Gregory Anthony Isaacs ⋆ 15 July 1951 in Kingston, Jamaica ⋆ 25 Oct 2010 in… Read Full Bio ↴Gregory Anthony Isaacs ⋆ 15 July 1951 in Kingston, Jamaica ⋆ 25 Oct 2010 in London UK ⋆ was a Jamaican singer and songwriter. He recorded an enormous amount of songs in the genres (regular) reggae, lovers rock, roots reggae. His nickname was the Cool Ruler. By the late 1970s, Isaacs was one of the biggest reggae performers, regularly touring the US and the UK. Well-known songs are Night Nurse, Mr Cop, My Only Lover, Tune In, and Love Is Overdue. He became an international star 1978 after signed to Virgin Record's Front Line, and appeared in the movie Rockers with the song Slave Master. The two Front Line albums Cool Ruler and Soon Forward did, however, not sell as good as expected from someone regarded to be the third or fourth reggae artist in the world after Bob Marley, Dennis Brown, and maybe Jacob Miller (singer in the band Inner Circle). Drug problems with cocaine and crack cocaine in the early 80s decelerated Isaacs carrier substantially, but not completely. He released 73 studio albums with original material, and over 500 compilation or remix albums. He worked together with almost all big Jamaican music producers of the 70s, 80s and 90s.

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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.

Miss You
Gregory Isaacs Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I miss you, miss you

Hello there
The angel from my nightmare
The shadow in the background of the morgue
The unsuspecting victim
Of darkness in the valley
We can live like Jack and Sally if we want

Where you can always find me
And we'll have Halloween on Christmas
And in the night we'll wish this never ends
We'll wish this never ends

I miss you, I miss you
I miss you I miss you

Where are you?
And I'm so sorry
I cannot sleep I cannot dream tonight
I need somebody and always
This sick strange darkness
Comes creeping on so haunting every time
And as I stared I counted
The Webs from all the spiders
Catching things and eating their insides
Like indecision to call you
And hear your voice of treason
Will you come home and stop the pain tonight
Stop this pain tonight

Don't waste your time on me
You're already the voice inside my head (I miss you, I miss you)
Don't waste your time on me
You're already the voice inside my head (I miss you, I miss you)

Don't waste your time on me
You're already the voice inside my head (I miss you, I miss you)
Don't waste your time on me
You're already the voice inside my head (I miss you, I miss you)
Don't waste your time on me
You're already the voice inside my head (I miss you, I miss you)
Don't waste your time on me
You're already the voice inside my head (I miss you, I miss you)

I miss you, I miss you
I miss you, I miss you

I miss you, I miss you
I miss you, I miss you

Overall Meaning

The song "Miss You" by Gregory Isaacs is a melancholic and haunting love song about missing someone who has left a deep impression in the singer's heart. The lyrics begin with an address to a woman who is referred to as "the angel from my nightmare" and "the shadow in the background of the morgue." These descriptions suggest that the woman may be either a memory or a ghostly presence that haunts the singer's mind. This is reinforced by the line "the unsuspecting victim of darkness in the valley," which implies that the woman may have been a victim of some kind of tragedy or misfortune.

The singer then goes on to express a desire to live with this woman, referencing the characters of Jack and Sally from the movie "The Nightmare Before Christmas." He envisions a fantasy world where they can always be together, even celebrating Halloween on Christmas. However, the song then takes a darker turn as the singer reveals he cannot sleep or dream without the woman, and he feels haunted by a sick and strange darkness that comes creeping on every time he thinks of her. The singer is torn between wanting to call her and "hearing her voice of treason" and trying to forget her to "stop the pain tonight." The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, emphasizing the intense longing and sadness the singer feels for this woman.

Some possible interpretations of this song could be that it is about a lost love or a failed relationship, or it could be about a person who has passed away and left a deep impact on the singer. The references to Halloween and darkness could also be interpreted as a metaphor for the idea of death and the afterlife. Overall, the song is a powerful and emotional portrayal of the pain and yearning one can feel when missing someone deeply.

Line by Line Meaning

I miss you, miss you
I am experiencing a strong sense of longing and yearning for you.

Hello there
I am addressing the person I miss.

The angel from my nightmare
You are the savior in my time of darkness and trouble.

The shadow in the background of the morgue
You are the silent background presence that is always there, even in the darkest moments.

The unsuspecting victim
You are innocent and unaware of the effect you have on me.

Of darkness in the valley
You are the negative and unsettling influence in my life.

We can live like Jack and Sally if we want
We can embrace our quirks and be together in a way that is unconventional but still enchanting.

Where you can always find me
I am always available and open to you.

And we'll have Halloween on Christmas
We can make our own traditions and celebrate them in a special way.

And in the night we'll wish this never ends
We will enjoy our time together so much that we wish it could last forever.

Where are you?
I feel lost without you.

And I'm so sorry
I regret my mistakes and wish to make amends.

I cannot sleep I cannot dream tonight
My mind is preoccupied with thoughts of you, keeping me from resting.

I need somebody and always
I am in constant need of someone to be there for me, and that person is you.

This sick strange darkness
My world is filled with negativity and chaos.

Comes creeping on so haunting every time
My negative feelings and thoughts consume me, leaving me feeling helpless and alone.

And as I stared I counted
I ruminate and analyze my situation, trying to make sense of my feelings.

The Webs from all the spiders
The chaos in my mind is like a tangled web of confusion and uncertainty.

Catching things and eating their insides
My negative thoughts consume me from within, causing me pain and suffering.

Like indecision to call you
I am hesitant and unsure about reaching out to you.

And hear your voice of treason
I fear that you may betray me, even though in reality you are innocent.

Will you come home and stop the pain tonight
I am hoping that you will return to me and alleviate my pain and suffering.

Don't waste your time on me
I feel unworthy of your attention and affection.

You're already the voice inside my head (I miss you, I miss you)
My thoughts are consumed by memories of you, and I cannot stop thinking about you.

I miss you, I miss you
My longing for you is intense and never-ending.

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
Written by: THOMAS DELONGE, MARK HOPPUS, TRAVIS L. BARKER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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