He was born Desmond Adolphus Dacres in St. Andrew, Jamaica and grew up in Kingston, where he attended the Alpha Boys' School. After his mother took ill and died, his father moved him to St. Mary's, and then to St. Thomas, where he apprenticed as a tailor before returning to Kingston and taking a job as a welder, singing around his workplace while his co-workers encouraged him. In 1961 he auditioned for Coxsone Dodd (Studio One) and Duke Reid (Treasure Isle). Neither were impressed by his talents, and the young man moved on to Leslie Kong's Beverley record label, where he auditioned before Derrick Morgan, then the label's biggest star.
With Morgan's support, Dekker was signed but did not record until 1963 because Leslie Kong wanted to wait for the perfect song, which "Honour Your Father and Mother" was felt to be.
“Honour Your Father and Mother” was a hit and was followed by “Sinners Come Home” and “Labour for Learning,” as well as a name change (from Desmond Dacres to Desmond Dekker). His fourth hit, however, made him into one of the island's biggest stars. It was “King of Ska,” a rowdy and jubilant song on which Dekker was backed by The Cherrypies (also known as The Maytals). The song remains well known among ska fans. Dekker then recruited four brothers, Carl, Patrick, Clive and Barry Howard, who became his backing band, The Four Aces.
Dekker and the Howards recorded a number of hits including “Parents,” “Get Up Edina,” “This Woman,” and “Mount Zion.” Until 1967 Dekker's songs were polite and conveyed respectable, mainstream messages. In that year, however, he appeared on Derrick Morgan's “Tougher Than Tough,” which helped begin a trend of popular songs glamourizing the violent rude boy culture. Dekker's own songs did not go to the extremes of many other popular tunes though he did introduce lyrics which resonated with the rude boys starting with one of his best-known songs, “007 (Shanty Town)”. The song established Dekker as a rude boy icon and also became an established hero in the United Kingdom's mod scene. “007 (Shanty Town)” was a Top 15 hit in the UK, and he toured that country with a posse of mods following him.
Dekker continued with songs in the same vein such as “Rude Boy Train” and “Rudie Got Soul”, as well as continuing with his previous themes of religion and morality in songs like “It's a Shame”, “Wise Man”, “Hey Grandma”, “Unity”, “It Pays”, “Mother's Young Girl” and “Sabotage.” His “Pretty Africa” is a long-standing favourite among his fans and may be the earliest popular song promoting repatriation. Many of the hits from this era came from his debut album, 007 (Shanty Town).
In 1968 Dekker's “Israelites” was released, appearing on both the U.S. and UK singles chart, and eventually topping the latter and peaking in the Top Ten of the former. He was the first Jamaican performer to enter U.S. markets with pure Jamaican music, though he never repeated the feat. Equally, the track became the first reggae song to top the UK chart. That same year saw the release of “Beautiful and Dangerous,” “Writing on the Wall,” “Music Like Dirt”, “Bongo Girl,” and “Shing a Ling.” In the same year, Dekker was mentioned as "Desmond" by his friend Paul McCartney in The Beatles' song "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da", when it was released on 'The White Album'.
1969 saw the release of “It Mek,” which first saw only lukewarm success but was re-recorded and became a hit both in Jamaica and the UK. He also released “Problems” and “Pickney Gal,” both of which were popular in Jamaica but saw only limited success elsewhere.
Mid career (the 1970s)
In the 1970s Dekker spent most of his time touring and moved to the UK, where he continued to record. Among his best known releases of this period was “You Can Get It If You Really Want,” written by Jimmy Cliff, which Dekker had not wanted to record but was convinced to do so by Leslie Kong. Dekker's recording of the song uses the same instrumental backing track as Cliff's original.
Kong, whose production had been an instrumental part of both Dekker's and Cliff's careers, died in 1971 and both his protegés lost direction for a period before returning to music.
Dekker continued recording, but with only limited success until he began working with the production duo Bruce Anthony in 1974. His first hit with the pair was 1975's “Sing a Little Song” which climbed in to the British Top Ten. Dekker was unable to follow its success, however, and did not chart in the UK for some time (except for the Top Ten re-charting of “Israelites” in 1975). Dekker also found only a limited audience in Jamaica.
At the end of the 1970s Dekker signed with Stiff Records, a punk label linked with the Two-Tone movement, a fusion of punk and ska. He recorded an album called Black & Dekker which featured his previous hits backed by The Rumour, Graham Parker's backing band. His first single was “Israelites,” a Top Ten Belgian hit, and was followed by “Please Don't Bend,” Jimmy Cliff's “Many Rivers to Cross” and “Book of Rules.” His next album was Compass Point, produced by Robert Palmer. Though Compass Point did not sell well, Dekker was still a popular live performer and he toured with The Rumour.
Later life
In the early 1980s, as the Two Tone movement died out, he saw his fortunes dwindle and he was declared bankrupt in 1984. Only a single live album was released in the late 80s, but a new version of “Israelites” reawakened public interest in 1990, following its use in a Maxell advertisement. He re-recorded some old singles, and worked with The Specials for 1992's King of Kings', which used hits from Dekker's musical heroes, including Derrick Morgan.
He also collaborated on a remix version of his classic “Israelites” with reggae artist Apache Indian.
Death
Desmond Dekker died of a heart attack on 25 May 2006, at his home in Thornton Heath in the London Borough of Croydon , England, aged 64. He was preparing to headline a world music festival in Prague. Mr. Dekker was divorced and is survived by a son and daughter.
Beautiful and Dangerous
Desmond Dekker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tell me why
Why, oh why, oh why, oh why
Tell me why
Tears are falling down my face
All because of you
River deep and a mountain high
Why, oh why, oh why, oh why
I feel like I'm gonna die
Is it because you leave me here
Just to sit and cry
Beautiful and dangerous
There is nothing to discuss, no
You can't capture, no
All you do is freeze
Why, oh why, oh why, oh why
I feel like I'm gonna die
Is it because you leave me here
Just to sit and cry
Why, oh why, oh why, oh why
I feel like I'm gonna die
Is it because you leave me here
Just to sit and cry
Why, oh why, oh why, oh why
Tell me why
Why, oh why, oh why, oh why
Tell me why...
In "Beautiful and Dangerous," Desmond Dekker laments the pain and confusion caused by a beautiful but dangerous lover. The lyrics convey the singer's deep sense of sadness and longing, as reflected in their repeated questioning of "why." The tears on their face are due to this person, who is so mesmerizing and captivating that they can never truly capture their essence. The singer is left feeling frozen, helpless, and alone, crying because of the pain of being separated from someone who they feel a deep connection to.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of paradox between the incredible beauty of this person and the danger that they represent. The singer acknowledges that there is "nothing to discuss" about the subject, as if it is too complex or too personal to be explained. The repeated chorus serves to emphasize the confused and desperate state of the singer, as they beg for answers and understanding.
Overall, "Beautiful and Dangerous" is a raw and emotional account of the complexity of human relationships. It speaks to the heartache and confusion that can come from loving someone who is both beautiful and dangerous.
Line by Line Meaning
Why, oh why, oh why, oh why
The singer is questioning why things are happening this way
Tell me why
They are seeking answers to their questions
Tears are falling down my face
They are upset and crying
All because of you
You are the cause of their sadness
River deep and a mountain high
Their emotions are strong and intense
I feel like I'm gonna die
Their sadness and despair is overwhelming
Is it because you leave me here
They believe the cause of their sadness is due to your actions
Just to sit and cry
They feel helpless and alone in their sadness
Beautiful and dangerous
Describing you as someone who is captivating but harmful
There is nothing to discuss, no
The artist believes there is no room for debate on this matter
You can't capture, no
You are someone who cannot be tamed or controlled
All you do is freeze
Your cold and unfeeling nature is causing harm to those around you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DESMOND DEKKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lorenzo Firinu
Why, oh why, oh why, oh why
Tell me why
Why, oh why, oh why, oh why
Tell me why
Tears are falling down my face
All because of you
River deep and a mountain high
All because of you
Why, oh why, oh why, oh why
I feel like I'm gonna die
Is it because you leave me here
Just to sit and cry
Beautiful and dangerous
There is nothing to discuss, no
You can't capture me, no
All you do is freeze
Why, oh why, oh why, oh why
I feel like I'm gonna die
Is it because you leave me here
Just to sit and cry
Why, oh why, oh why, oh why
I feel like I'm gonna die
Is it because you leave me here
Just to sit and cry
Why, oh why, oh why, oh why
Tell me why
Why, oh why, oh why, oh why
Tell me why...
Lee Roberts
I love Desmond Dekker, I managed to get to see him perform twice over the years, here in Stoke on Trent..He was fantastic!
Arnault S.
Pure gem ! Love it!
Richard Fletcher
High quality music from Desmond.
Rocco M
Everlasting music.
Michael Colello
Why oh why have I never heard this gem before?
LawRetta - Jinete Luminescente
COOL!!!
thiago lima
Tune!
Alma
huffing the 60s copium rn