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.
Dance
Jimmy Cliff Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ooh, la, la, la let's go dancin'
Ooh, la, la, la reggae dancin'
Ooh, la, la, la (yeah) let's go dancin'
Ooh, la, la, la (Come on) reggae dancin'
Everything was dark, oh, yeah, yeah
All of a sudden on came the lights
And everything was feeling right
The people started dancing
They call me over to join in
They said, "JT, don't ya feel good, man?"
Come on and join the reggae jam
I heard them singin'
Ooh, la, la, la (Hey, hey day)
Let's go dancin' ooh, la, la, la
Reggae dancin' ooh, la, la, la
Let's go dancin' ooh, la, la, la
Reggae dancin' (It's a reggae get down)
Ooh, la, la, la (O oh) let's go dancin'
(Get your dancin' shoes
Get your dancin' shoes) ooh, la, la, la
Reggae dancin'
Ooh, la, la, la (Woo) let's go dancin'
(Get your dancin' shoes
Get your dancin' shoes) ooh, la, la, la
Reggae dancin'
I wanna get to know you
Come on let's reggae down, oh, yeah, yeah
Get better acquainted
So that everything will be fine, hey lady
Listen
Hey, baby, what's your name?
Is it a Misses or is it miss, eh
If you're by yourself I'd like to
Take you for a ride
We could check the scene and reggae down
And we'll be singin'
Ooh, la, la, la (Woo) let's go dancin'
Ooh, la, la, la (Come on let's go)
Reggae dancin' ooh, la, la, la
Let's go dancin' ooh, la, la, la
Reggae dancin'
Ooh, la, la, la (O oh) let's go dancin'
(Get your dancin' shoes
Get your dancin' shoes) ooh, la, la, la
Reggae dancin'
Ooh, la, la, la (O oh) let's go dancin'
(Go get your dancin' shoes
Get your dancin' shoes) ooh, la, la, la
Reggae dancin'
Oh, it's a special such a happy
It's a special such a happy
(You wanna come dancin') Ooh, la, la, la
Let's go dancin' (Reggae dancin')
Ooh, la, la, la
Reggae dancin' (Do you wanna come dancin')
Ooh, la, la, la
Let's go dancin' (Reggae dancin')
Ooh, la, la, la reggae dancin'
Now we on the floor
Gimme, gimme some more, oh, yeah, yeah
The world is yours for dancin', yeah
The music makes for a little romancin'
I heard her say, "Get
Get your dancin' shoes"
"It's anyone's party"
Come on and get your dancin' shoe, yeah
If you wanna join, join the jam, yeah
Just let that music take you
Can't you hear 'em singing
Ooh, la, la, la let's go dancin'
Ooh, la, la, la (We are reggae)
Reggae dancin'
Ooh, la, la, la let's go dancin'
Ooh, la, la, la (La, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
Yeah) reggae dancin'
Ooh, la, la, la (O oh) let's go dancin'
(Get your dancin' shoes
Get your dancin' shoes) ooh, la, la, la
Reggae dancin'
Ooh, la, la, la (Woo) let's go dancin'
(Go get your dancin' shoes
Get your dancin' shoes) ooh, la, la, la
Reggae dancin'
It's a special such a happy
It's a special such a happy
I wanna go dancin' with you
I wanna go dancin' with you, baby
I wanna go dancin' with you
I wanna go dancin' with you, baby
Let's go dance, dancin'
Let's go dance, ooh, hoo
Let's go dance, dancin' let's go dance
It's a special such a happy
It's a special such a happy
The lyrics of Jimmy Cliff's song "Dance" revolve around the joy and exhilaration of dancing, particularly to reggae music. The song encourages people to let loose, express themselves through dance, and enjoy the positive vibes of the music.
The first verse sets the scene, with the singer describing going to a park where everything was initially dark. Suddenly, the lights turn on and the atmosphere changes, making everything feel right. People around him start dancing and invite him to join in the reggae jam. The lyrics express the infectious nature of the music and the joy it brings.
In the chorus, the repeated lines "Ooh, la, la, la let's go dancin'" and "Ooh, la, la, la reggae dancin'" convey a sense of excitement and invitation to dance. The phrases serve as a rallying call for everyone to come together, put on their dancing shoes, and enjoy the rhythm of reggae music.
The second verse shifts the focus to the singer's interest in getting to know someone better. He approaches this person, asking their name and showing interest in spending time with them. The lyrics suggest that through dance and music, a connection can be created and enjoyed.
Throughout the song, both the verses and the chorus emphasize the power of music and dance to bring people together and create a happy and special atmosphere. The lyrics encourage listeners to let the music guide them on the dance floor and to fully immerse themselves in the experience of dancing and having a good time.
Overall, the song's lyrics capture the universal feeling of happiness and liberation that can be found through dance, particularly when accompanied by the infectious and energetic rhythm of reggae music.
Line by Line Meaning
Ooh, la, la, la let's go dancin'
Hey, let's go dancing and have a good time
Ooh, la, la, la reggae dancin'
Hey, let's go dancing to some reggae music
Went down to the park
I went to the park
Everything was dark, oh, yeah, yeah
It was dark all around
All of a sudden on came the lights
Suddenly, the lights turned on
And everything was feeling right
And everything felt perfect
The people started dancing
The crowd began to dance
They call me over to join in
They invited me to join them
They said, "JT, don't ya feel good, man?"
They asked me if I felt good
Come on and join the reggae jam
Come on and join the reggae music session
I heard them singin'
I heard them singing
I wanna get to know you
I want to get to know you
Come on let's reggae down, oh, yeah, yeah
Come on, let's dance to reggae music
Get better acquainted
Let's become more familiar with each other
So that everything will be fine, hey lady
So that everything will be great, hey lady
Hey, baby, what's your name?
Hey, baby, what's your name?
Is it a Misses or is it miss, eh
Are you married or single?
If you're by yourself I'd like to
If you're alone, I would like to
Take you for a ride
Go on a journey with you
We could check the scene and reggae down
We could see what's happening and dance to reggae music
And we'll be singin'
And we will be singing
Now we on the floor
Now we are on the dance floor
Gimme, gimme some more, oh, yeah, yeah
Give me, give me more of it
The world is yours for dancin', yeah
The whole world is yours to dance in
The music makes for a little romancin'
The music sets the mood for some romance
I heard her say, "Get
I heard her say, "Get
Get your dancin' shoes"
Get your dancing shoes"
"It's anyone's party"
"It's a party for everyone"
Come on and get your dancin' shoe, yeah
Come on and get your dancing shoe, yeah
If you wanna join, join the jam, yeah
If you want to join, join the music session, yeah
Just let that music take you
Just let the music guide you
Can't you hear 'em singing
Can't you hear them singing
I wanna go dancin' with you
I want to go dancing with you
I wanna go dancin' with you, baby
I want to go dancing with you, baby
Let's go dance, dancin'
Let's go dance, dancing'
Let's go dance, ooh, hoo
Let's go dance, ooh, hoo
Let's go dance, dancin' let's go dance
Let's go dance, dancing, let's go dance
It's a special such a happy
It's a special, such a happy
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: AMIR BAYYAN, CLAYDES SMITH, CLIFFORD JR. ADAMS, CURTIS WILLIAMS, EUMIR DEODATO, GEORGE BROWN, JAMES TAYLOR, JAMES WARREN TAYLOR, MICHAEL RAY, ROBERT BELL, ROBERT MICKENS, ROBERT SPIKE MICKENS, RONALD BELL, RONALD NATHAN BELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Iwe Okeoghene Blessing
on No. 1 Rip-Off Man
Chorus
One more, one more, one more, one more
Verse
I got one more song I must sing
Ting-aline, freedom ring
I got one more song I must sing
A simple song, so sing along
Repeat chorus
I got one more story to tell
Mystery, my story
I got one more story to tell
True story, my glory
Repeat chorus
I got one more arrow in my bow
As I let it go, just watch my flow
I got one more arrow in my bow
To the target, and it's a hit
Repeat chorus
Bridge
Hey baby don't you go away
I want you to listen
What I have to say
It's not over, till it's over
I'm a natural lover
Hey mister, get out of my way
This is not no time to play
Hey mister get out of my way
I got to live for another day, All we got
Chorus
One more(life to live)
One more(love to give)
One more(cliff to climb)
One more(it's my time)
I got one more bullet in my gun
And I can't run, till the deal is done
I got one more bullet in my gun
And I won't run, till the deal is done
Repeat chorus
I got one more shot at the prize
So don't be surprised, open your eyes
I got one more shot at the goal
Straight from my soul
And I'm in control
Repeat chorus till fade
Iwe Okeoghene Blessing
on No. 1 Rip-Off Man
Rip off man
Edwin Nyirenda
on Brother
Brother - Jimmy cliff
Will you patronize me – brother
Do you recognize me – brother
Do you believe what your teacher said
Or is it the food that your preacher fed
Why you minimize me – brother
Oh brother
Joseph and his brothers – left Canaan
They saw the little brother – in Egypt
They both had the same cause and the same purpose
They come about the same hurt that they got back the most
Do you understand me – my brother
Oh brother
Brother (X4)
Let us help the fallen – sister
She will love to call you – mister
Do you see the need for unity
To bring about respect and dignity
Don’t you understand me – my brother
Brother
Will you patronize me – brother
Do you recognize me – brother
Is it the things that your teacher said
Or is it the food that your preacher fed
Why you minimize me – my brother
Oh brother
Are you my brother now hey hey yeah oh yeah hey hey
Are you my brother, my brother, my brother, my brother, my brother
Are you my brother now hey hey hey hey
Are you my brother, my brother, my brother, my brother, my brother
You don’t wanna understand me now oh brother
Oh brother
Oh brother
Are you my brother, my brother, my brother, my brother, my brother, my brother, my brother