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.
Can't Live Without You
Jimmy Cliff Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
Baby, I can't live without you
Life is nothing without you
Don't you know?
Baby, I can't live without you
Don't you know?
You've always been beside me
For a moments of my youth
I know deep down inside me
You've always shared the truth
But life is brief and fickle
And all that starts must end
So la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
Baby, I can't live without you
Life is nothing without you
Don't you know?
Baby, I can't live without you
Life is nothing without you
Don't you know?
We've seen a lot together
Sometimes good but mostly bad
Through every change of weather
You're the only one I've had
But life is brief and fickle
And all that starts must end
So la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
Baby, I can't live without you
Life is nothing without you
Don't you know?
Baby, I can't live without you
Life is nothing without you
Don't you know?
The dream that we all live in
The plans we try to make
The treasures we are giving
Are more than we can take
But life is brief and fickle
And all that starts must end
So la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
Baby, I can't live without you
Life is nothing without you
Don't you know?
Baby, I can't live without you
Life is nothing without you
Don't you know?
Baby, I can't live without you
Life is nothing without you
Don't you know?
Baby, I can't live without you
Life is nothing without you
Don't you know?
Baby, I can't live without you
Life is nothing without you
Don't you know?
Baby, I can't live without you
Life is nothing without you
Don't you know?
But life is brief and fickle
And all that starts must end
So la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
In this song, Jimmy Cliff expresses his deep love and dependency on someone he can’t live without. He acknowledges their presence in his life from his past and affirms that he needs them in his future. The song implies the struggles people go through in love and life in general. What he has is fleeting and he wants to make the most of it while he can. He appreciates the times he has spent with his partner and acknowledges that they’ve been through both good and bad moments, but he remains committed to them.
The chorus repeats that he can’t live without this person, and life is nothing without them. There is an underlying fear of losing this person that he loves so much, and he feels like he wouldn’t be able to cope if they leave his life. It’s a simple song, but it’s one that many can relate to, as love and relationships are such an essential aspect of life. It reflects the feeling of wanting to hold on to something that makes you happy and fulfilled, as it could all end in a moment.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby, I can't live without you
The singer cannot imagine living without their beloved
Life is nothing without you
The singer views their beloved as an essential part of their life
Don't you know?
The singer wants their beloved to understand the depth of their feelings
You've always been beside me
The beloved has been a constant presence in the artist's life
For a moments of my youth
The beloved has been with the artist since their youth
I know deep down inside me
The singer has a strong feeling that their beloved is honest and true
You've always shared the truth
The singer believes their beloved has always been truthful with them
But life is brief and fickle
The artist acknowledges the transience and unpredictability of life
And all that starts must end
The artist accepts that everything comes to an end
We've seen a lot together
The artist and their beloved have shared many experiences
Sometimes good but mostly bad
Their experiences have been a mix of positive and negative
Through every change of weather
Their relationship has endured through all kinds of circumstances
You're the only one I've had
The singer has had no one else but their beloved
The dream that we all live in
The singer reflects on the common human experience
The plans we try to make
Humans try to make plans, but life is unpredictable
The treasures we are giving
Humans often strive to accumulate material possessions
Are more than we can take
But ultimately material possessions cannot bring lasting fulfillment
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GUILLERMO BRIGHT-PLUMMER, JIMMY CLIFF
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
TeoG
A true musician. It's so refreshing to hear good music after hearing all the rubbish on the radio these days.
Abraham Palmer
Teo Grehan agree 1000% imo roots reggae traditional is the best music for the mind and soul and spirit reggae music is fruit music for your soul
Josephine Olowu
This sums up my pain.
Wambui Kinuthia
Blessjngs, Jimmy cliff great singer mommy raised us on his music.Still handsome.Live the album cover struggling man album cover. MANY OF GODS BLESSINGS.😇😇😇😇😇😇❤❤❤❤🤩🥰💋😼😼😼😼😼😼😼😼😼😼