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.
Inside Out Upside Down
Jimmy Cliff Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What life is all about
I'm so frustrated I could shout
I'm inside out, upside down
Guess I'm the weirdest thing in town
My eyes are hazy
My feet refuse to go
Like everything I knew
Won't someone tell me
What life is all about
I'm so frustrated I could shout
I'm inside out, upside down
Guess I'm the weirdest thing in town
The sun is raining
The moon sings me a song
The birds are shining
I can't tell right from wrong
Won't someone tell me
What life is all about
I'm so frustrated I could shout
I'm inside out, upside down
Guess I'm the weirdest thing around
My friends ignore me
My lover ran away
There's nothing for me
My mind is going astray
Won't someone tell me
What life is all about
I'm so frustrated I could shout
I'm inside out, upside down
Guess I'm the weirdest thing around.
The lyrics to Jimmy Cliff's song "Inside Out Upside Down" express a sense of confusion and frustration that comes with not understanding what life is all about. The singer is unable to make sense of their surroundings and feels like the "weirdest thing in town." Their eyes are hazy, their feet refuse to go, and their dreams are crazy. They cannot tell right from wrong, and everything seems mixed up and out of order. The sun is raining, the moon is singing, and the birds are shining, which adds to the surreal quality of the experience.
The singer feels isolated and alone as their friends ignore them and their lover has run away. They feel like they are going crazy and cannot find meaning in their life. The repetition of the phrase "won't someone tell me" expresses a longing for guidance and understanding. The song speaks to the universal human experience of searching for meaning in life, feeling lost, and seeking guidance from others.
Overall, the lyrics to "Inside Out Upside Down" are a reflection of the confusion and frustration that comes with trying to make sense of life. The singer is in a state of disorientation and seeks guidance and understanding. The surreal imagery of the sun raining and birds shining adds to the dreamlike quality of the experience, amplifying the sense of confusion.
Line by Line Meaning
Won't someone tell me
The singer is pleading for someone to give them answers to their questions.
What life is all about
The singer is trying to understand the meaning and purpose of life.
I'm so frustrated I could shout
The singer is feeling extremely frustrated and overwhelmed.
I'm inside out, upside down
The artist's world feels chaotic and disordered.
Guess I'm the weirdest thing in town
The artist feels like they don't fit in and are seen as odd or unusual.
My eyes are hazy
The singer is having trouble seeing things clearly or understanding them.
My feet refuse to go
The singer feels stuck and unable to move forward.
My dreams are crazy
The artist's hopes and aspirations seem unattainable or unrealistic.
Like everything I knew
The artist's past experiences and beliefs no longer make sense in their current situation.
The sun is raining
Something unusual or unexpected is happening.
The moon sings me a song
Even the natural world seems strange or out of place.
The birds are shining
Ordinary things appear to be taking on new or different qualities.
I can't tell right from wrong
The singer is struggling to differentiate between good and bad or make wise decisions.
My friends ignore me
The singer feels abandoned or isolated by those they thought they could count on.
My lover ran away
The singer has been left heartbroken and alone.
There's nothing for me
The artist feels like they have no purpose or value.
My mind is going astray
The artist's thoughts are becoming disordered and difficult to control.
Guess I'm the weirdest thing around
The singer still feels like they don't belong and are misunderstood.
Writer(s): Jimmy Cliff, Guillermo Bright-plummer
Contributed by Nathaniel A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@theodoreizunwa2691
Am 62 now. Jimmy Cliff was my best back then, and now. Am thankful I found his music. His brand of music satisfied my deepest music cravings. Thanks Jimmy.
@theonwaigbo1968
Jimmy made me happy throughout my college years Always scintillating and full of philosophy. The king.
@veronicaomimi5034
THIS IS WONDERFUL. LISTENING TO JIMMY CLIFF'S MUSIC OF THE 70'S REALLY TAKES ME BACK TO MEMORY LANE. AT LEAST THERE WAS RELATIVE PEACE THEN COMPARED TO NOW. SO PAINFUL WE CAN'T TAKE BACK THE HANDS OF THE CLOCK. OH! WHAT A GREAT SINGER WITH A VERY SWEET &BEAUTIFUL VOICE.
@effiongaikpo9872
These are the music we heard in our days. That was the time of Nostalgy. Oooh I really miss those days. When life was life and music gave it a meaning.
@josephineolowu2546
I just found myself moving from one song to another don't know which is my favourite,God! wish I could turn the hand of the clock, love you Jimmy Cliff!
@titusbomber3270
YOU KNOW WHEN YOU FEEL SO EMPTY AND FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE NOTHING BUT ONLY MUSIC AND MEMORIES ?? JIMMY CLIFF AND HIS SONGS WAS AND HAS BEEN MY COMPANION SINCE INFANCY WHEN I FELT LIKE A MOTHERLESS CHILD
@1wharfboy
My happy childhood with Jimmy Cliff tunes in abundance... PRICELESS.
@chineduoffor665
Great classic
@kifkabay
thanks to you jimmy for taking me back to those days.lots of memories .
@veronicaomimi5034
MY CHILDREN ND GRAND CHILDREN NOW LOVE LISTENING TO JIMMY CLIFF SONGS. THEY FIND THE SONGS SO INTERESTING ND MEANINGFUL. I DO TAKE TIME TO EXPLAIN THE WISDOM EMBEDDED IN LL OF JIMMY'S SONG TO THEM. A GREAT SINGER INDEED. KUDOS!