Cliff moved to Kingston in 1962. After he released two singles that failed to make much of an impression, his career took off when his "Hurricane Hattie" became a hit, while he was aged just 14; it was produced by Leslie Kong, with whom Cliff would remain until Kong's death. Later local hit singles included "King of Kings", "Dearest Beverley" and "Pride and Passion". In 1964, Cliff was chosen as one of the Jamaican representatives at the World's Fair, and Cliff soon signed to Island Records and moved to Britain. Island initially (and unsuccessfully) tried to sell Cliff to the rock audience, but his career took off in the late 1960s. His international debut album was Hard Road to Travel, which received excellent reviews and included "Waterfall", a Brazilian hit that won the International Song Festival.
"Waterfall" was followed in 1969 by "Wonderful World, Beautiful People" and "Vietnam" in 1970, both popular throughout most of the world. Folk rock singer-songwriter Bob Dylan even called "Vietnam" the best protest song he'd ever heard. Wonderful World included a cover of Cat Stevens' "Wild World", which was a success in 1970.
Leslie Kong died of a heart attack in 1971. The soundtrack to the reggae film The Harder They Come was a huge success that sold well across the world, but did not break Cliff into the mainstream. After a series of albums, Cliff took a break and traveled to Africa, exploring his newfound Muslim spirituality. He quickly returned to music, touring for several years before he recorded with Kool & the Gang for Power & the Glory (1983). (During the 1981 River Tour, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band added Cliff's little-known "Trapped" to their live set; it achieved great prominence when included on 1985's We Are the World benefit album.) The follow-up, Cliff Hanger (1985) won a Grammy Award, though it was his last major success in the U.S. until 1993. He continued to sell well in Jamaica and, to a lesser extent, the UK, returning to the mainstream pop charts in the U.S. and elsewhere with a version of Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now" on the Cool Runnings film soundtrack in 1993 .
In 2002, Cliff released his new album, Fantastic Plastic People in Europe, after first providing free downloads using Delacove's People Music Media p2p software. This album featured collaborations with Joe Strummer, Annie Lennox, and Sting as well as new songs that were very reminiscent of Cliff's original hits. In 2004 Cliff completely reworked the songs, dropping the traditional reggae in favor of an electronica sound, for inclusion in Black Magic.
Cliff has also covered the famous African song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight".
His recording of 'You Can Get It If You Really Want' was used as a campaign anthem by the Sandinista National Liberation Front in the 1990 election in Nicaragua (they lost). It was also adopted by the British Conservative Party during their annual conference in October, 2007. It is unclear whether Mr Cliff endorsed either party. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame March 15,2010.
Actions Speak Louder Than Words
Jimmy Cliff Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't be deceived by all those fancy talkers
Action speaks louder than words
Don't be deceived by all those fancy talkers
'Cause a man can say he'll
Turn your night into day
And a man can say he'll
And a man can say he'll
Roll your dark clouds away
But when it comes to doing, doing, showing
Showing
It's gonna take some knowing, knowing
Action speaks louder than words
Don't be deceived by all those fancy talkers
Action speaks louder than words
Don't be deceived by all those fancy talkers
'Causе anyone can say they'll build
A world in a day anyone can say thеy'll make
A stormy day bright
Anyone can say they'll put all
The wrong things right
But when it comes to doing, doing
It's gonna take some knowing, knowing
You must do some showing, showing
Action speaks louder than words
Don't be deceived by all those fancy talkers
Action speaks louder than words
Don't be deceived by all those fancy talkers
The song "Actions Speak Louder Than Words" by Jimmy Cliff sends a message that actions have more value than words. The first two lines set the tone for the rest of the song, which is to not be fooled by those who talk a lot but don't act on it. The song speaks about how people can make promises to make our lives better, but without showing us, it is only talk. Cliff gives examples of people who make promises to make our lives better, like turning night into day, taking away our sufferings, rolling away our dark clouds, building a world in a day, making a stormy day bright, and putting all the wrong things right.
However, Cliff emphasizes that it is not enough to say these things; you must follow through with your promises. When it comes to doing, it takes some knowing because you must show what you have promised. The lyrics suggest that it is not enough for someone to say they will do something, but it is the act of actually doing it that counts. The chorus repeats the line "Action speaks louder than words," driving the message home to the listener that talk is cheap, but taking action is what really matters.
In conclusion, the song "Actions Speak Louder Than Words" highlights the importance of following through with promises and taking action. It urges people not to be fooled by people who talk a lot but don't act on it, reminding us that it's only the act of doing that counts.
Line by Line Meaning
Action speaks louder than words
Actions are more impactful than mere words
Don't be deceived by all those fancy talkers
Do not be misled by people who make grand promises with words alone
'Cause a man can say he'll
Turn your night into day
Because a person can claim that they will make your life better
And a man can say he'll
Take your sufferings away
And someone can make claims to relieve your pain and troubles
And a man can say he'll
Roll your dark clouds away
And a person can promise to eliminate hardships in your life
But when it comes to doing, doing, showing
Showing
It's gonna take some knowing, knowing
However, actions are what make a difference and not just promises. It takes experience and knowledge to truly follow through on those commitments.
Cause anyone can say they'll build
A world in a day anyone can say they'll make
A stormy day bright
Because anyone can make empty promises of creating unprecedented opportunities or solving difficult challenges
Anyone can say they'll put all
The wrong things right
It's easy for anyone to say they'll fix all the problems in the world
But when it comes to doing, doing
It's gonna take some knowing, knowing
You must do some showing, showing
However, to truly accomplish something, it requires knowledge and experience to follow through on commitments. One must demonstrate their abilities through action.
Action speaks louder than words
Don't be deceived by all those fancy talkers
Actions are what matter, so don't be fooled by those who only make grandiose statements without ever following through.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@gbereggie
this song reminds me of my parents there still here and im grateful
@jimchintu8536
Everytime when I started listening to music from Jimmy cliff the first song is action speaks louder than words
@user-ff1hu2sp5l
❤ fine singer
@user-wr6fg8uq7t
Great music of old. One of my favorites.
@Danny-kk8mn
My love JJ ASKED ME to come listen so I’m here. I want you to know you’re the best thing that has ever happened to me and I’m gonna prove it to you with my hard work and dedication in this life, Happy birthday in advance JJ . To us ❤️🥂
@tavaketangikinamokofisi2071
true that
@derrickchingambu5521
Kkkk for sure yes
@MrAymanshaban
So True..
@EdifyHAMUKALE
yes you are right. very true
@marcarnauld751
true