Black Uhuru is a Jamaican reggae band probably best known for their hits "S… Read Full Bio ↴Black Uhuru is a Jamaican reggae band probably best known for their hits "Shine Eye Gal", "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," "Sinsemilla," "Solidarity," and "What Is Life?". They were the first group to win a Grammy in the reggae category when it was introduced in 1985. They originally formed as 'Black Sounds Uhuru' (the Kiswahili word for freedom).

The first line-up of the group was Garth Dennis, Don Carlos, and Derrick "Duckie" Simpson. The group has undergone several lineup changes: Carlos left, replaced by Michael Rose; then Dennis left to play with The Wailing Souls, and was replaced by Errol Nelson. During this early period, the band's most famous recording is the album entitled Love Crisis, later rereleased as Black Sounds Of Freedom. In 1979 the group was joined by Sandra "Puma" Jones, a social worker from North Carolina, USA. Under this lineup, (Rose, Simpson and Jones), with Sly & Robbie as producers (and also permanently employed on drum and bass), they released the band's most popular albums: Sinsemilla, Red, Chill Out, and the Grammy-winning Anthem¹, as well as others. During this period, Black Uhuru became one of the most popular reggae groups in the world, regularly touring with the likes of The Police and The Rolling Stones. Live 1984 (a concert at the Rockpalast in Germany, but was actually recorded on October 18, 1981) captures the band at the height of its powers.

After Rose went solo in 1985, Junior Reid joined for a few records and also left; Puma Jones left in 1987 (and died of cancer three years later, in 1990). In 1990, Simpson reunited with Dennis and Carlos in the original line-up of the group. They recorded several albums and toured extensively. By the end of the 90's, Dennis and Carlos left the band and fought a legal battle against Simpson over the name Black Uhuru. Simpson won the lawsuit and formed yet another incarnation of Black Uhuru with Andrew Bees as lead singer. Only one album, Dynasty, was released before Bees left the group.

In February 2004, it was announced in the Jamaican press that Simpson and Michael Rose had re-united under the name "Black Uhuru feat. Michael Rose". Together with a female backing singer named Kay Starr, they released a single, "Dollars" and performed at several concerts including "Western Consciousness 2004" on April 28 in Jamaica, of which a live video was released shortly thereafter. A new album has been reported to be in progress.

== Discography ==

'Group: Derrick "Duckie" Simpson, Michael Rose, Errol "Tarzan" Nelson'

*1977 - 'Love Crisis'
*1981 - 'Black Sounds of Freedom' ("Love Crisis" reedition)

'Group: Derrick "Duckie" Simpson, Michael Rose, Sandra "Puma" Jones'

*1979 - 'Showcase'
*1980 - 'Black Uhuru'
*1980 - 'Sinsemilia'
*1981 - 'Red'
*1982 - 'Chill Out'
*1983 - 'Guess Who's Coming To Dinner' ("Black Uhuru" reedition)
*1983 - 'Anthem'

'Group: Derrick Simpson, Delroy "Junior" Reid, Sandra "Puma" Jones'

*1986 - 'Brutal'
*1987 - 'Positive' (Puma Jones replaced Olafunke)

'Group: Derrick "Duckie" Simpson, Garth Dennis, Don Carlos'

*1990 - 'Now'
*1991 - 'Iron Storm'
*1993 - 'Mystical truth'
*1994 - 'Strongg'

'Group: Derrick "Duckie" Simpson, Jenifah Nyah, Andrew Bees'

*1998 - 'Unification'
*2001 - 'Dynasty'

'Live / Dub albums:'

*1982 - 'Uhuru in Dub'
*1982 - 'Tear It Up - Live' (album and video)
*1983 - 'The Dub Factor'
*1986 - 'Brutal Dub'
*1987 - 'The Positive Dub'
*1988 - 'Live'
*1988 - 'Live In New York City'
*1990 - 'Now Dub'
*1990 - 'Love Dub' ("Uhuru In Dub" reedition)
*1992 - 'Iron Storm Dub'
*1993 - 'Mystical Truth Dub'
*1994 - 'Strongg Dubb'
*2000 - 'Live 1984'
*2001 - 'In Dub'
*2001 – 'Dubbin'It Live' (summer 2001, at Paléo Festival)

Carbine
Black Uhuru Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Civilian warring among each other
Only to achieve their coffin
So I and I stay away in the big apple
And trod it with care though its full of maggots
Cost of living reach the sky
And no ones knows why
It's just revolution time
So Cool off

Cool off the carbine a yard
Cool off cool off the carbine a yard

Be attentive to my call of Jah
I remember days of long ago
These things used to poison my people
I am willing
I am concerned
With the works of your own hand
Brings the activity of nature
The morning cause I and I to hear
The loving kindness of Jah
Every time when I put my trust in Jah never wrong so I say
Cool off
Cool off the carbine a yard
So cool off
Cool off
Don't go a funeral so cool off can't tek the deddas
Cool off cool off the carblne a yard

It's a gunshot season
And we got over standing
So it's best to qet down and reason
Stop trusting in the abundant of your riches
All you speak of is evolution
It's mind blowinq without direction
And situation objection corruption

Cool off cool off
The carbine a yard
Cool off cool off
The carbine a yard
So I say cool off
Cool off the carbine a yard

There is an understanding

To everything that is seen in existence
So cool off cool off the carbine

Overall Meaning

The song "Carbine" by Black Uhuru is a powerful commentary on the violence and turmoil that plagued Jamaica in the late 70s and early 80s. The opening lines of the song describe civilians warring amongst themselves, leading to their own demise and eventual coffins. The singer of the song, who is absent from Jamaica and living in the "big apple" or New York City, warns against this violence and advocates for peace.

The lyrics also address the high cost of living in Jamaica and the lack of understanding as to why it is so expensive. The singer suggests that it is "revolution time", a time for change and upheaval, but urges people to "cool off" and put down their weapons. The phrase "cool off the carbine" refers to putting down guns, and the use of the term "yard" throughout the song is a reference to Jamaica.

The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "cool off cool off the carbine a yard" which serves as a reminder that peace is always the better option. The singer calls on listeners to pay attention to "Jah", a shorthand reference for God or reggae music icon Bob Marley, and to return to the values and perspectives that helped their people in the past.

Overall, "Carbine" is a powerful call for peace and unity during a time of unrest in Jamaica. The lyrics are a reminder that violence is never the answer, and that there is always a better way to solve problems.

Line by Line Meaning

Civilian warring among each other
People in society are fighting with each other and causing their own demise.

Only to achieve their coffin
Violence is leading to death, and people are fighting for no good reason.

So I and I stay away in the big apple
The singer avoids such situations by staying away from these conflicts by staying in a metropolitan city.

And trod it with care though its full of maggots
Despite the big city's flaws, the singer walks carefully in this corrupt and unstable environment.

Cost of living reach the sky
The cost of living has skyrocketed, making life difficult for people.

And no ones knows why
There seems to be no rational explanation for the increased cost of living.

It's just revolution time
The people have grown restless and are seeking change, leading to a revolution.

So Cool off
The singer is calling for people to calm down and relax.

Cool off the carbine a yard
Stop using guns recklessly to solve problems.

Be attentive to my call of Jah
The singer's calling out to Jah (God) and asking for everyone's attention.

I remember days of long ago
The singer recalls a time when things were different and better.

These things used to poison my people
Certain ideas and actions have poisoned the singer's people, leading to conflict.

I am willing
The singer is eager to help his people and make changes.

I am concerned
The singer is worried about the state of his people and society.

With the works of your own hand
The singer is encouraging people to take responsibility for their own actions and effects on society.

Brings the activity of nature
People's actions have a direct impact on nature and the environment.

The morning cause I and I to hear
In the morning, the singer hears the message of love and kindness from Jah.

The loving kindness of Jah
God's message is one of love and kindness.

Every time when I put my trust in Jah never wrong so I say
The singer has found that trusting in God has never led him wrong.

Don't go a funeral so cool off can't tek the deddas
The singer is warning people not to attend funerals of people who have died due to violence.

It's a gunshot season
There is a high incidence of gun violence in the current season.

And we got over standing
The singer and others are aware of the problems and what is needed to solve them.

So it's best to qet down and reason
The best course of action is to calm down and think rationally about solutions.

Stop trusting in the abundant of your riches
People shouldn't trust solely in their wealth to protect them from violence, but instead aim to create a safer society together.

All you speak of is evolution
People are only talking about change and progress but without a clear direction or plan.

It's mind blowinq without direction
The current efforts towards betterment are confusing and unclear.

And situation objection corruption
The situation is full of corruption and resistance to change.

There is an understanding
The singer believes that all things have an underlying truth that can be understood.

To everything that is seen in existence
The singer contends that everything in existence has meaning and a purpose.

So cool off cool off the carbine
As a way to improve society, the singer once again calls for people to stop using guns recklessly.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Michael Rose

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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