Farian first released the single “Baby Do You Wanna Bump?” in 1975, under the name Boney M. He performed the sparse vocals of the song himself. The song went on to become a hit and it was then that Farian decided to hire a team of dancers and vocalists to ‘front’ the group.
The line-up of the group went through numerous changes, Maizie Williams being the only original member that remained. Not satisfied with merely miming to Farian’s songs, one of the members, Claudja Barry, left on short notice in February 1976 - days before the group was scheduled to appear on a local television gig in Saarbruecken. Liz Mitchell, then an unemployed singer and formerly a member of the Les Humphries Singers, was brought in as a temporary replacement for the gig under the recommendation of Marcia Barrett. Farian was impressed with her performance, and she went on to record Boney M’s first LP, Take The Heat Off Me.
Farian had previously recorded some songs with Marcia Barrett, the other vocalist of the group. A couple of the songs, “Lovin’ Or Leavin’” and “Daddy Cool” were included on Take The Heat Off Me. The commercial response to the album was lukewarm. However, the group rigorously toured discos, clubs and even country fairs to earn a reputation for themselves. The group’s big break came when, at the end of that summer, music-TV-producer Michael ‘Mike’ Leckebusch of Radio Bremen, requested the group for his show “Musikladen”. Boney M appeared on the live music show on 18 September 1976, after 10pm, in their now trademark daring costumes. By the end of the following week, “Daddy Cool” became Germany’s #1 single in the charts. The album was to follow the success of the single.
Despite his success with Boney M, controversy followed the group’s founder, Frank Farian, in what was to later shadow his involvement with Milli Vanilli. Bobby Farrell – the male face of the group – and Maizie Williams contributed to studio recordings but for reasons only known to Frank Farian were apparently left off the final mixes, while their numerous and highly competent live performances from 1977 onwards were never in any doubt. Almost all of the male vocals, along with some of the choir sections in songs such as “Dancing in the Streets” and “Bye Bye Bluebird”, were performed by Farian himself. Farrell, as Farian finally had admitted on German television in 2003, had been chosen for his personality and innovative dancing.
No Woman No Cry
Boney M Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No woman no cry
No woman no cry
No woman no cry
'Cause I remember when we used to sit
In a government yard in Trenchtown
Observing the hypocrites
Good friends we have now
Good friends we've lost
Along the way
In this great future
You can't forget your past
So dry your tears, I say
No woman no cry
No woman no cry
Oh little darling, don't shed no tears
No woman no cry
'Cause I remember when we used to sit
In a government yard in Trenchtown
When Georgie would make the fire lights
I say, log would be burnin' through the nights
Then we would cook cornmeal porridge
Of which I'd share with you
My feet is my only carriage
So I've got to push on through
And while I'm gone
Everything's gonna be alright
Everything's gonna be alright
Everything's gonna be alright now
Everything's gonna be alright
Everything's gonna be alright now
Everything's gonna be alright
No woman no cry
No woman no cry
No woman no cry
No woman no cry
No woman no cry
Oh little darlin' don't shed no tears
No woman no cry
Oh little darlin' don't shed no tears
No woman no cry
Said I re, said I re, said I remember
No woman no cry
You and I and you and I and you and I
No woman no cry
Said I remember when we used to sit there
No woman no cry
In a government yard
No woman no cry
No woman no cry
No woman no cry, yeah
No woman no cry
No woman no cry (you sweet darling)
No woman no cry
No woman no cry, yeah
No woman no cry
No woman no cry, yeah
No woman no cry
No woman no cry
The lyrics to Boney M's "No Woman No Cry" seem to offer a universal message of hope and resilience, with a particular focus on the strength of women. As the song progresses, it becomes clear that the singer is speaking from personal experience, recounting memories of sitting in a government yard in Trenchtown. Despite the challenges they faced, he recalls the good people they met there, and the happy moments they shared.
The second verse offers a glimpse into the day-to-day struggles the singer faced, with references to cooking cornmeal porridge and walking everywhere with his feet as his only mode of transportation. However, even as he pushes ahead, he reassures the listener that everything will be alright in the end.
The repetition of the phrase "no woman no cry" throughout the song is interesting, as it seems to take on different meanings in different contexts. On one level, it could be seen as a literal call to women not to cry, offering comfort and support during difficult times. However, it could also be interpreted more figuratively, as a symbol of the strength and resilience of women, who are able to weather the storms of life without giving up or giving in.
Overall, "No Woman No Cry" is a powerful anthem of hope and solidarity, offering encouragement and inspiration to anyone facing difficult times. Its simple message and catchy melody have made it a beloved classic, still resonating with listeners decades after its initial release.
Line by Line Meaning
No woman no cry
Women should not cry
Cause I remember when we used to sit in a government yard in Trenchtown
I recall our times in the government yard in Trenchtown
Observing the hypocrites mingle with the good people we meet, yeah
We watched the hypocrites mixing with good people we met
Good friends we have now, good friends we've lost along the way
We have some good friends now, but we've also lost some along the way
In this great future you can't forget your past
We cannot forget our past in this bright future
So dry your tears, I say no woman no cry
I suggest you don't cry, hence 'no woman no cry'
Oh little darling, don't shed no tears no woman no cry
Little darling, don't cry, no woman should
When Georgie would make the fire lights I say, log would be burnin' through the nights
Georgie would light the fire, and it would be burning all through the nights
Then we would cook cornmeal porridge of which I'd share with you
We would cook cornmeal porridge and share it between us
My feet is my only carriage so I've got to push on through
I only have my feet to carry me, so I must persevere
And while I'm gone, everything's gonna be alright, everything's gonna be alright, everything's gonna be alright now
Everything will be fine while I'm away
Said I re, said I re, said I remember
I remember, I remember
You and I and you and I and you and I no woman no cry
Together, none of us should cry
No woman no cry yeah
Once again, no woman should cry
No woman no cry (you sweet darling) no woman no cry
No woman should cry, my dear
No woman no cry, yeah no woman no cry
Just repeating that line again
No woman no cry
The song ends with the same line - women should not cry
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: BOB MARLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MaheshSolanki-ti2fu
Simply pure music and clean songs without the use of foul language..
Heaven for music lovers
@mayanscythe
Yessirr
@keshavhotwheelscollection
Boneym and Osibisa were the best in the 70s and 80s
@ashoksarin2736
Even after 27 years - one can feel the difference between the creativity & originality of lyrics & melody of that era!
Boney M will always live in my ❤ !
@theallknowing229
This song was originally sung by bob marley, bro.
@joemarshall7214
Vbb
@BertKrus
Boney M were great and this version of the Bob Marley song is superb!
@giovannijesus9531
That's true, nowadays the music use too much autotune and the quality is completely different, I love old school music
@geraldoclementearaujo9554
Puta Mérda ,cadê o português
@francesca1386
No one comes close to these true artist.!! They did not use vulgar language to be successful!! A real class act.