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.
Sleepless Nights
Buju Banton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ohhh Girl
Where is the joy where is your big broad smile
Ohh who who who
Seems you don't trust me anymore
Showing signs I've never seen before
Baby on my own I should get by
Could I would I?
Must I deny?
Clearly you don't trust me anymore ahhh
Showing signs I've never seen
And to erase the mistakes of life and amend
If I had a chance to do it again
Id right the wrongs that your little heart
Would not be singing sad songs
All the pain is all the past
That grows and die like grass
I don't ever want to live without you ohhhh
Baby on my own I should get by
Could I would I?
How will I know if I don't try?
Must I deny?
Clearly you don't love me anymore ahhh
Showing signs I've never seen before
Ahhh ahhh (could I would I) ahhh ahhh
Clearly you don't trust me anymore ahhh
Showing signs I have never seen (before)
These are restless and sleepless nights
Alone I cry
You're not around me to confide
Because of your pride
I tried you said I lied ohhhh
So fed up I'm sick and tired
Ohhh I say
Baby on my own I should get by
Could I would I
How will I know if I don't try?
Must I deny?
Clearly you don't trust me anymore ahhh
Showing signs I've never seen
And to erase the mistakes of life and amend
If I had a chance to do it again
Id right the wrongs that your little heart
Would not be singing sad songs
All the pain is all the past
That grows and die like grass
I don't ever want to live without you ohhh
Baby on my own I should get by
Could I would I?
How will I know if I don't try?
Must I deny?
Clearly you don't love me anymore ahhh
Showing signs I've never seen before
Ahhh ahhh (could I would I) ahhh ahhh ohhh
Clearly you don't trust me anymore ahhh
Showing signs I've never seen before
The lyrics to "Sleepless Nights" by Buju Banton express the pain and confusion that come with a lack of trust in a relationship. The first verse highlights the issues the singer sees in their partner's behavior: they no longer smile or seem to find joy, and they display signs of doubting and distrusting the singer. The following lines express the singer's confusion over how to proceed, wondering if they should try to make things right or give up altogether. The chorus repeats these questions, with the singer lamenting the loss of trust and love in the relationship.
The second verse introduces the idea of past mistakes and the desire to make things right "if I had a chance to do it again." The singer acknowledges the pain that has been caused and expresses a desire to move forward and leave it behind. However, the chorus returns to the same questions and doubts about whether trust and love can ever be restored.
Overall, the lyrics of "Sleepless Nights" capture the emotional turmoil of a relationship that has lost its foundation of trust. The singer is left with questions, doubts, and a sense of helplessness in the face of someone else's mistrust and lack of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Something is wrong I see it in your eyes (your eyes)
I can tell that something is bothering you just by looking at your eyes.
Where is the joy where is your big broad smile
I don't see you happy anymore like you used to be.
Seems you don't trust me anymore
It appears that you have lost faith in me and don't believe me anymore.
Showing signs I've never seen before
Your actions and behavior are unfamiliar and new to me.
Baby on my own I should get by
Could I would I?
I could and would survive on my own, but I'm not sure if that's what I want to do.
How will I know if I don't try?
Must I deny?
I need to try to make things right between us and I can't deny the feelings I have.
Clearly you don't trust me anymore ahhh
Showing signs I've never seen
You clearly lack trust in me and your behavior is new to me, confusing me further.
And to erase the mistakes of life and amend
If I had a chance to do it again
I would erase the mistakes I made in the past and make things right if I could go back in time.
Id right the wrongs that your little heart
Would not be singing sad songs
I would fix the mistakes I have made so that you don't have to feel pain and sadness anymore.
All the pain is all the past
That grows and die like grass
The pain and hurt that we have experienced in the past will fade away and be forgotten eventually, like grass that grows and dies.
I don't ever want to live without you ohhhh
I can't imagine my life without you, and I never want to experience it.
These are restless and sleepless nights
Alone I cry
I can't sleep and I'm restless at night, and I cry alone with no one to confide in.
Because of your pride
I tried you said I lied ohhhh
Your pride caused you to deny my truth even though I tried to be honest with you.
So fed up I'm sick and tired
Ohhh I say
I am frustrated and exhausted by this situation and it's wearing me down.
Writer(s): Mark Anthony Myrie, Donovan Keith Bennett, Don Corleone
Contributed by Emily G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@nakaylaadderley2185
Something is wrong I see it in your eyes (your eyes)
Ohhh Girl
Where is the joy where is your big broad smile
Ohh who who who
Seems you don't trust me anymore
Showing signs I've never seen before
Baby on my own I should get by
Could I would I?
How will I know if I don't try?
Must I deny?
Clearly you don't trust me anymore ahhh
Showing signs I've never seen
And to erase the mistakes of life and amend
If I had a chance to do it again
Id right the wrongs that your little heart
Would not be singing sad songs
All the pain is all the past
That grows and die like grass
I don't ever want to live without you ohhhh
Baby on my own I should get by
Could I would I?
How will I know if I don't try?
Must I deny?
Clearly you don't love me anymore ahhh
Showing signs I've never seen before
Ahhh ahhh (could I would I) ahhh ahhh
Clearly you don't trust me anymore ahhh
Showing signs I have never seen (before)
These are restless and sleepless nights
Alone I cry
You're not around me to confide
Because of your pride
I tried you said I lied ohhhh
So fed up I'm sick and tired
Ohhh I say
Baby on my own I should get by
Could I would I
How will I know if I don't try?
Must I deny?
Clearly you don't trust me anymore ahhh
Showing signs I've never seen
And to erase the mistakes of life and amend
If I had a chance to do it again
Id right the wrongs that your little heart
Would not be singing sad songs
All the pain is all the past
That grows and die like grass
I don't ever want to live without you ohhh
Baby on my own I should get by
Could I would I?
How will I know if I don't try?
Must I deny?
Clearly you don't love me anymore ahhh
Showing signs I've never seen before
Ahhh ahhh (could I would I) ahhh ahhh ohhh
Clearly you don't trust me anymore ahhh
Showing signs I've never seen before
@policeinsighttalkshow
2024 anyone
@ontlametserakonche4362
Um here how have you been
@gunjahman69
20 Years later and Buju is still relevant in Dancehall. Simply put Buju is the greatest dancehall artist of all time BAR NONE. More constructive lyrics, more intelligent lyrics, more substance, don't sound the same on more than one track, and of course very smart. When Buju came out first Cobra tried to war with him and Buju didn't take the bait, instead he's been making great music fi years. Nuff Respect Gargamel....
@faraimarapira8050
2020 still listen and love this
@khaliawilliams2050
Same with me
@traceen.goodman8774
2022
@danielarabic4972
2023
@shivrongay5243
2024
@TWINS0030
Don't know why but this song makes me want to cry and smile at once
@slymusau
Gives me the same emotions