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Gregory Isaacs (born on 15 July 1951 in Fletchers Land, Kingston, Jamaica and died on 25 October 2010 in London) was a Reggae singer and songwriter. Gregory Anthony Isaacs is known as "The Cool Ruler" for his seductive crooning vocal style. Gregory attributed his greatest musical influences to R&B greats Sam Cooke and Percy Sledge, in addition to Delroy Wilson, Alton Ellis and Ken Boothe.
In the late 1960s, Gregory first performed in a vocal trio called The Concords, after being encouraged by Byron Lee. By 1970 the group had split up. He subsequently formed his own label, African Museum.
In the late 1970s he emerged as one of the most prolific and popular recording artists in Jamaica. He released a number of self-produced singles on his own African Museum (JA) label with Errol Dunkley. Much of Isaacs' output reflected the 'conscious' themes of Roots Reggae, but Isaacs was equally adept at interpreting more mainstream Lovers Rock material. Early hits include "My Only Lover", "Sinner Man" and "Mr. Cop", recorded at Lee Perry's Black Ark Studio.
A period in the 1970s with the GG's label and its producer Alvin Ranglin produced hits like "Border" and "Number One".
Personal problems affected him, particularly battles with a cocaine addiction and a possession charge, which prevented him from touring in North America for a significant part of his career, until a pardon could eventually be secured.
Isaacs recorded with a number of producers, including the Riddim Twin's (Sly & Robbie) Taxi Records, who gave them their first hit with 1979's "Soon Forward" , After a series of releases with Sly & Robbie, Gregory built a strong relationship with Gussie Clarke of the Music Works label. In addition to these local Jamaican labels, The Cool Ruler had had releases on Trojan, VP, Virgin's Front Line and English producer Tad A. Dawkin's Tad's Records. Isaacs would would eventually sign with Chris Blackwell's Island Records which resulted in the international release of Night Nurse (1982) and Out Deh! (1983).
Perhaps his most popular recordings in his native Jamaica are "All I Have Is Love", "Mr. Brown" and "Hard Drugs", the latter being an anti-drug anthem that dominated radio in the late 1980s and was released as a hidden track on England's Tad Records All I Have Is Love, Love Love LP.
In the 1990s Gregory's African Museum label continued to release all of Gregory Isaacs' music, and that of artists he produced. He continued to record and perform live in the 2000s, and it has been estimated that Isaacs has released over 500 records in his career, which includes singles and compilations.
Isaacs, who was 59 years old, died of lung cancer on 25 October 2010 at his home in London where he spent part of his time. A sad loss to the world.
If Tomorrow Never Comes
Gregory Isaacs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I lie awake and watch her sleeping
She's lost in peaceful dreams
So I turn out the lights and lay there in the dark
And the thought crosses my mind
If I never wake up in the morning
Would she ever doubt the way I feel
About her in my heart
If tomorrow never comes
Will she know how much I loved her
Did I try in every way to show her every day
That she's my only one
And if my time on earth were through
And she must face this world without me
Is the love I gave her in the past
Gonna be enough to last
If tomorrow never comes
'Cause I've lost loved ones in my life
Who never knew how much I loved them
Now I live with the regret
That my true feelings for them never were revealed
So I made a promise to myself
To say each day how much she means to me
And avoid that circumstance
Where there's no second chance to tell her how I feel
If tomorrow never comes
Will she know how much I loved her
Did I try in every way to show her every day
That she's my only one
And if my time on earth were through
And she must face this world without me
Is the love I gave her in the past
Gonna be enough to last
If tomorrow never comes
So tell that someone that you love
Just what you're thinking of
If tomorrow never comes
In Gregory Isaacs's song "If Tomorrow Never Comes," he expresses an intense feeling of love and adoration towards his partner, worrying about whether or not she would know how much he loved her if he were to pass away in his sleep that night. He describes the nights he spends watching her sleep, and realizes that he might never have another chance to tell her how he feels about her. The verses analyze the regret and sadness that one might experience when they lose a loved one without telling them how they truly felt. In the end, Isaacs urges his listeners to tell their loved ones how they feel today, because tomorrow might be too late.
The song takes a sentimental look at loss and moving on, which is the perfect heartbreak or tribute song. Initially written by Garth Brooks, Gregory Isaacs made the song a reggae jam with a sole, an electronic organ, some simple rhythm guitar, and sparse percussion. The lyrics become a plea for lost loved ones to hear how much they were loved instead of having to guess. This song was one of Gregory Isaacs's biggest hits, and it still resonates with audiences today because of its universal theme. It is about reminding oneself to tell your significant other how you feel about them to avoid regrets and remorse if something were to happen.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes late at night
At times, during the late hours of the night
I lie awake and watch her sleeping
I stay awake and observe her while she is asleep
She's lost in peaceful dreams
She is deeply sleeping and relaxed
So I turn out the lights and lay there in the dark
I switch off the lights and remain lying there in darkness
And the thought crosses my mind
I ponder in my thoughts
If I never wake up in the morning
If I never get to witness another day
Would she ever doubt the way I feel
Would she question the genuineness of my emotions
About her in my heart
Concerning the love I hold for her in my heart
If tomorrow never comes
If there isn't a tomorrow
Will she know how much I loved her
Will she have awareness of the extent of my love for her
Did I try in every way to show her every day
Did I make an effort to demonstrate to her frequently
That she's my only one
That she's my one and only
And if my time on earth were through
And in the scenario where my days here come to an end
And she must face this world without me
And she has to encounter life's experiences without my presence
Is the love I gave her in the past
Will the affection I showed her in the past be enough
Gonna be enough to last
Sufficient enough to sustain her
'Cause I've lost loved ones in my life
Because I have previously lost dear ones
Who never knew how much I loved them
Who were unaware of the intensity of my love for them
Now I live with the regret
Presently, I experience remorse
That my true feelings for them never were revealed
That I never expressed my genuine emotions to them
So I made a promise to myself
Therefore, I vowed to myself
To say each day how much she means to me
To tell her every day, the extent of her importance to me
And avoid that circumstance
And circumvent that situation
Where there's no second chance to tell her how I feel
Where there are no opportunities to convey my emotions to her again
So tell that someone that you love
Therefore, tell that someone you adore
Just what you're thinking of
Precisely what you are contemplating
If tomorrow never comes
If there isn't a tomorrow
Writer(s): Garth Brooks, K. Blazy
Contributed by Sophia O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@talentkamunhengu640
idont know how many times i have listened to this song , this is pure talent . ... if u have listened this song more than 5 times send a like......Gone but not forgotten Gregory RIP!!!!!!!!!
@dropnationgh7782
More than 100 times since 2013❤❤❤
@juliusmwanyawa4125
Litsened 20 times
@aupamosia1506
If tomorrow never comes,makes me feel crying the way the late mr Gregory Isaac's rolls with it😎
@theresasmith2898
We are all facing the world without you Gregory.....Do you know how much we LOVE YOU ❤ X🙏
@dropnationgh7782
Cant stop listening to this songs 😢😢 a remember my Mum 😢 anytime i listen to this song
@sergethebyne872
What a song, What a singer, Gregory Isaacs one of our genius .
@Fabsfaster
Only Gregory made this track beautiful.
@donnaelizabeth9624
I've lost loved ones in my life who never knew how much I loved them 😇💔
@dropnationgh7782
Very touching ❤