Buju Banton (born Mark Myrie 1973) is a Jamaican dancehall, ragga, and regg… Read Full Bio ↴Buju Banton (born Mark Myrie 1973) is a Jamaican dancehall, ragga, and reggae singer. He was born in a slum near Kingston, Jamaica called Salt Lane. "Buju" is a nickname which is of Breadfruit. The name is ironic in light of Mark Myrie's slim frame and large head, but it is, nevertheless, the nickname his mother gave him as a child. "Banton" is a Jamaican word referring to someone with a superior attitude and a gift with speech, but it was also the name of a local artist Burro Banton that Buju admired as a child. It was Burro's rough gravelly vocals that Buju emulated and ultimately made his own. Buju's mother was a higgler, or street vendor while his father worked as a labourer at a tile factory. He was one of fifteen children born into a family which was directly descended from the Maroons, a group of escaped slaves who proudly fought off the British colonialists.

As a youngster, Buju would often watch his favourite artists perform at outdoor shows and local dancehalls. At the tender age of 13 he picked up the microphone for himself and began toasting under the monicker of "Gargamel". His first single, "The Ruler" was released not long afterwards in 1987 under the production of Robert French at Penthouse Studios.

In 1991, Buju joined Donovan Germain's Penthouse Label and began a fruitful partnership with producer Dave Kelly. Buju is one of the most popular musicians in Jamaican history, having burst onto the charts there suddenly in 1992, with "Bogle" and "Love Me Browning/Love Black Woman", both massive hits in Jamaica. Controversy erupted over Love Me Browning which spoke of Banton's preference for light-skinned women: "Mi love mi car mi love mi house mi love mi money and ting, but most of all mi love mi browning." Some accused Banton of promoting a colonialist attitude and denigrating the beauty of black women. In response, he released "Black Woman" which spoke of his love for dark-skinned beauties: "Stop cry, fi all black woman, respect all the gyals with dark complexion." 1992 was an explosive year for Buju as he broke the great Bob Marley's record for the greatest number of number one singles in a year. Beginning with "Man fi Dead", Buju's gruff voice dominated the Jamaican airwaves for the duration of the year. Banton's debut album, Mr. Mention, includes his greatest hits from that year.

1992 was also the year in which the controversy over Buju's homophobic "Boom Bye Bye" exploded. The media in Great Britain picked up on Buju's less than admirable promotion of violence against homosexuals. Myrie, who had recently signed with Mercury records, refused to back down from his stance against homosexuals, claiming his religious beliefs prevented him from accepting homosexuality. Banton downplayed the violent content of his song, claiming that it was metaphorical. Gay Rights groups campaigned against Buju as well as Shabba Ranks who, when asked about the controversy on the British show The Word, stated, "God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve." Shabba later apologized, but Buju refused to back down which drew the ire of various homosexual advocacy groups who continue to campaign against him.

Banton released the hard-hitting Voice of Jamaica in 1993. The album included a number of conscious tracks. These tracks included "Deportees" a song which criticized those Jamaicans who went abroad but never sent money home, a remix of Little Roy's "Tribal War", a sharp condemnation of political violence, and "Willy, Don't Be Silly" which promoted condom use. The conscious spin of this disc did little to stop the attacks of gay rights groups who felt that his continued performance of "Boom Bye Bye" was a slap in their faces. Some dancehall fans felt that Banton could have exploded onto the American scene if his homophobic song hadn't held him back. Nevertheless, Buju was adopted by many new fans who appreciated his gravelly vocals and cared little about his homophobia.

Til Shiloh (1995) was a very influential album, using a studio band instead of synthesized music, and marking a slight shift away from dancehall towards roots reggae for Banton. Buju turned Rasta and his new album reflected his new beliefs. Til Shiloh is one of the greatest dancehall albums of all time and successfully blended conscious lyrics with a hard-hitting dancehall vibe. The album included a single called "Murderer" which condemned the violence in Jamaican dancehall music, inspired by the murders of dancehall musicians Panhead and Dirtsman. The song inspired several clubs to stop playing songs with excessively violent subject matter. This conscious album had a large impact on dancehall music and showed the hunger the dancehall massive had for conscious lyrics. Dancehall music did not move away from slack and violent lyrics, but the album did pave the way for a greater spirituality within the music.

Inna Heights (1997) substantially increased Banton's international audience as Buju explored his singing ability and recorded a number of roots-tinged tracks. Banton covered The Silvertones' "Destiny" and recorded songs with such artists as Beres Hammond and the legendary Toots Hibbert. The album was well-received but had distribution problems. Also, some fans were disappointed, having hoped for another ground-breaking album like "Til Shiloh." Still, Buju's experimentation and soaring vocals impressed many fans and this album remains a highly regarded work.

In 1998, Buju met the punk band Rancid and recorded two tracks with them: "Misty Days" and "Life Won't Wait." The latter became the title track of Rancid's 1999 album, Life Won't Wait. Subsequently, Buju signed with Rancid's eclectic Anti, a subsidiary of Epitaph and released Unchained Spirit in 2000.

In March 2003 he released Friends for Life, which featured more sharply political songs, including "Mr. Nine", an anti-gun song that further verified his status as one of reggae's most anti-confrontational artists.

Banton's 2006 album Too Bad got him nominated for a second Grammy but despite the album's brilliance and artistic excellence "Too Bad" did not garner the award. "Too Bad" brings us back to the Buju of the nineties with his rough phenomenal voice backed by hypnotic beats and conscious lyrics that seem to stay on repeat in your head. "Too Bad" is a complete listen from start to finish and is an extra success because the Gargamel executive produced the album on his own label.

On April 21, 2009, Buju released the often delayed album Rasta Got Soul. This is Banton's ninth album and features the hit single Magic City. This release sees Buju returning to roots and culture reggae. The album received a Grammy nomination in the Best Reggae Album category.

As of December 2009, Buju allegedly attempted to buy cocaine from an undercover officer in Miami and faces up to life in prison if convicted. The trial of Banton began on September 20, 2010 in Tampa, Florida.

Heartbreak Lover
Buju Banton Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You can go if you want to
You can stay if you like
You can do almost anything
But you don't run my life
I don't need you ultimatums
I can't deal with no stress
You don't run no part of me
I'm different from the rest

[Chorus]
Don't need another heartache
Heartbreak Lover
'Cause I'm a boombastic kind of lover

You can do nothing now to please me
You don't fit my style
You can even try and sweet talk me
Only for a while
Don't ask your friends to call me
I won't change my mind
I tell you it's all over now
Don't waste you time

Has it ever occurred to you
That I'm a man who's heart can be broken
Woy, woy, woy woman
I want to speak to you
Don't you hurt me over and over again
Where me way?
Did it ever occurred to you
That I'm a a man whose heart can be broken
Woy, woy, woy girl a want to speak to you
Don't hurt me over and over again I lame

You can go if you want to
You can stay if you like
You can do almost anything
But you don't run my life
I don't need you ultimatums
I can't deal with no stress
You don't run no part of me
I'm different from the rest

[Chorus]

You can do nothing now to please me
You don't fit my style
You can even try and sweet talk me
Only for a while
Don't ask your friends to call me
I won't change my mind
I tell you it's all over now
Don't waste you time

Heartache what me fear spread it everywhere
Woman me honor you dolly me know come ya fe jeer
Pat says she loves me and me wonder if she care
The woman I'm looking for must be somewhere out there
See Buju ya, Maxi Priest, Beres Hammond gone clear
Type of man fe make the girl them chat

Armhouse and carousing that we don't want
Raise up gal picnee 'cause we don't stop dance

Overall Meaning

Buju Banton's song Heartbreak Lover speaks about the rapper's desire to be free from a toxic relationship that is causing him pain. In the opening verse, Buju is clear about the fact that the girl he is singing about does not run his life. He is not willing to become a slave to the girl's whims and urges her to leave if she wants to go. He emphasizes that he is different from the rest and won't be manipulated or bossed around. The chorus highlights Buju's fear of another heartbreak and a plea for a less painful relationship. The second verse echoes the first verse, reiterating that the girl doesn't fit his style and he won't change his mind even if friends plead with him. The bridge sees Buju admit that he is seeking a woman whom he can trust and who will not break his heart yet again. Despite the strong words, the song is groovy and danceable, a trademark of the music scene in the Caribbean.

Line by Line Meaning

You can go if you want to
I won't stop you from leaving if you choose to.

You can stay if you like
It's up to you whether you want to leave or stay.

You can do almost anything
Your actions don't dictate mine, you can do what you want.

But you don't run my life
I won't let you control my life and decisions.

I don't need your ultimatums
I won't be forced into anything, I make my own choices.

I can't deal with no stress
I won't tolerate any unnecessary stress in my life.

You don't run no part of me
My life is my own, you have no control over me.

I'm different from the rest
I'm an individual and I won't conform to societal norms.

Don't need another heartache
I don't want to get hurt again.

Heartbreak Lover
I've had enough of heartbreak and pain from past relationships.

'Cause I'm a boombastic kind of lover
I want a passionate and exciting relationship.

You can do nothing now to please me
I've lost interest and nothing you do will change that.

You don't fit my style
We're not compatible, we have different lifestyles.

You can even try and sweet talk me
Even if you try to charm me, it won't work.

Only for a while
Your charm will only work temporarily.

Don't ask your friends to call me
Don't try to change my mind through friends or gossip.

I won't change my mind
My decision is final, I won't reconsider.

I tell you it's all over now
Our relationship is done, there's nothing left to salvage.

Don't waste your time
Don't bother trying to get back together, it's pointless.

Has it ever occurred to you
Have you ever thought about this?

That I'm a man whose heart can be broken
I'm not invincible, I can be hurt too.

Woy, woy, woy woman
Expressing frustration with the situation to the woman.

I want to speak to you
I need to discuss something with you.

Don't you hurt me over and over again
Stop repeating the same hurtful behavior towards me.

Where me way?
Where are you going?

Did it ever occur to you
Have you ever considered?

That I'm a man whose heart can be broken
I'm not invincible, I can be hurt too.

Woy, woy, woy girl a want to speak to you
Expressing frustration with the situation to the woman.

Don't hurt me over and over again I lame
I can't handle being hurt repeatedly.

Heartache what me fear spread it everywhere
I don't want to experience heartache and I'm spreading that message.

Woman me honor you dolly me know come ya fe jeer
I respect women and won't tolerate being disrespected in return.

Pat says she loves me and me wonder if she care
I'm uncertain if someone who professes love for me actually cares about me.

The woman I'm looking for must be somewhere out there
I haven't found my ideal partner yet, but I believe she's out there.

See Buju ya, Maxi Priest, Beres Hammond gone clear
Acknowledging other successful musicians in the industry.

Type of man fe make the girl them chat
I'm the type of man that women will talk about.

Armhouse and carousing that we don't want
I don't want a casual or superficial relationship.

Raise up gal picnee 'cause we don't stop dance
Dancing and enjoying life regardless of relationship status.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ROBERT MCDONALD LIVINGSTON, SHAUN PIZZONIA, GARY BENSON, MARK MYRIE, MAXI ELLIOT

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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