Jimmy Cliff OM (Jamaican Order of Merit) born as James Chambers (1 April 19… Read Full Bio ↴Jimmy Cliff OM (Jamaican Order of Merit) born as James Chambers (1 April 1948, St. Catherine, Jamaica) is a Jamaican reggae musician. He is best known among mainstream audiences for songs like "Sittin' in Limbo", "You Can Get It If You Really Want," "Many Rivers to Cross" and the title track from The Harder They Come, a film soundtrack which helped popularise reggae across the world.

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.

Give A Little Take A Little
Jimmy Cliff Lyrics

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Yes, I know, I know your love is gone
And you feel that you can't carry on
Your burden gets heavier
And your sorrows gets deeper
Girl, you've got to give a little, take a little
Pay the price and make the sacrifice
You've got to give a little, take a little
True loves a game of give and take

Remember, Romeo and Juliet
How they gave and took a lot, don't you forget
I know it's hard to bear
But be smart and you won't have to fail
If you just give a little, take a little
Pay the price and make the sacrifice
You've got to give a little, take a little
True loves a game of give and take
Yes, I know
Yes you say, you haven't lost your faith
You get tired of this long wait
You must give if you wanna take
And if you do, girl, you know won't regret
You've got to give a little, take a little
Pay the price, make the sacrifice
You've got to give a little, take a little
True loves a game of give and take
You've got to give a little, take a little
Pay the price make the sacrifice
You've got to give a little, take a little
True loves a game of give and take

You've got to give a little, take a little
Pay the price, make the sacrifice

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Jimmy Cliff's song "Give A Little Take A Little" are about the ups and downs of love, and the need for both partners to contribute equally in order to make a relationship work. The song speaks to the idea that true love is not simply about taking what you can get, but about being willing to give of yourself in order to build a strong and lasting bond.

The first verse of the song sets the tone for the rest of the piece, with Cliff singing about the weight of an unrequited love and the feeling that it is too heavy to bear. He encourages the singer to persevere and make the necessary sacrifices to keep love alive, urging her to "give a little, take a little." The refrain echoes this sentiment, with Cliff repeating again and again that true love is a game of give and take.

Throughout the song, Cliff draws on the story of Romeo and Juliet as a symbol of the importance of mutual sacrifice in a loving relationship. He encourages the singer to be "smart" and learn from their example, so that she can avoid failure and find the happiness she seeks.

Overall, "Give A Little Take A Little" is a powerful reminder that love is not simply about what we can get, but about what we are willing to give. It encourages us to be brave in the face of difficulty and to put the needs of our partners ahead of our own, if we want to build strong and lasting relationships that can withstand the test of time.

Line by Line Meaning

Yes, I know, I know your love is gone
I understand that you have lost your love

And you feel that you can't carry on
You feel like you can't continue without love

Your burden gets heavier
Your sadness and pain increase

And your sorrows gets deeper
You become more and more unhappy

Girl, you've got to give a little, take a little
You need to give and take in a relationship

Pay the price and make the sacrifice
You need to put in effort and make compromises

True loves a game of give and take
Love involves both people contributing equally

Remember, Romeo and Juliet
Think about the story of Romeo and Juliet

How they gave and took a lot, don't you forget
They both made significant sacrifices for their love

I know it's hard to bear
I understand it's difficult to handle

But be smart and you won't have to fail
Be wise and you'll avoid failure