Don Campbell of Jamaican roots started his musical career at a very early a… Read Full Bio ↴Don Campbell of Jamaican roots started his musical career at a very early age. Don is not only gifted with such a ‘sweet’ singing voice, but has other talents as a rhythm guitarist, drummer, bassist and also experiments on the piano to produce and arrange tracks.

Don has a very charming personality and his musical abilities have given him privileges at an early age of working alongside some of the greatest artists such as Paul Young, Dennis Brown, ABC, John Holt, Maxi Priest and many others. Don has even supported international artists like SWV, Massive Attack, Lisa Stansfield, and Wet Wet Wet.

In 1993 Don collaborated with Trevor T of Juggling Records and came with the huge Reggae hit ‘See it in your eyes’. This held the number 1 position in almost every Reggae chart for 12 weeks. ‘Lovers Do’, his follow up single entered the then Echoes Chart at number 9.

Don’s first album titled ‘Don Campbell, The Album’ was released in May 1994 and is still selling internationally and can still be found amongst most Reggae Lovers Collections. 1994 saw Don at the British Reggae Industry Award where he picked up 4 Awards for ‘Best New Comer’, ‘Best Male Vocalist’, ‘Best Singer’ and ‘Best Songwriter’. The Echoes paper described Don as ‘The most exciting UK Reggae Vocalist to emerge’. In 1995 at the Black Music Awards, Don walked away with Awards for ‘Best Reggae Soloist’ and ‘Best Reggae Single’.

In 1996 Don collaborated with General Saint, landing a number 1 spot in South East Asia with the cover of 60’s singer Neil Sedaka’s song ‘Oh Carol’ which was internationally a huge success.

After extensive touring all around Europe, South East Asia, Africa, America, Australia and Canada, Don returns in 1999 with an album called Reggae Max. Don went on to doing three more exciting albums between 2002 and 2004.

2005 sees the birth of ‘Blu Jeanz Records’ and ‘Camm Street Publishing’ owned by Directors Don Campbell and General Saint who have two rising stars signed to the Company - so look out for the whole new package, don’t say you have not been warned.

Don still continues to tour around Europe and England and is one of the UK’s most sought after Reggae Artists.

The final word from Don is ‘Even better things yet to come’.

You're No Good
Don Campbell Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴

The primitive and
Traditional initiation rites
Have to do with transforming the mode
Of reaction
Sometimes and usually
Terrifically

Frightening and actually

Very painful rituals
So that the individual will no longer
Think he’s a little boy

There are some rather amusing ones
From Australia, for instance
Where things are pretty fierce
When little boys
Begin to become kind of nasty
And difficult for their mothers to handle
The women get together and give
Them a good beating around the legs with
Sticks and so forth and then in a few weeks
Something very interesting happens the men
All dressed up in strange
God-like costumes such as the
Youngsters have always been taught were the
Figures of the divinities
They come in with bullroarers and yawls
And all kinds of terrifying noises
And the children the boys
Run to their mothers for protection
And the mothers PRETEND to protect them
Then the men grab them
And take them away
So mother’s no good anymore
Now they have to face this thing and then
What they have to face is –
Is – is really no fun

So mother’s no good anymore
Now they have to face this thing and then
What they have to face is really no fun
So mother’s no good anymore
Now they have to face this thing and then
What they have to face is really no fun
One of the ah
Little crises the boy is behind
A screen of bushes
And a lot of very interesting
Things are going on outside at night
Dances and so forth
The boys are told not to look
Well any boy who does look
Can you imagine what’s done with him?
He’s killed and eaten that is

Any youngster
Who will not cooperate with the society that
Is supporting him is just eradicated
Then he is given a chance
To see what is going on out there
So he is sitting, a scared kid i mean
He is about twelve or thirteen years old
At the end of this dance field
It’s night a strange man comes out
Performing the
Myth of the
Cosmic kangaroo the cosmic dog comes out
And attacks the kangaroo
Now after the youngster has seen this
Two big fellows come rushing down the field
And jump on the kid and
Continue to jump on him
He is going to remember kangaroo
And dog forever this thing is built-in
It may not be bright but they get the point
And there are not many points to be gotten

So mother’s no good anymore
Now they have to face this thing and then
What they have to face is really no fun
So mother’s no good anymore
Now they have to face this thing and then
What they have to face is really no fun

There are other things that happen
That I won’t go through
But they are all pretty um
Exciting let’s say
And when they are all over
The kid isn’t the kid he was
Before he changed a lot has happened
His body has been changed, and and
He’s then sent back to the girls
And there is one of them already
Selected to be his wife
And he’s now a guaranteed little man

And he’s going to behave
As a man of this crowd ought to behave

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Don Campbell's song "You're No Good" delve into the topic of primitive and traditional initiation rites, which involve transforming an individual's mode of reaction through sometimes terrifying and painful rituals. The lyrics describe a specific initiation ritual from Australia where young boys who exhibit challenging behavior are subjected to a symbolic beating by women in the community. This beating is followed by a dramatic ceremony where men, dressed as divine figures, terrify the boys with loud noises, forcing them to confront their fears and move past their childhood illusions.

The repetition of the line "So mother's no good anymore" emphasizes the pivotal moment when the boys must face the harsh realities of adulthood and leave behind their dependence on their mothers for protection. The lyrics describe a scenario where boys who disobey the rules of society are eradicated, highlighting the strict consequences for not conforming to societal norms. The ritual culminates in a transformative experience for the boys, symbolized by being attacked by "cosmic kangaroos" and "cosmic dogs," which marks their transition into manhood.

The lyrics suggest that these initiation rites are designed to break down the boys' childish behaviors and rebuild them as responsible members of society. The physical and emotional challenges they face during the rituals are meant to shape them into "guaranteed little men" who will behave according to the expectations of their community. The transformation undergone during these rites is described as profound, with the boys returning to the community as changed individuals, ready to fulfill their roles as adults.

Overall, the lyrics of "You're No Good" explore the intense and transformative nature of initiation rites, particularly emphasizing the transition from childhood to adulthood and the societal expectations placed on individuals. The song highlights the brutal yet necessary process of shedding one's youthful naivety and embracing the responsibilities and challenges of maturity, as symbolized by the ritualistic experiences described in the lyrics.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS