Jesse Royal (Jesse David Leroi Grey, born April 29, 1989) enjoyed his early… Read Full Bio ↴Jesse Royal (Jesse David Leroi Grey, born April 29, 1989) enjoyed his early years in the hills of Maroon Town and the District of Orange in St. James before moving in the late 90’s with his mother and brother to join his father in Kingston, Jamaica. As fate would have it, Royal developed a special relationship with Daniel ‘Bambaata’ Marley (son of Ziggy Marley) at school. His friendship with Daniel proved to be fuel to the fire as they shared a deep passion for music and football. Blessed with a voice that captures the pain and hunger of a ‘downtrodden’ people; Royal’s militant character and profound lyricism caught the heart of heralded reggae producer, Philip ‘Fatis’ Burrell. Fatis Burrell, affectionately called ‘Father’ had a great and pure impact on the ‘old soul’ of Jesse; as he credits him as an invaluable inspiration and one of the most influential individuals that he has ever encountered. He started releasing his first official songs in 2011. Working with musicians such as Sly & Robbie, Donald Dennis, Earl ‘Chinna’ Smith and Monty Savory; Jesse is currently in the studio putting the final touches on his debut album with producer Kareem Burrell of the XTM.Nation. Jesse Royal also recently released his debut mixtape dubbed ‘Misheni’, which means ‘The Mission’ in Swahili.

Stand Firm
Jesse Royal Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I not gonna lay down in no Babylon
Through me and he don′t get along
Don't weigh all the pro′s and con's
Maintaining the tradition, bubbling with ambition
Selaisse son of Peter pan
Meter man don't get it wrong
It all about to judge it wrong

Take where you get until you get what you want
Better load you in my grind
You the comin′ storm
So when you see the feelings I say don′t you be alarmed

A dat I gwan' find what I gwan′, I ah gwan move
Shake and a stand firm
Setting bridges I and I willing to burn
Jagha Jagha Yoh
Ja yoh, yoh, yoh
I ah gwan move
Shake and a stand firm
Setting bridges I and I willing to burn
Jagha jagha Yoh
Ja yoh, yoh, yoh

Not above me so I feeling I buiking up
When I turn clean on my stunt
Firey like daikhans
Skillful like a dig gooseman
Don't need no posse have no gun
Beware diving on Babylon
Failing all the questions
Almost failed this is your miss-ion

Take where you get until you get what you want
Better load you in my grind
You the comin′ storm
So when you see the feelings I say don't you be alarmed

A dat I gwan′ find what I gwan', I ah gwan move
Shake and a stand firm
Setting bridges I and I willing to burn
Jagha Jagha Yoh
Ja yoh, yoh, yoh
I ah gwan move
Shake and a stand firm
Setting bridges I and I willing to burn
Jagha jagha Yoh
Ja yoh, yoh, yoh

I a gwan' find what I gwan′, I ah gwan move
Shake and a stand firm
Setting bridges I and I willing to burn
Jagha Jagha Yoh
Ja yoh, yoh, yoh
I ah gwan move
Shake and a stand firm
Setting bridges I and I willing to burn
Jagha jagha Yoh
Ja yoh, yoh, yoh

I a gwan′ find what I gwan', I ah gwan move
Shake and a stand firm
Setting bridges I and I willing to burn
Jagha Jagha Yoh
Ja yoh, yoh, yoh
I ah gwan move
Shake and a stand firm
Setting bridges I and I willing to burn
Jagha jagha Yoh
Ja yoh, yoh, yoh

Rain and shore

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Jesse Royal's "Stand Firm" speak of the artist's determination to stand firm in the face of Babylon, a term often used in reggae music to refer to oppressive systems or governments. Jesse declares that he will not lay down in Babylon and will maintain tradition while bubbling with ambition. He asserts that he will take what he can until he gets what he wants, and he encourages others to stand firm as well. He warns of the dangers of diving into Babylon and failing the test, but emphasizes the importance of persevering in the face of adversity. Although the lyrics contain many references to Jamaican Patois, the overall message is one of strength and determination.

Line by Line Meaning

I not gonna lay down in no Babylon
I refuse to submit to Babylon's influence

Through me and he don't get along
Me and Babylon don't see eye to eye

Don't weigh all the pro's and con's
I don't consider both the good and the bad aspects, I only focus on standing firm

Maintaining the tradition, bubbling with ambition
I continue supporting tradition while moving forward with determination

Selaisse son of Peter pan
Comparing Selaisse, an Ethiopian emperor, to Peter Pan as someone with a youthful spirit and a desire to remain free from Babylon's control

Meter man don't get it wrong
Don't misunderstand the message I am delivering

It all about to judge it wrong
The wrongdoings of Babylon are about to be judged

Take where you get until you get what you want
Take what you can and work towards getting what you truly desire

Better load you in my grind
It's best to get in line with the way things are moving

You the comin' storm
You are the unpredictable change that's coming

So when you see the feelings I say don't you be alarmed
Don't be surprised when you feel the way I do

A dat I gwan' find what I gwan', I ah gwan move
I will keep moving until I find what I'm looking for

Shake and a stand firm
While moving forward, I will remain grounded

Setting bridges I and I willing to burn
I am willing to destroy any connections that lead me away from my true path

Jagha Jagha Yoh
A repetitive phrase meant to convey enthusiasm and energy

Ja yoh, yoh, yoh
Another repetitive phrase meant to convey enthusiasm and energy

Not above me so I feeling I buiking up
I am feeling empowered because Babylon doesn't have power over me

When I turn clean on my stunt
When I make a clean break from Babylon's control

Firey like daikhans
Comparing oneself to a dragon or hearth fire to show one's inner strength and determination

Skillful like a dig gooseman
Comparing oneself to a skilled worker who knows what they're doing and won't be easily controlled

Don't need no posse have no gun
I don't need anyone else to support me, I am self-sufficient

Beware diving on Babylon
Be careful of falling under Babylon's control

Failing all the questions
Babylon has failed to answer important questions

Almost failed this is your miss-ion
This is Babylon's final chance, they almost failed their mission

Rain and shore
A repetitive phrase meant to convey a sense of unity and connection between land and sea, past and present

Writer(s): Jason Welsh, Jesse David Leroi Grey, Llamar Brown, Jessiah Brown, Nicolas Groskopf, Wayne Thompson

Contributed by London B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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