He emerged as a solo star in 1966 with the smash hit "I've Got to Go Back Home", a song which has become a much-loved anthem for Jamaicans. He had served his singing and songwriting apprenticeship with the legendary vocal group THE PARAGONS, which he founded with Tyrone (Don) Evans and Howard Barrett, later joined by John Holt. The Paragons had several hits for producer Coxsone Dodd including the Number One "Love At Last", penned by Bob.
As one of STUDIO ONE's leading lights, Bob worked closely with Jackie Mittoo on many of the label's seminal sounds. Besides writing songs for himself which have become reggae standards - "Feeling Soul", "My Time", "Going Home", and "Too Experienced", to name just a few - Bob contributed hits for many of the other artists there.
In 1970, international recognition came when Bob and Marcia Griffiths recorded Nina Simone's "Young, Gifted and Black", which sold 1/2 million in the UK and Europe, and still receives frequent airplay today. BOB & MARCIA became household names, appearing on Top of the Pops and touring extensively. They had another UK Top Ten single and two albums for Trojan Records.
During the early 70s Bob continued his solo recordings; "You Don't Know" and "Life" are two songs from this time which hold a special place in the hearts of his British fans. After the duo split in 1974, Marcia became one of Bob Marley's I-Threes, and Bob's singles "Fire Burning" and "Check It Out" struck a responsive chord with Jamaicans in the new social consciousness of the Manley era.
In the middle Seventies Bob was the Tropical Soundtracs label's A&R manager. He and Marcia reunited for the Kemar LP, which remains the definitive Bob & Marcia album and has been released as Really Together on Bob's own label.
Bob was one of the first Jamaican artists to establish his own publishing company, ANDISONGS, and served as one of the prime movers in the attempt to establish a Caribbean Copyright Organisation.
1978 saw the release of Bob's album Lots of Love and I, which amongst many excellent tracks contains the classics "Ghetto Stays in the Mind" and "Feel the Feeling." In the same year he traveled to Cuba to perform at the 11th World Festival of Youth and Students. Then began a five year absence from the music scene as Bob became increasingly involved in acting. He took lead roles in several theatre productions, and in 1979 starred in the Jamaican feature film Children of Babylon.
In 1983 Bob was welcomed back to the reggae charts with a Number One single, "Honey", followed by a Number One album, Friends. For these and subsequent releases he formed his own label, I-ANKA, in Jamaica and the UK.
During 1985 Bob toured California, appeared at the Youth Festival in Moscow, and headlined the first Japanese Reggae Sunsplash. The Retrospective album was released in 1986 (1987 on Heartbeat/Rounder Records in North America) to widespread critical acclaim. It provides a missing historical link between the Studio One masterpiece Bob Andy's Songbook and his more recent work.
In November 1987, Bob assumed the post of A&R and Promotions Director for Tuff Gong (the group of companies founded by Bob Marley). In this capacity he represented Tuff Gong Music at many industry functions in Jamaica and abroad. He produced music by such artists as Nadine Sutherland, Ernest Wilson and Tyrone Taylor, as well as new talent. Bob's stay at Tuff Gong provided him with many opportunities to express his life-long desire for higher standards in Jamaican music, both in its business operations and in the quality of its musical output.
Freely, released on I-Anka in late 1988, comprised tracks recorded throughout the middle 80s. It received rave reviews and spent many months in the reggae charts.
Assuming once again his role of Jamaican music pioneer, Bob spent six months in Australia in 1989, conducting workshops and playing with local musicians. On December 13th 1989, he joined other leading reggae artists at Gdansk Shipyard in Poland in an Anti-Apartheid concert sponsored by Solidarity to celebrate the progress of the world's liberation movements.
During the 90s Continental Records, one of Brazil's largest record companies, issued a Bob Andy compilation album, and several of Bob's albums received Japanese releases. Bob recorded the album Hanging Tough for producer Willie Lindo at his Heavy Beat Studios in Miami. The set was released in 1997 on VP Records and included the inspirational singles "Love This Life" and "Die No More."
Formal recognition of Bobβs musical contributions has flowed in from many sources during the last two decades. Rockers Magazine honoured Bob with a Lifetime Achievement Award in Kingston in 1989, as did the Canadian Reggae Music Awards in Toronto in 1991. Bobβs song βFire Burningβ received the JAMI Award for Song of the Year in 1991. In 1997 he was named as one of the musicβs βLiving Legendsβ at the Reggae/Soca Awards in Miami and was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the 1999 Bob Marley Day Festival in Southern California. He received the Prime Ministerβs Award for Excellence in Jamaica in 2003.
The 90s and the first decade of the new millennium have found Bob continuing to give stunning performances in Europe, Japan, Jamaica, Canada and the US. In addition to his solo performances he has taken part in a series of special reunion concerts with Marcia Griffiths. He has added new classics to his repertoire, such as the well-received singles βZionβ, βThere Is A Godβ and βSka Music (is Jah Music)β.
In early 2005, Bob made his first journey to Africa. He performed at the Bob Marley 60th birthday concert in Addis Ababa to an audience of several hundred thousand, and also sang at the Ethiopian Presidentβs Palace. During a visit to Shashemane in the weeks following, he gave benefit concerts for the 12 Tribes.
Jamaica conferred its Order of Distinction in the rank of Commander (CD) on Keith βBob Andyβ Anderson in October 2006 for his contributions to the development of reggae music.
Most recently, Bobβs new compositions include two successful singles recorded for the Altafaan label: βCreate Our Historyβ with Luciano (2006), and βAlmighty Dollaβ (spring 2007).
It has often been noted that the mark of a great artist is the continued production of notable works throughout his lifetime. A veritable explosion of cover versions of Bobβs songs and rhythms has already introduced a new generation of fans to his music. Bobβs audience will have much to savour as they as become familiar with his current songs, which will only serve to further enhance one of the most distinctive and distinguished bodies of work in Jamaicaβs musical history.
My Time
Bob Andy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I just can't stand the pressure.
I can't be any meeker,
I've got to find me some other treasure.
I need nothing to be a man,
Because I was born a man.
And I deserve the right,
To live like any other man.
My mind's in such a state,
Sometimes it makes me sick.
At times I've tried to hate,
But I just don't know the trick.
I need nothing to be a man,
Because I was born a man.
And I deserve the right,
To feel like any other man
Experience has taught me wisdom,
Thank God I've got some life left.
I'm getting out of serfdom,
My soul has stand the test.
I need nothing to be a man,
Because I was born a man
And I deserve the right,
To be like any other man.
Ooh like any other man.
Just let me live like any ordinary man.
I wanna, wanna, wanna live.
Ooh, yeah, yeah.
The song "My Time" by Bob Andy is a powerful expression of human dignity and a plea for equality. The lyrics describe the singer's frustration with the pressures of society and their struggle to maintain their sense of self-worth. The repeated refrain, "I need nothing to be a man, because I was born a man," reinforces the idea that every person has inherent value and should be able to live their life without discrimination or oppression.
The opening lines, "My resistance is getting weaker, I just can't stand the pressure," suggest that the singer is feeling the weight of societal expectations and the struggle to maintain their sense of self in the face of external pressure. The mention of treasure in the next line implies that the singer is searching for something more meaningful than the superficial rewards that society seems to value. The following verse describes the singer's struggle with their own thoughts and emotions, but ultimately reinforces their belief in their own worth as a human being.
The final verse is a declaration of independence and freedom. The singer has gained wisdom through experience and is no longer willing to be held in "serfdom," or treated as subservient to others. They demand the right to be treated like any other human being, with dignity and respect.
Overall, "My Time" is a powerful expression of human dignity and a call to action for equality and justice.
Line by Line Meaning
My resistance is getting weaker,
I am losing my strength to resist the pressure forced on me by society.
I just can't stand the pressure.
I cannot bear the pressure anymore and it's starting to take a toll on me.
I can't be any meeker,
I cannot become any more submissive than I already am.
I've got to find me some other treasure.
I need to find something meaningful to me besides what society sees as a 'treasure.'
I need nothing to be a man,
Being a man should not depend on external factors, as I was born a man.
Because I was born a man.
I have always been a man and should be treated as such.
And I deserve the right,
I have earned the right to live my life as a man as anyone else has.
To live like any other man.
I should be able to live my life as a man similarly to how anyone else would be able to, without discrimination.
My mind's in such a state,
My mental health is taking a toll due to the societal pressure placed on me.
Sometimes it makes me sick.
The pressure on my mind can be overwhelming to the point of making me physically ill.
At times I've tried to hate,
I have attempted to hate the society and the world that is constantly pressuring me to fit in.
But I just don't know the trick.
However, I am unable to hate because I do not have the knowledge of how to do so.
Experience has taught me wisdom,
My past experiences have taught me valuable lessons and given me wisdom.
Thank God I've got some life left.
I am grateful that I still have time to live my life the way I want to.
I'm getting out of serfdom,
I am breaking free from the oppression and servitude that society has placed upon me.
My soul has stand the test.
My soul has been through a lot but has come out stronger.
To feel like any other man
I should be able to have similar emotions and experiences as any other man.
Ooh like any other man.
I want to live my life as a man similar to how anyone else would.
Just let me live like any ordinary man.
I simply want to live my life as a man without any societal or external pressure.
I wanna, wanna, wanna live.
I want to be able to live my life as I wish without the interference of society.
Ooh, yeah, yeah.
This is a call for a change and an understanding that we should all be treated equally without prejudice.
Contributed by Isaac J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ralphchapman3199
This song is absolutely beautiful! Says everything!! RIP Brother
@bassiehd
One of the great singer/songwriters in Jamaican music. Right up there with Bob Marley and Joe Higgs.
@felisdom2739
Found this on old cassette I taped off radio in late 90s. Beautiful tune, thank you pirate stations of London for playing such wonderful reggae.
@vintonthorpe4936
RIP Bob you did a wonderful job here on earth JAH BLESS
@cuffy6322
Sincerest Condolences to you all.
RIP BobππΏ
@S.A.T.7
Experience has taught me wisdom,
Thank God I've got some life left.
I'm getting out of serfdom,
My soul has stand the test.
I need nothing to be a man,
Because I was born a man
And I deserve the right,
To be like any other man.πππ
@michaellifetv5696
RIP legendary Bob Andy
@emac787
RIP Bob Andy
@cloviscameron7233
Shock : I didn't know that he had passed away:: may Allah be pleased with him and grant him eternal rest.
@cliffwilliams2022
The great bob Andy