once again, do not cry, woman.
Oh little little sister, please don't shed no tears
Hey, little little sister, please don't cry.
Everything's gonna be all right
Everything will be okay.
Writer(s): Vincent Ford
Contributed by Josiah H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Pult
Yeah, oh, yeah
No woman, no cry
No woman, no cry
Said, I remember when we used to sit
In a government yard in Trench town
I'm observing the hypocrites
'Cause they would mingle with good people we meet
The good friends we have, oh, good friends we've lost
Along the way
In this great future that you can't forget your past
So, dry your tears, I say, oh
No, woman, no cry
No, woman, no cry
Ooh, little darlin', don't shed no tears
No, woman, no cry
Said, said, I remember when we used to sit
In the government yard in Trench town
And then Georgie would light the fire lights
The log was burnin' through the night, yeah
Then we would cook cornmeal porridge
Of which I'd share with you
I said, "My feet is my only carriage
So, I guess I've got to, I've got to push on through"
But while I'm gone, I said
Everything's gonna be alright
And everything's gonna be alright
Everything's gonna be alright
Everything's gonna be alright
Everything's gonna be alright
Everything's gonna be alright
Everything, everything
Everything's gonna be alright
So, no woman, no cry
No woman, no cry (yeah)
Oh, no woman, no woman, no cry
Ooh, little sister, don't shed no tears
No woman, no cry
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)
No woman, no cry
No woman, no cry
Ooh, little sister, don't shed no tears
No woman, no cry
Oh, don't you worry, baby
Don't you worry, girl
No woman no cry
Ooh, little sister, don't shed no tears
No woman, no cry
'Cause everything's gonna be alright (yes it is)
Everything's gonna be alright (yes it is)
Everything's gonna be alright (yes it is)
Everything, everything, everything, ooh
No woman no cry...NoWar...
Kenny Karlsson
His voice is one in a million. Amazing cover.
Monica Ntuli
this guy always on point with his amazing voice
Alicia Robertson
Thank you Billy for all the lovely music over the years. Lucky enough to own an autographed copy of this album. This great-gran is old enough and also lucky enough to have been a fan of Billy’s since the 1970s!
Themba Khumalo
He never disappoint
Ricky Bahar
Ive grown up on Billy Oceans music. And was fortunate enough to see the man perform live in Sri Lanka a couple of years back. As a performer myself I must say these are true Legends of music in past present and future. There is so much of passion in Billy oceans artistry. Blessings and Love Ricky Bahar from Sri Lanka
Walter Barroso
Hermoso tema exelente voz .solo escuchar....👍
Virgil Popescu
My God, this is the best version (besides the original one) !
Gilvan Silva
Eu adoro essa lenda VC é fantástico
Juliana
Lindooooo!!!
Bob' Zé
Massa..💚❤️💛