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.
Who Say
Buju Banton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Woman say me deh pon her wanted list
Hear why
Thought I could live without you (eh-eh)
Thought everything would be fine
Saw nothing special about you
But still you were plauging my mind
You were the last name in my life
Presently you're the most wanted
At the top of my life
And it was yesterday when
I saw you down the lane
You were with my best friend (jealousy real)
My heart felt a pain (and)
And now I'm falling
In love all over again, yeah
How could I ever doubt
That you were my friend
I'm falling
In love all over again (over and over, watch this)
How could I ever doubt
That you were my friend? (Beres)
Who say that big man don't cry?
You never miss di water
'Til yuh well run dry
Could you find it inna yuh heart
To give me one more bly
I won't abuse the situation
This time I won't lie
By mi nightly conversation
Also mi lullaby
Well she squeeze orange juice
An' mi eggs well fried
Garments well clean
From mi socks to mi tie
She's a friend, also a lover
Dat mean me not fi shy
Me express meself
Straight up to the sky, yo
Who say that big man don't cry?
Yuh never miss di water
'Til di well run dry
Me say, who say that big man don't cry?
Now I'm falling
In love sll over again (It's only natural)
How could I ever doubt
That you were my friend? (Eh-eh)
(Right now I'm falling) Falling
In love all over again (as I would say)
How could I ever doubt
That you were my friend? (Watch this)
Woman I miss all yuh sweet chat
An' how you massage mi back
It bun me hard fi see seh
John Tom ah get dat
Woman want affection
Somebody fi lean pon
Through mi ignorance
Me never understand
I going take time out
To show me love motion
An' mek you know we cyaan stop correspond
I am di greatest loverboy in all di island
More time yuh slip up, more time you gwan wrong
Hear me out, woman I beg you understand
Even the wisest man, the great King Solomon
Tek weh him dickie and get a wrong bank
Dats how him lost him throat
Inna di great Babylon, so me say
Who say that big man don't cry?
I learn the hard way
Woman don't ask me why
Who say that big man don't cry?
Come down Beres Hammond
Come tell the world why
And now I'm falling
In love all over again, yeah
How could I ever doubt (how could I)
That you were my friend? (He's a friend also a lover)
I'm falling
In love all over again
How could I ever doubt
That you were my friend? (Watch this!)
All over di earth
Di woman dem God bless
Put pon di land fi man
Di man ah make dem tek set
More time you hurt dem feeling
And make dem vex
But di making up part
That is the greatest
Discuss matters over cup ah tea
And kiss and caress
Wan' Buju Banton
Dem rate you as di best
Tell me, who say that big man don't cry?
I've learned the hard way, don't ask the DJ why
Who say that big man don't cry?
Dat make me eye drip
Beres him no stop cry
How could I ever doubt
That you were my friend?
(I didn't know you were my friend)
I'm falling
In love all over again
Buju Banton's song Who Say is a reggae ballad about love and regret. The song tells a story of a man who took his partner for granted, but after seeing her with his best friend, he realizes his mistake and falls in love all over again. The lyrics convey the message that it's never too late to acknowledge your feelings and express them to your loved ones. The chorus, "Who say that big man don't cry? You never miss di water 'Til yuh well run dry," suggests that it's okay for men to express their emotions and to show vulnerability.
The lyrics also touch on the theme of forgiveness, as the singer acknowledges his past mistakes and asks for another chance. He promises not to abuse the situation and expresses his love and appreciation for his partner. The song ends with a call for men to show love and affection to their partners, and for society to value and respect women.
Interestingly, Who Say features guest vocals from renowned Jamaican singer Beres Hammond. The song was released in 1995 as part of Buju Banton's album 'Til Shiloh, which received critical acclaim and is considered one of the greatest reggae albums of all time. The album marked a departure from Banton's previous dancehall style and showcased his versatility as a singer and songwriter.
Line by Line Meaning
Woman say me deh pon her wanted list
A woman declared that I am on her wish list.
Thought I could live without you (eh-eh)
I believed I could exist without you.
Thought everything would be fine
I assumed everything would be okay.
Saw nothing special about you
I didn't see anything extraordinary in you.
But still you were plauging my mind
But you were occupying my thoughts anyway.
I used to take you for granted
I took you for granted before.
You were the last name in my life
You were the last thing on my mind.
Presently you're the most wanted
Currently, I want you the most.
At the top of my life
You are the top priority in my life right now.
And it was yesterday when
It happened just yesterday when
I saw you down the lane
I saw you walking in the street.
You were with my best friend (jealousy real)
You were with my closest friend (I felt jealous).
My heart felt a pain (and)
I felt hurt (and)
And now I'm falling
Now I am falling
In love all over again, yeah
In love with you once again, oh yeah
How could I ever doubt
How did I ever question
That you were my friend
That you were a close companion of mine.
Who say that big man don't cry?
Who says that grown men do not cry?
You never miss di water
You don't appreciate the value of something until you lose it.
Til yuh well run dry
Until you have lost it completely.
Could you find it inna yuh heart
Would you have it in your heart
To give me one more bly
To give me one more chance
I won't abuse the situation
I won't misuse this chance.
This time I won't lie
This time, I won't tell any falsehoods.
By mi nightly conversation
Through our regular conversations.
Also mi lullaby
Also in my songs.
Well she squeeze orange juice
She even squeezes orange juice for me.
An' mi eggs well fried
And she cooks my eggs properly.
Garments well clean
My clothes are always neatly laundered.
From mi socks to mi tie
From my socks to my necktie.
She's a friend, also a lover
She's not just a friend, but also a romantic partner.
Dat mean me not fi shy
That means I shouldn't be hesitant.
Me express meself
I express myself
Straight up to the sky, yo
Directly towards the sky, you know.
Now I'm falling
Now I am falling
In love sll over again (It's only natural)
In love with you all over again (it's natural)
How could I ever doubt (how could I)
How did I ever question
That you were my friend?
That you are my confidant and supporter?
Woman I miss all yuh sweet chat
I miss all the sweet things you used to say.
An' how you massage mi back
And the way you massage my back.
It bun me hard fi see seh
It hurts me to see that
John Tom ah get dat
John Tom is getting that instead.
Woman want affection
Women desire attention and care.
Somebody fi lean pon
Someone to lean on.
Through mi ignorance
Because of my ignorance.
Me never understand
I couldn't comprehend
I going take time out
I will take some time off
To show me love motion
To express my affection
An' mek you know we cyaan stop correspond
To let you know that we can't stop communicating.
I am di greatest loverboy in all di island
I am the best lover in the land.
More time yuh slip up, more time you gwan wrong
Every time you mess up, things will go wrong.
Hear me out, woman I beg you understand
Listen to me, woman, I implore you to understand.
Even the wisest man, the great King Solomon
Even the wisest man of all, the great King Solomon.
Tek weh him dickie and get a wrong bank
Lost everything he had and went bankrupt.
Dats how him lost him throat
That's how he lost his voice.
Inna di great Babylon, so me say
In the great Babylon, that's what I'm saying.
All over di earth
All over the world
Di woman dem God bless
Blessed by God are the women
Put pon di land fi man
Put on earth for men to enjoy.
Di man ah make dem tek set
Men often take advantage of them.
More time you hurt dem feeling
You hurt their emotions often.
And make dem vex
Making them angry.
But di making up part
But the reconciliation is vital.
That is the greatest
It is the most important thing.
Discuss matters over cup ah tea
Talk things over while having tea.
And kiss and caress
And kiss and caress each other.
Wan' Buju Banton
Because they want Buju Banton.
Dem rate you as di best
They think you are the best.
Dat make me eye drip
That makes me teary-eyed.
Beres him no stop cry
Beres never stops crying.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Donovan Germain, Beresford Hammond, Mark Anthony Myrie
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?