Jamaican reggae band Inner Circle was formed 1968 by Ian and Roger Lewis. T… Read Full Bio ↴Jamaican reggae band Inner Circle was formed 1968 by Ian and Roger Lewis. The band gained success through the front-man and lead singer Jacob Miller, who was killed in a car crash 1980. 1978-80 Inner Circle was more popular in Jamaica than Bob Marley. The band also appeared in the reggae film Rockers in 1978. The album Everything Is Great reached top 20 in the UK 1979. In 1989 the hit 'Bad Boys' was released with Charlton Coffie as lead singer. Another international hit was 'Sweat (A La La La La Long)' 1993.
- - -

The reggae group Inner Circle was formed in 1968 by the brothers Ian and Roger Lewis in Jamaica. At first they covered soul and R&B hits from the United States, and then also a few reggae songs, predominantly from Bob Marley.

The band released two albums as The Inner Circle in 1974 for jamaican label "Starapple"(and they were distributed by "Trojan" in UK), and resigned to Capitol Records in 1976, and Island Records(where the internationally successful album "Everything Is Great" originated. This album reached top 20 in the UK and preceded their other chart success by some years) in 1979.

Inner Circle was decidedly influenced through the original member Jacob Miller, the frontman and lead singer who was killed in a car crash on March 23, 1980. At the end of the 1970s Inner Circle with Jacob "Killer" Miller was more popular in Jamaica than Bob Marley. The band also appeared in the reggae cult film Rockers in 1978.

After the loss of Jacob Miller, Inner Circle broke up, but in 1982 another album called Something So Good was released. In 1986 Ian and Roger Lewis reestablished Inner Circle with the singer Carlton Coffie, and the band experienced a comeback with the album Black Roses.

In 1989, Inner Circle released the song "Bad Boys." Since then, the band calls itself "The Bad Boys of Reggae". They had another big hit with the 1993 song "Sweat (A La La La La Long)."

The lead singer Carlton Coffie was ill for a long period in 1995 and decided after his recuperation to start a solo career. The current singer Kris Bentley took his place.

Rough Boy
Inner Circle Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

So you want to be rough boy
So you want to fight
Haven't you got better things
To do with your life

Like walking in the rain
Chilling your brain
Before you go insane

Take a stand on love
Give praise to JAH love

We taking it to the top
Never stop
Never did stop
Never will stop
Hotter the battle

The sweeter the victory
Life it's for you and me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Inner Circle's 'Rough Boy' start with a question. The singer is asking why someone would choose to live a rough life full of fighting and violence instead of focusing on other things that could enrich their lives. He suggests that the person should spend their time walking in the rain and taking some time to calm their mind before they go crazy. Additionally, he advises that they take a stand on love and give praise to Jah, referring to God in the Rastafarian religion.

The chorus of the song is meant to inspire hope and determination. Inner Circle talks about taking things to the top and never stopping or giving up. They assert that the hotter the battle, the sweeter the victory, and that life is worth living to its fullest potential.

Line by Line Meaning

So you want to be rough boy
Are you trying to prove something by acting tough?

So you want to fight
Are you looking for trouble and violence?

Haven't you got better things
Don't you have more productive and positive ways to spend your time?

To do with your life
To make your life meaningful and fulfilling?

Like walking in the rain
Take a moment to enjoy the small pleasures in life, like being in nature.

Chilling your brain
Relax your mind and calm your thoughts.

Before you go insane
Don't let stress and negativity consume you to the point of losing your sanity.

Take a stand on love
Embrace love and positivity as a guiding force in your life.

Give praise to JAH love
Recognize the power and goodness of a higher spiritual force, regardless of one's specific religion or belief.

We taking it to the top
We're aiming for the highest level of success and fulfillment.

Never stop
We won't give up or quit when faced with challenges.