A descendant of the Jamaican National Hero the Rt Excellent Deacon Paul Bogle, as a sixties child Kay was exposed to the singing greats, especially those from the Tamla Motown stable and as a result of the exposure and inspiration, Janet's love for singing was born. In 1977, whilst in Secretarial College, Kay was invited by her school friend Sonia Ferguson (who recorded a cover version of Smokey Robinson's 'Oh Baby Baby' in the late 70s) to a band rehearsal. As destiny had it, band member Tony Gad heard Kay singing in the rehearsal room. He was so impressed that he introduced her to the reggae legend, the great Alton Ellis. That meeting resulted in Kay recording a cover version of Minnie Ripperton's 'Loving You' (produced by Alton Ellis) that became a reggae smash hit spending many weeks at No. 1 in the reggae charts.
The following year, 1978, saw Kay record two more cover versions, 'I Do Love You' and 'That's What Friends Are For', again, both spending weeks at No. 1 in the reggae charts.
In 1979, Kay made history by becoming the first British-born black female to have a reggae song at the top of the British charts. The song, 'Silly Games', (produced by Dennis Bovell) was a hit not only in the UK but also in Europe. Kay's history making has been recorded in the Music Guiness Book of Records.
Kay's songwriting prowess became evident on the release of her first album 'Capricorn Woman'. The album was, and still is, a best seller. All the songs except two were penned by Kay.
By now, Kay had become known as the 'Queen of Lover's Rock'. In that same year Kay was presented with the awards for Best 7" single, Best 12" single and Best Female Vocalist 1979 by Black Echoes Music Newspaper.
Kay's voice was not exclusive to reggae music and in the early 80s she also penned and sung the soulful 'Eternally Grateful' which became an underground hit.
The early 80s also saw the collaboration between Kay and reggae legend Jackie Mitto with the Randy Crawford classic, 'You Bring The Sun Out'.
In 1980, after a chance meeting with actor/singer Victor Romero Evans, Kay as introduced to the theatre company 'Black Theatre Co-operative'. A successful audition saw the birth of Janet's theatrical career, in the play 'Mama Dragon' by Faroukh Dhondy's which toured England and Europe.
Kay's theatre credits include:
Mama Dragon - BTC
Shooting Stars At Day - BTC
Redemption Song - BTC
Sink or Swim - Foco Novo
Tewodos - BTC (Black Theatre Forum)
Say Hallelujah - Black Theatre Forum
Don,t Blame The Post Man - Roots Theatre
65 With a Bullett - BTC (song writer) On a Level - BIBI CREW
Another Level - BIBI CREW
Radio credits:
Pheonix England - BBC play
Read Peoms and short stories - BBC
Friends - BBC
Advertisements credits:
Job Club
Data Protection
Skip Crisps (Voice Over)
McEwan Lager
Tilda Rice (radio)
Malibu (radio)
In 1981, Kay starred in the 'Black Theatre Co-operative's' TV sitcom 'No Problem' (LWT/Channel 4), the first black TV show which was created and conceived by a black theatre company. The show became a cult classic.
Other television credits include:
Top of the Pops - BBC
Party at the Palace - with special guest Trevor McDonald and Gary Bird - LWT/CH4
Birds of a Feather - BBC
Verdict - CH4
Razamtaz - Southern TV
Runaround - ITV
Afternoon Plus - ITV
Hale and Pace - ITV (sung theme track for one episode)
Snakes and Ladders - CH4
Blacka and Bella Show - CH4
In Between the Lines "Cracker" - BBC1
Casualty - BBC1
A Touch of Frost – ITV
Film Credits:
Burning an Illusion
Time and Judgement
The late 80's saw Kay's collaboration with the singer/producer Lloyd Charmers with the cover album 'Sweet Surrender'.
In 1990 Kay collaborated with Beats International (Norman Cook aka Fat Boy Slim) on their track Burundi Blues. Following this collaboration, Janet was invited to feature on Lindy Layton's version of Silly Games.
In the early 90s Kay, along with fellow actresses Judith Jacob, Suzanne Packer, Suzette Llewellyn, Beverley Michaels, Josephine Melville and the Late Joanne Campbell formed the highly successful female theatre company the Bibi Crew. All the shows were written produced and directed by the Crew.
In 1991, the album 'Sweet Surrender' was renamed 'Lovin' You, Best of Janet Kay', (which included a newly recorded version of 'Lovin' You'), and was released in Japan.; The track 'Lovin' You' propelled Janet to stardom in Japan. Kay subsequently signed to Sony Music (Japan). As a Sony artist Kay has, to date released the following albums:
Loving You (The Best of Janet Kay) - 1991
Love You Always - 1993
For the Love of You – 1994
In Paradise - 1996
Making History - 1998
Through The Years - 1999
Lovin' You … More - 2003
Over the years Kay has collaborated with top producers, Drummie Zeb and Tony Gad (Aswad), Junior Giscombe ('Mama Used To Say'), Jeremy Meehan, Shinichi Osawa (Japan), Kodama & Gota (Japan), Omar and Sly and Robbie. Janet's albums have sold in excess of a million copies in Japan, 'Love You Always' selling over 400 thousand copies in its first year alone.
Japan entitled 'La Dolce Vita', alongside the renowned Japanese composer Taro Iwashiro.
Kay has visited Japan at least once a year every year since 1990. Such visits have included performing at the exclusive Blue Note Night Club for 2 to 3 weeks at a time in Fukuoka, Osaka, Yokohama, Nagoya and Tokyo.
2006-7 saw Kay's return to theatre, where she appeared as the Fairy Godmother in Hackney Empire's Pantomime, 'Cinderella', which the Evening Standard rated the best 'Panto of the season'. Janet is currently promoting and performing, along with Victor Romero Evans and Carroll Thompson, their newly devised ‘Lover’s Rock Unplugged’ shows.
Kay is an accomplished Machine Knitter/Designer and Lacemaker her works have been published in craft editorials. Janet has recently completed a Film Editors course and already she has co-edited a short feature film by Clive Gandison ('Evergreen Man') which was recently nominated for an award by the BFM.
Kay has been voted one of Britain's Top 100 Black Britain's by the Evening Standard and she has also been presented with an award for her Outstanding Contribution to Black Music by Darker Than Blue in association with Barclays.
http://www.janetkay.com/
Feel No Way
Janet Kay Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and you realise the day is dawning.
The sun shines through your window pane,
another day in your life begins again.
(Don't feel no way)
Your unhappy'cause your all alone,
and you feel that you just can't go on.
just look all around.
Don't you see that someone loves you, he's the one who made you.
(Don't feel no way)
Don't feel download hearted,
don't feel no way.
He's gonna love you each and every day.
Whatever your colour whether your good or your bad,
he will always love you so please don't feel sad.
Don't feel downhearted oh no don't feel no way.
(Don't feel no way)
When your lying in your bed at night
and the moon is shining high and bright. Your finding it hard to go to sleep
the tears come to your eyes and your thinking to weak.
(Don't feel no way)
Put your hands together say a prayer,
and so you're thinking no one really cares.
He looks down on you with his smiling face.
Never mind your colour your creed your race.
(Don't feel no way)
Don't feel downhearted don't feel no way.
(Don't you know that)
(Don't feel no way)
he's gonna love you each and every day.
Whatever your colour whether your good or your bad,
he will always love you so please don't feel sad.
(Don't feel no way)
Don't feel downhearted, oh no don't feel no way.
(Don't feel no way)
Don't feel downhearted
no, 'cause he will always love you, yeah.
(Don't feel no way)
Don't feel downhearted oh no don't feel no way.
(Don't feel no way)
Don't feel downhearted no 'cause he will always love you. yeah.
Janet Kay's song "Feel No Way" is a message of hope, encouraging listeners to not feel downhearted even when they are feeling lonely, sad or thinking too weak. The song begins by describing the start of a new day, with the sun shining through the windowpane as life begins yet again. Janet then also encourages the listeners to look around and see that they are loved by someone who made them, thus telling them not to feel alone or unhappy. The artist also explains that it does not matter what colour or creed you are, someone will always love you, making the listeners realize that they are not alone and that someone is always there for them.
The second verse describes the time when the listeners are lying in bed at night thinking and struggling to sleep. Janet's message here is loud and clear; even in those darkest times of the day, when you feel like no one is listening, someone is always looking over you with a smiling face. The singer encourages them to pray and believe in that someone who cares for them, thus leading them out of their sadness and weaknesses.
The overall message of the song is to reassure people that they are not alone and that someone is always watching over them, someone who loves them for who they are, no matter what. The artists try to communicate a message of hope to people who feel a sense of loneliness or sadness, encouraging them to think positively and look forward to a better future.
Line by Line Meaning
When you wake up in the morning,
As you rise and start your day,
and you realise the day is dawning.
Noticing the sun beginning to rise,
The sun shines through your window pane,
With rays of light filling your room,
another day in your life begins again.
You begin anew, with a clean slate for a fresh start.
(Don't feel no way)
Don't be disheartened,
Your unhappy'cause your all alone,
You feel unhappy when there's no one around,
and you feel that you just can't go on.
And you have the sense that you cannot go any further.
Don't feel down hearted,
Don't lose faith,
just look all around.
Take a look at your surroundings.
Don't you see that someone loves you, he's the one who made you.
Can't you see? The one who created you loves you dearly.
(Don't feel no way)
Don't let it get you down,
Don't feel download hearted,
Don't let your heart become heavy,
he's gonna love you each and every day.
He will love you every single day, without fail.
Whatever your colour whether your good or your bad,
No matter your skin tone or behavior,
he will always love you so please don't feel sad.
He will love you eternally, so please don't feel sad.
When your lying in your bed at night
When you're lying in bed at night,
and the moon is shining high and bright.
With the moon beaming high and bright.
Your finding it hard to go to sleep
Having difficulty drifting off to sleep,
the tears come to your eyes and your thinking to weak.
With tears in your eyes, feeling powerless.
(Don't feel no way)
But don't let it dishearten you,
Put your hands together say a prayer,
Join your hands and pray.
and so you're thinking no one really cares.
And you may think that no one truly cares.
He looks down on you with his smiling face.
But with a joyous countenance, he is watching over you.
Never mind your colour your creed your race.
It doesn't matter about your ethnicity, beliefs, or social status.
(Don't feel no way)
So don't worry about it.
Don't feel downhearted don't feel no way.
Don't let life get you so low.
(Don't you know that)
Don't you realize
he's gonna love you each and every day.
That he will love you eternally, every single day.
Whatever your colour whether your good or your bad,
No matter what you've done or who you are,
he will always love you so please don't feel sad.
He will always love you unconditionally, so please don't be upset.
(Don't feel no way)
Just keep on going,
Don't feel downhearted, oh no don't feel no way.
Don't let your heart become heavy, don't become disheartened.
(Don't feel no way)
Keep your spirits up,
Don't feel downhearted no 'cause he will always love you, yeah.
Don't let it get to you because he will always love you, yes he will.
(Don't feel no way)
So hold your head up high,
Don't feel downhearted oh no don't feel no way.
Don't let your spirits be crushed, don't feel disheartened.
(Don't feel no way)
Just keep on believing,
Don't feel downhearted no 'cause he will always love you. yeah.
Don't become disheartened because he will always love you, yes he will.
Contributed by Grayson W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.