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.
Halfway to Paradise
Desmond Dekker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But your friend is all I've stayed
I'm only halfway to paradise
So near, yet so far away
I long for your lips to kiss my lips
But just when I think they may
You lead me halfway to paradise
Bein' close to you is almost heaven (heaven)
But seein' you can do just so much
It hurts me so to know your heart's a treasure (treasure)
And that my heart is forbidden to touch, so
Put your sweet lips close to my lips
And tell me that's where they're gonna stay
Don't lead me halfway to paradise
Mmm, so near, yet so far away
Oh, uh, oh so near, yet so far away
Yeah, yeah so near, yet so far away
The song "Halfway to Paradise" by Desmond Dekker describes the yearning and frustration of the singer who desires to be more than just a friend to the person he loves. The opening line, "I want to be your lover but your friend is all I've stayed", is a clear indication that the singer has been stuck in the friend zone and longs for more intimacy. He feels like he is only halfway to paradise, which represents the fulfillment of his romantic desires. The person he loves is so close to him, yet so far away, which fills him with a mix of hope and despair.
The song proceeds to describe the moments when the singer feels like he is about to reach paradise, but is left hanging. He longs for his lover's kiss, but every time he is about to get it, she withdraws, thus leading him "halfway to paradise". The phrase "so near, yet so far away" is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the frustration of the singer's situation. Despite the moments of heavenly closeness, he can't help but feel that he is missing out on something more fulfilling.
The last verse of the song speaks to the singer's hopelessness as he realizes that the person he loves may never feel the same way. He acknowledges that being close to her is almost like heaven, but it hurts him to know that his feelings are unreciprocated. In the end, the singer begs his lover not to lead him "halfway to paradise" anymore and to either love him fully or let him go.
Line by Line Meaning
I want to be your lover
The singer desires to have a romantic relationship with the person they are addressing
But your friend is all I've stayed
However, the person has not been able to move beyond being just friends
I'm only halfway to paradise
The singer feels incomplete without the romantic love they desire
So near, yet so far away
Although they are close to the person, the singer feels distant and unable to attain their love
I long for your lips to kiss my lips
The singer deeply yearns for physical intimacy with the object of their affection
But just when I think they may
At times, the singer feels that their feelings are reciprocated
You lead me halfway to paradise
However, the other person only shows limited interest, and does not fully commit to the relationship
Bein' close to you is almost heaven (heaven)
Being close to the person brings great enjoyment to the singer
But seein' you can do just so much
However, just seeing them does not satisfy their desire for a deeper connection
It hurts me so to know your heart's a treasure (treasure)
The singer recognizes the other person's value and worth, which makes it particularly painful to be unable to have them in a romantic relationship
And that my heart is forbidden to touch, so
The person is unattainable, and the singer recognizes that their love is never going to be fully returned
Put your sweet lips close to my lips
The singer pleads for physical intimacy, once again
And tell me that's where they're gonna stay
The singer desires a verbal commitment, a promise that their love is reciprocated
Don't lead me halfway to paradise
The singer wants to avoid being strung along without full commitment, which leaves them feeling incomplete
Mmm, so near, yet so far away
Despite their proximity, the singer still feels separated from the romantic love they desire
Oh, uh, oh so near, yet so far away
Repeated acknowledgement that the singer is close to the person they desire, but cannot fully gain their love
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CAROLE KING, GERRY GOFFIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Silvia Szekacs
Halbwegs zum Paradies Songtext
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Ich möchte dein Liebhaber sein
Aber dein Freund ist alles, was ich geblieben bin
Ich bin nur halb im Paradies
So nah und doch so weit weg
Ich sehne mich nach deinen Lippen, um meine Lippen zu küssen
Aber gerade, wenn ich denke, dass sie können
Du führst mich halb ins Paradies
So nah und doch so weit weg, mmm
Nahe bei dir ist fast der Himmel (Himmel)
Aber du siehst so viel
Es schmerzt mich so zu wissen, dass dein Herz ein Schatz ist
Und dass mein Herz sich nicht berühren darf
Lege deine süßen Lippen dicht an meine Lippen
Und sag mir, dass sie dort bleiben werden
Führe mich nicht halbwegs ins Paradies
Mmm, so nah und doch so weit weg
Oh, oh, oh, so nah und doch so weit weg
Ja, ja, so nah und doch so weit weg
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