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.
Love Me
Jimmy Cliff Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Love me, love me, wow, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Love me, love me, wow, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Love me, let's come together and be as one
Love me, like brothers and sisters and we'll be strong
And between you and me we'll find perfect peace
As we learn to live as one family
And find it, my love, for eternity, yeah
Love me, love me, wow, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Love me, love me, 'cause I love you, too
Wow, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Love me and let's walk together, in love and life
Love me and let's get together, and make things right
And between you and me we'll find perfect peace
As we learn to live as one family
We'll chase jealousy with sweet harmony
And find it, my love, for eternity, yeah
Love me, love me, wow, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Wow, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Uh, la, la, uh, la, la, wow, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Love me, love me, 'cause I love you, honey
Wow, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Do no fear, honey, do not fear it (no)
Jimmy Cliff's song "Love Me Love Me" is about the desire for peace, unity, and love between all people. He sings about coming together as one family, like brothers and sisters, and finding perfect peace. He acknowledges the challenges that come with pursuing this kind of harmonious way of living, but insists that it is worth it to chase jealousy and find sweet harmony.
Throughout the song, Cliff repeats the phrase "love me, love me," not as a selfish plea for attention, but as a call to action for others to embrace love in order to create a better world. He believes that walking together in love and life, making things right, and finding perfect peace will lead to a world in which fear is eradicated.
The song has an upbeat tempo and a catchy melody, making it a feel-good anthem for anyone who wants to believe that love can conquer all. Its message is one of hope, and it encourages listeners to work towards a society that is built on love and unity.
Line by Line Meaning
Love me, love me, wow, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
The singer wants to be loved eagerly and passionately, expressing excitement and joy about love.
Love me, let's come together and be as one
The singer wants to unite with the listener and form a bond that brings them closer together.
Love me, like brothers and sisters and we'll be strong
The singer wants the love to be pure and familial, so that it creates a powerful unity and community.
And between you and me we'll find perfect peace
The singer believes that love will bring peace and tranquility to their relationship.
As we learn to live as one family
The singer sees love as unifying and creating a familial bond between them and the listener.
We'll chase jealousy with sweet harmony
The singer believes that love can erase jealousy and replace it with a beautiful harmony.
And find it, my love, for eternity, yeah
The singer believes that this kind of love endures forever and wants the listener to find that kind of love with them.
Love me and let's walk together, in love and life
The singer believes that love is meant to be shared while walking together and facing life's challenges.
Love me and let's get together, and make things right
The singer sees love as a force that can improve the listener's life and help them make things right.
Love me, 'cause I love you, too
The singer wants to be loved because they also have love to give and feel a deep connection to the listener.
Do no fear, honey, do not fear it (no)
The singer urges the listener not to be afraid of love and to embrace it fully.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: JIMMY CLIFF
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Corban Schwartz
Love me, love me, wow, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Love me, love me, wow, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Love me, love me, wow, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Love me, let's come together and be as one
Love me, like brothers and sisters and we'll be strong
And between you and me we'll find perfect peace
As we learn to live as one family
We'll chase jealousy with sweet harmony
And find it, my love, for eternity, yeah
Love me, love me, wow, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Love me, love me, 'cause I love you, too
Wow, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Love me and let's walk together, in love and life
Love me and let's get together, and make things right
And between you and me we'll find perfect peace
As we learn to live as one family
We'll chase jealousy with sweet harmony
And find it, my love, for eternity, yeah
Love me, love me, wow, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Wow, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Uh, la, la, uh, la, la, wow, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Love me, love me, 'cause I love you, honey
Wow, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Do no fear, honey, do not fear it (no)
laughingcat
One of the best songs and albums ever recorded. Sends me flying through the air!
Gerardo Brodersen
if you really spectacular !!!!
Milton Santos Machado
Me atrevo a dizer que Jimmy Cliff, é o maior cantor da história, da música , alem de ter belíssima voz, as músicas passam mensagens de paz , justiça social e amor , muito amor, obrigado Jimmy, por vc existir , sou seu fã, conheço quase todas suas músicas ..
don semson
This is a great Jimmy Cliff hit. I can listen to this song all day
Roberto Rosendo Molina Castillo
I too.
Corban Schwartz
Love me, love me, wow, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Love me, love me, wow, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Love me, love me, wow, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Love me, let's come together and be as one
Love me, like brothers and sisters and we'll be strong
And between you and me we'll find perfect peace
As we learn to live as one family
We'll chase jealousy with sweet harmony
And find it, my love, for eternity, yeah
Love me, love me, wow, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Love me, love me, 'cause I love you, too
Wow, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Love me and let's walk together, in love and life
Love me and let's get together, and make things right
And between you and me we'll find perfect peace
As we learn to live as one family
We'll chase jealousy with sweet harmony
And find it, my love, for eternity, yeah
Love me, love me, wow, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Wow, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Uh, la, la, uh, la, la, wow, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Love me, love me, 'cause I love you, honey
Wow, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Do no fear, honey, do not fear it (no)
Don Sixto
Excelente canción, nostalgia!!!.. me recuerda mucho a la cultura de los 80s.
funkyalfonso
I love this song and 'Hanging Fire' Wonderful album.
Ya Kil
I have completely forgotten about this song until a fellow Congolese - Adamo of Zaiko LL - told me that the original version was recorded with him in Brazzaville. The pop version is of course the most successful one, but the demo has a raw vintage quality that makes this song a timeless classic.
Mattheus Hanghome
Good music for the inner soul....love it. Matthew H. Namibia