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.
Never Never
Dennis Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never can say goodbye
Even though the pain and heartache
Seem to follow me wherever I go
Though I try and try to hide my feelings
They always seem to show,
And I always have to say no
Tell me why is it so
That I never can say goodbye, no, no, no, no, now
Never can say goodbye
Every time I think I've had enough
And start heading for the door
There's a very strange vibration
Piercing me right through the core
It says, turn around, you fool
You know you love him more and more
Tell me why is it so
Don't wanna let you go
I never can say goodbye girl
Ooh ooh baby (don't wanna let you go girl)
I never can say goodbye, no no no, no no no
Ooh, oh I never can say goodbye girl
Ooh ooh ooh (don't wanna let you go girl)
I never can say goodbye, no no no, no no no, ooh
Never can say goodbye, no, no, no, no, now
Never can say goodbye
I keep thinking that our problems
Soon are all gonna work out
But there's that same unhappy feeling
There's that anguish, there's that doubt
It's the same old dizzy hangup
Can't do with you or without
Tell me why is it so
Don't wanna let you go
I never can say goodbye girl
Ooh ooh baby (hey baby)
I never can say goodbye, no no no, no no no
Ooh, oh I never can say goodbye girl
Ooh oh (hey baby)
I never can say goodbye, no no no, no no no, ooh
I never can say goodbye girl
Ooh ooh baby (hey baby)
I never can say goodbye, no no no, no no no
Ooh, oh I never can say goodbye girl
Ooh oh (hey baby)
The lyrics to Dennis Brown's song "Never Can Say Goodbye" depict the difficulty of letting go of someone you love dearly. The singer seems to be caught in a cycle of heartbreak and pain, as the person he loves keeps trying to leave him. However, he cannot bear the thought of saying goodbye, no matter how hard he tries. He acknowledges that he tries to hide his feelings, but they always end up showing, and he is constantly overcome by the strong emotions he feels for this person.
The chorus of the song, "Never can say goodbye," is repeated throughout, emphasizing the singer's inability to move on from the relationship. When he tries to leave, he is pulled back by a "very strange vibration" that tells him he loves the other person more and more. Despite the problems and doubts in the relationship, he cannot imagine life without them, and it seems that the pain of being without them would be worse than the pain of staying with them.
Overall, the lyrics of "Never Can Say Goodbye" convey a sense of longing and attachment to someone who is difficult to let go of. It's a sentiment that many people can relate to, as we often hold onto relationships that are not good for us, simply because we cannot bear the thought of saying goodbye.
Line by Line Meaning
I never can say goodbye, no, no, no, no, now
I cannot bring myself to say goodbye, no matter what the situation is.
Even though the pain and heartache
Seem to follow me wherever I go
Despite the sadness and sorrow that seem to accompany me wherever I go.
Though I try and try to hide my feelings
They always seem to show,
My efforts to conceal my emotions are in vain since they are always evident.
Then you try to say you're leaving me
And I always have to say no
Tell me why is it so
You indicate your intent to leave me, but I continually reject the idea. I want to know why I can't let go.
Every time I think I've had enough
And start heading for the door
There's a very strange vibration
Piercing me right through the core
Whenever I feel like I've had enough and attempt to leave, there's an indescribable sensation that penetrates my soul.
It says, turn around, you fool
You know you love him more and more
Tell me why is it so
This feeling urges me to go back since I love you increasingly with each passing moment. I'm still trying to comprehend why.
Don't wanna let you go
I never can say goodbye girl
I can't bear the thought of being without you. Thus, I can never say goodbye to you, my girl.
I keep thinking that our problems
Soon are all gonna work out
But there's that same unhappy feeling
There's that anguish, there's that doubt
Although I believe that we'll overcome our problems sooner or later, there's still a sense of sadness, hurt, and uncertainty that I can't shake off.
It's the same old dizzy hangup
Can't do with you or without
Tell me why is it so
It's the same predicament I find myself in every time. I can't live without you, but I can't seem to make it work with you either. I want to know why.
Ooh ooh baby (don't wanna let you go girl)
I never can say goodbye, no no no, no no no
Oh, baby, I don't want to let you go, my darling. I can't bring myself to say goodbye to you, no matter how hard I try.
Ooh, oh I never can say goodbye girl
Ooh ooh ooh (don't wanna let you go girl)
I never can say goodbye, no no no, no no no, ooh
Oh, my love, I can never say goodbye to you, my sweet girl. I don't want to let you go, no matter what happens.
I never can say goodbye girl
Ooh ooh baby (hey baby)
I never can say goodbye, no no no, no no no
Ooh, oh I never can say goodbye girl
Ooh oh (hey baby)
My lovely girl, I can never bid you farewell. I don't want to let you go, no matter what. Oh, baby, I can never say goodbye to you.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Clifton Davis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bonzokaye
I'd like to run away from you, but if you never found me I would die
I'd like to break the chains you put around me, but I know I never
Will
You stay away and all I do is wonder why the hell I wait for you
But when did common sense prevail for lovers when we know it never
Will
Impossible to live with you, but I know, I could never live without
You
For whatever you do
I never, never, never want to be in love with anyone but you
You never treat me like you should, so what's the good of loving as I
Do
Although you always laugh at love, nothing else would be good enough
For you
Impossible to live with you, but I know, I could never live without
You
For whatever you do
I never, never, never want to be in love with anyone but you
You make me laugh, you make me cry, you make me live, you make me die,
For you
You make me sing, you make me sad, you make me glad, you make me mad,
For you
I love you, hate you, love you, hate you
But I'll want you till the world stops turning
For whatever you do
I never, never, never want to be in love with anyone but you
I love you, hate you, love you, hate you
But I'll want you till the world stops turning
For whatever you do
I never, never, never want to be in love with anyone but you
I love you, hate you, love you, hate you
But I'll want you till the world stops turning
For whatever you do
@CurtisBenjaminIsrael4453
BAP BAP BAP!! BIG CHUNE. ONE OF MY ULTIMATE FAVORITE!! RIP MY ISRAELITE BROTHER!!
@dawnforrester8937
This song gave me goose pimples as i love it so much. He is my favourite The great Dennis i grew up on his songs as i am 68yrs old. He was always in the uk when we were younger and raving and seeing him in the dances and shub ins. Lovely. When my son died he liked no more will i roam i played that one at his funeral it was sad. Be strong Mummy and family i know how you feeling.
@shawnmummy
I ❤ this man!!! RIP!
@joannemather7818
A true legend!!
@denjamaica7271
👏👏👏👏👏👏ME NUMBER ONE SINGER EVER❤❤❤❤❤❤
@sweet2def
My Mummy and Daddy's song from before I was even born! I discovered this today as my father died 2 days ago and my Mum would like it played at the service. Summed up their relationship perfectly...30 years, six kids and many up's and downs but their true love is what remained throughout. RIP Daddy, I truly feel like I've lost everything.
@theliamofella
I hope that your father had a good send off 🙏✌️
@johnholt959
My friend time is a great healer. Meditation is great for this grieving period and there is two great songs from Macka B what will help track 1 spiritual vibration track 2 guardian angel Macka B English toast DJ the best from England is messages are second to none One Love
@CurtisBenjaminIsrael4453
Deepest condolences
@deniseholland9392
THIS IS MY GREAT GREAT UNCLE!