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.
Ring The Alarm Quick
Buju Banton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
R-r-r-r-rring!
Hey, ring de alarm!
Hey, whoah! Ring de alarm!
And not a sound is dying whoah!
Hey, ring de alarm!
And not a sound is dying whoah!
Some sound sound like a big drum pan
Listen de sound it a champion
Ram the dance Inna any session
Rock up the woman and rock up the man
Ring me alarm and not a sound is dying whoah!
Hey, ring de alarm!
And not a sound is dying whoah!
Hey,
Tee tar toe, we beat'em all in a row
Donkey waan water but dem hol' Im trough
Tee tar toe we beat'em all in a row
Dark has waan water but, hol' im trough
Ring me alarm
Four big sound Inna one big land
The don sound a play de other three team come
Four big sound Inna one big land
De boom sound a play de other three team gone
Ring me alarm
Remember this sound it de talk of the down
Talk of the country, hey
Rock mr. Charlie, rock ms Munchy
Talk of the country, so
Ring me alarm and not a sound is dying
I know, I know
Ring me alarm and not a sound is suffering
Whoah! Hey
Watch de sound man a-tremble
Watch de sound man a-pray
Watch de sound man a-tremble
Watch de sound man a-pray
Ring me alarm and not a sound is dying
I know, I know
Ring me alarm and not a sound is suffering
Whoah! Hey
Little of this and little of that
Rock sister Carmen, rock mr. Rat
Rock the white and rock up the black
Sweet reggae music gaan pan de attack yes a
Pan de attack it gaan pan de attack
Sweet reggae music gaan straight non-stop
Ring me alarm and not a sound is dying
Whoah! Hey
Ring me alarm and not a sound is suffering
Whoah! Hey
Some sounds sound like a big drum pan
Listen de sound it a champion
Ram de dance Inna any session
Rank the woman and groove up the man
Ring me alarm and not a sound is suffering
Whoah! Hey
Ring me alarm and not a sound is dying
Whoah! Hey
Beat 'em there an' we beat 'em there
We beat 'em all over dis athmosphere
Champion sound, we jus' don' care
"Ring The Alarm Quick Quick" is a reggae classic from Buju Banton and Tenor Saw, and the lyrics are a call to action for a sound system to turn up the volume and make everyone start dancing. In the first verse, the familiar sound of a telephone ringing is used as a sound effect to signal the start of the song, and the repeated use of "ring de alarm" is a command to the sound system operator to crank up the bass and get the party started. The lyrics describe the power of the sound system to make people dance and enjoy themselves, and the song celebrates the energy and excitement of reggae music.
The second verse of "Ring The Alarm Quick Quick" introduces some playful wordplay, as "tee tar toe" and "donkey waan water" are used to create a rhythm that mimics the sound of a drum. The lyrics continue to focus on the power of the sound system to move people, and the third verse emphasizes the power of music to create a sense of community and celebrate differences. The final verse includes a reference to "white" and "black" and suggests that reggae music can bring people together in a positive way.
Line by Line Meaning
R-r-r-r-rring!
The sound of the alarm ringing loudly and urgently
Hey, ring de alarm!
A call to activate the alarm
Hey, whoah! Ring de alarm!
Urgent call to activate the alarm
And not a sound is dying whoah!
Nothing can stop the sound from ringing out loud and clear
Some sound sound like a big drum pan
Some music sounds like a big drum set
Listen de sound it a champion
The music is of the highest quality
Ram the dance Inna any session
The music will dominate any dance hall
Rock up the woman and rock up the man
The music is so infectious that both men and women will dance
Tee tar toe, we beat'em all in a row
The music is so good that everyone is dancing in a row
Donkey waan water but dem hol' Im trough
The music is so good that even a donkey wants to dance
Dark has waan water but, hol' im trough
Even a horse that dislikes water would drink it if it's good enough
Four big sound Inna one big land
There are four big sound systems in one location
The don sound a play de other three team come
One sound system is so good that it makes the other three come to listen
Remember this sound it de talk of the down
The music is the talk of the town
Talk of the country, hey
Everyone in the country is talking about the music
Rock mr. Charlie, rock ms Munchy
Even the most unlikely people are dancing to the music
Watch de sound man a-tremble
The person in charge of the sound system is nervous
Watch de sound man a-pray
The person in charge of the sound system is hoping for the best
Little of this and little of that
The music is a combination of different styles
Rock sister Carmen, rock mr. Rat
Even the animals are dancing to the music
Rock the white and rock up the black
People of all races will enjoy the music
Sweet reggae music gaan pan de attack yes a
The reggae music is attacking everything in its path with its sweetness
Pan de attack it gaan pan de attack
The music is relentlessly attacking everything in its path
Sweet reggae music gaan straight non-stop
The music will keep going strong without stopping
Beat 'em there an' we beat 'em there
We beat them in every location
We beat 'em all over dis athmosphere
We beat everyone in every atmosphere and environment
Champion sound, we jus' don' care
The music is so good and confident that it doesn't care what others think
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: H JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Yuran Ricardo
on Fake Smile
with your cynical green
you leave no action
If there’s a choking problem she a reach with everyone
why acting dumb. second verse:
with your cynical green
you leave no action
If you have a choking problems she a reach with everyone
why acting dumb
Kern Rodney
on Fake Smile
If there's ah joke in progress share it with everyone, why acting dumb?