Born in the garden parish of St Ann, Busy Signal - born Reanno Gordon - sta… Read Full Bio ↴Born in the garden parish of St Ann, Busy Signal - born Reanno Gordon - started singing hymns at his Mother's church, which is where he received his first encore. When church was over, Reanno would sit on the corner with his friends and flip the devotional lyrics, until his Mother's guiding hand cautioned him for altering the Lord's songs. Reanno continued performing at school, beating his fists in time on his desk and deejaying Bounty Killer's songs (he claims to know all of Bounty's lyrics) before progressing to his own material.

Since stepping out onto the dancehall scene in 2003, Busy Signal's undeniable talent and lyrical dexterity has taken him quickly to the front of the pack. Busy's breakout hit single - "Step Out" - was one of dancehall's hottest songs for 2005 and with a thugged-out video to match, it signalled the arrival of dancehall's next superstar.

Busy Signal, an alias given to him by a friend because of his constantly busy persona, has always approached his craft from a different perspective, not trodding the usual road of trying to voice on every rhythm out there to try and catch a break. Instead, Busy chose to record songs with concepts attached to them on purpose-built rhythms. The first such track to catch the attention of a wider audience was "Born and Raised", a song in which Busy Signal reps his birthplace and narrates the gritty realities of Jamaica.

"Even though I was an unknown artist and there was no-one else on the riddim," says Busy, "the track got good airtime which encouraged me to keep doing what I was doing. Producers don't want to give young artists a break more time, so young artists can get stifled. I just work hard on putting creative flows and melodies together and so far people have been feeling it." Already with a big following worldwide, Busy doesn't see his music as stopping in Jamaica. A slew of Busy Signal mix CDs flooded the streets from Halfway Tree to Brixton to Flatbush and beyond, creating and spreading the hype that lead to Busy being the strongest young artist to emerge from 2005.

Busy's self-production and businesslike approach to the industry has seen him already launch his own label, Network Records. The first releases, "Tell Santa Dis" and "Where I'm From" are distributed worldwide and are selling well.

Although Busy didn't rely on familiar rhythms and producers for a break, he has no problem recording for other labels, such as Renaissance, for whom Busy recorded "Not Going Down," showcasing his singing and deejaying abilities. Other tracks from Busy include "Because of You," with Tami Chin on the Throwback Giggy beat, "That Bad," and "Pharmacy" for Don Corleon, "Fade Away" for John John and "Too Much Gun," which sees Busy in explosive form, delivering rapid fire lyrics atop the reworked Man Fi Dead (Petty Thief) soundbed.

The end of 2005 saw Busy Signal garner immense critical success from show-stealing appearances on all the major stage shows across Jamaica, including the Smirnoff Experience alongside Sean Paul, Bobby Valentino and others, as well as Island Explosion, Camp Fire and West Kingston Jamboree. And of course there was the already-legendary debut appearance at 6.45am on the toughest stage in the world - the infamous Sting reggae concert. Busy stepped out in the rising sun adorned in full black and underlined why he is here to stay.

2006 has seen no ease up in Busy's momentum, with a headline grabbing performance at Reggae Sumfest 2006, where he performed solo on Dancehall Night and was also called up by G Unit on International Night. With successful tours of the UK, the Caribbean and Japan already knocked down and with Step Out breaking new ground on the esteemed Billboard chart, Busy is already being heralded as a new icon in the business.

Everybody Busy
Busy Signal Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ey listen me
Bis bis
Put it on the beat
Girl
If you gimme
Coma uiti
Girl
When we are to ditiz

Yo boyfriend do afternoon your boyfriend do afternoon
Treat it like private
She tell me dis secrets
And I need to keep it
Ey
Girl When we are do ditiz

MA girlfriend do afternoon
MA girlfriend do afternoon

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Busy Signal's song "Everybody Busy" are a reflection of the modern busy lifestyle, especially in relationships. The use of Jamaican Patois in the song exemplifies the cultural heritage and influence of the artist's homeland. The lyrics describe the complexity of romantic relationships, where lovers struggle to find time for each other amidst their busy lives. The singer talks about how he meets a girl and asks her to give him some time, and in return, he promises to keep her secrets.

The line "Yo boyfriend do afternoon," translates to mean that the girl's boyfriend only has time for her in the afternoon. The line "Treat it like private" suggests that they should keep their relationship a secret from others. The line "She tell me dis secrets, And I need to keep it" emphasizes that the singer respects the girl's privacy and will keep her secrets safe.

The song's overall message encourages people to make time for their loved ones, and to cherish those relationships that bring genuine happiness. It highlights the importance of being present and attentive to our partners, despite the daily stress and busyness that come with modern life.

Line by Line Meaning

Ey listen me
Pay attention to what I'm about to say

Bis bis
Introducing Busy Signal's signature sound effect

Put it on the beat
Start the music

Girl
Addressing a female listener

If you gimme
If you give me

Coma uiti
Something unintelligible, possibly a made-up word or a reference to patois slang

Girl
Addressing a female listener again

When we are to ditiz
When we're together

Yo boyfriend do afternoon your boyfriend do afternoon
Your boyfriend is occupied in the afternoon

Treat it like private
Keep our relationship private

She tell me dis secrets
She confides in me