Brown's first recording was "Lips of Wine" recorded for Derrick Harriott (The Musical Chariot), but this was not released initially. He then recorded for Coxsone Dodd at Studio One, and Dodd released Brown's first single, "No Man is an Island". Brown recorded two albums for Dodd, No Man is an Island and If I Follow my Heart (the title track penned by Alton Ellis). Around this time, Brown recorded material for Lloyd Daley ("Baby Don't Do It" and "Things in Life") and material for Derrick Hariott, which was eventually released as the Super Reggae and Soul Hits album. He also worked for Earl Hayles and the Charmaine label early in his career. He had a Top 10 hit in the United Kingdom in 1977. This led to his contract with A&M Records, and to the formation of his own label, DEB records, which produced several hits, including many by Junior Delgado.
His first big hit was "Money In My Pocket" on the Joe Gibbs label, and by the late 1970s, Brown had recorded and performed chart-toppers such as "Sitting & Watching", "Wolves and Leopards", "Here I Come" and "Revolution"; many featuring Sly and Robbie as the rhythm section. As the dancehall era of the 1980s arrived, Brown frequently recorded with King Jammy and Gussie Clark. His song "Revolution" is featured on the reggae radio station K-JAH Radio West in the 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto San Andreas. According to some sources, Brown became addicted to crack cocaine, which affected his career and may have lead to his premature death. Jamaican Prime Minister P. J. Patterson and opposition leader Edward Seaga of the Jamaica Labour Party both spoke at Brown's funeral, which was held on July 17, 1999 in Kingston, Jamaica. The service, which lasted for three hours, also featured live performances by Maxi Priest, Shaggy, and five of Brown's sons. Brown was then buried at Kingston's National Heroes Park.
If You
Dennis Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You will never never never know me
All the things
That we've been through
You should understand me
Like I understand you
Now girl I know the difference
I ain't gonna do nothing
To break up our happy home
Don't get so excited
When I come home
A little late at night
'Cause we only act like children
When we argue fuss and fight
If you don't know me by now
You will never never never know me
We've all got our
Own funny moods
I've got mine,
Woman you've got yours too
Just trust in me like I trust in you
As long as we've been together
It should be so easy to do
Just get yourself together
Or we might as well say goodbye
What good is a love affair
When you can't see eye to eye
If you don't know me by now
You will never
Never never know me
The song "If You" by Dennis Brown is a declaration of loyalty and commitment to a partner. The opening lines are almost like a challenge, as the singer asserts that if his partner doesn't already truly know him, then they never will. He goes on to state that he knows the difference between right and wrong, and he won't do anything to damage their relationship. Here, the singer is assuring his partner that he values their relationship and is willing to work to preserve it.
The song also acknowledges that no relationship is perfect, and urges the partner to trust him even when they are in the midst of disagreements. The lyric "We've all got our own funny moods, I've got mine, woman you've got yours too, just trust in me like I trust in you" indicates that the singer recognizes that both partners will have challenges to overcome, but that trust is essential for a relationship to survive.
The song is ultimately a plea for the partner to value and cherish their relationship, even when they hit rough patches. The repetition of the line "If you don't know me by now, you will never never never know me" underscores the importance of truly knowing and understanding one's partner, and how critical it is for a relationship to thrive.
Line by Line Meaning
If you don't know me by now
If you haven't figured me out after all this time
You will never never never know me
You'll never be able to understand me completely
All the things
Everything
That we've been through
All the experiences we've had together
You should understand me
You should be able to comprehend who I really am
Like I understand you
Just like how I can understand you
Now girl I know the difference
I fully grasp what is right and wrong
Between right and wrong
The differentiation of good and bad
I ain't gonna do nothing
I won't do anything
To break up our happy home
That could damage our peaceful abode
Don't get so excited
Don't become extremely thrilled
When I come home
As soon as I arrive
A little late at night
At an hour past bedtime
'Cause we only act like children
Because we behave childishly
When we argue fuss and fight
Only when we fight and argue
We've all got our
Everyone has their own set of
Own funny moods
Unusual temperaments
I've got mine,
I possess my own quirks
Woman you've got yours too
I know that you have your own idiosyncrasies
Just trust in me like I trust in you
Believe in me the way I believe in you
As long as we've been together
Since we've been in a relationship for a while
It should be so easy to do
It should be a simple thing to accomplish
Just get yourself together
Just pull yourself together emotionally
Or we might as well say goodbye
Otherwise, it's better if we end things now
What good is a love affair
What's the point of being in a romantic relationship
When you can't see eye to eye
When we can't agree on important matters
If you don't know me by now
If you haven't figured me out after all this time
You will never
You'll never
Never never know me
Truly understand me
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, ONErpm, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
WISE ONE
Truth is, am honoured to have met and enjoyed this man's songs. So many memories of good times. U d best Dennis. Rest mi G.
Alvin Clarke
One of the better renditions, real reggae soulful
Yve Williams
What a beautiful rendition. Continue to R I P my brother 💙17/1/22
david rogers
I didn't know Dennis Brown did a remake of this classic song. He gives it up in this one. Pray that your in Resting In Peace Dennis Brown.
F.X.P.M MEDIA
THE CROWN PRINCE OF REGGAE I SO APPRECIATE HIS MUSIC
Jim Brown
If you don't know Dennis Emmanuel Brown by now you'll never ever get to know of him at all... The Crown Prince and King of Reggae Music Mr. Brown...
marlene Lambert
Dennis, will always be on my mind,he lives on in his music. am so glad I have a beautiful collection of D. Brown. forward forever crown Prince.
Margarette Mullings
Your music filled many broken heart's🙌 even mine ✌Dennis Brown wish my man had vibes like u .. Classic MAN 💁I will continue singing and dancing to your music 💚 RIP gone toooooooooo soon 💥💥💥
Nego Black 510
Muito bom
Romário Cruz
muito bom