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.
Reggae Nights
Jimmy Cliff Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You live and you love
So turn on your light
Make it shine bright
Now listen to this
Jam it
Reggae night
Reggae night
And we'll be jamming till the morning light,
Mmm, hmm, oh, oh
Many river calls
Got to get my things, got to catch this ride
Got to look my best
Cause I know they'll be mashing it up tonight,
Mmm, hmm, oh, oh
Reggae night
We come together when the feeling's right
Reggae night
And we'll be jamming till the morning light,
Mmm, hmm, oh, oh
You will find it happens only once a year
So don't miss out on this session here, oh
There'll be people coming from
The north and south and east and west
So you better look your best, man
Now lightening strikes at 8,
So you better not be late
For this rub-a-dubbing, rockin',
Jammin' fun, fun loving, yeah
Reggae night
We come together when the feeling's right,
Mmm, hmm, oh, oh
Reggae night
And we'll be jamming till the morning light
You will find it happens only once a year
So take advantage of this festive cheer
Tonight we'll bring with family
And let's tell some friends
That everyone will have a jam, jam session
Ooh, yeah
Comin' out
Ribbit
Very nice style
Ram it
Oh...oh...
Reggae night
Oh...oh...
Reggae night
Oh...oh...
Reggae night
Oh...oh...
Reggae night
Oh...oh...
Reggae night
Oh...oh...
Keep on rockin' down
Oh...oh...
Reggae night
Oh...oh...
Reggae night
Reggae night
We come together when the feeling's right,
Mmm, hmm, oh, oh
Reggae night
And we'll be jamming till the morning light,
Mmm, hmm, oh, oh
Reggae night
We come together when the feeling's right,
Mmm, hmm, oh, oh
Reggae night
And we'll be jamming till the morning light,
Mmm, hmm, oh, oh
Oh...oh...
Reggae night
Whoa...oh...
Reggae night
Oh...oh...
Reggae night
Oh...oh...
Reggae night
Ram it, jam it
Ooh, yeah...
The song "Reggae Nights" by Jimmy Cliff celebrates the spirit of reggae music and appreciates the positive vibe and energy it brings. The song speaks of coming together when the feeling is right, and how reggae makes people feel alive and happy. The song also highlights the importance of dressing up to suit the occasion and making sure to look one's best. The artist mentions how reggae is a once-a-year event, making it all the more special and worthy of celebration.
The lyrics spoke to the younger generation of the 1980s and helped to bridge the gap between different cultures in the UK and America. It celebrated the unique spirit of reggae music and brought it to the forefront of the music scene. It inspired people to come together and celebrate life in a positive and uplifting way.
Overall, the song Reggae Nights by Jimmy Cliff is a celebration of the spirit of reggae music that brings people together in joy and happiness. It celebrates the uniqueness of the genre and the power of music to bring people together regardless of their differences.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, mon, Reggae night
It's Reggae night, baby!
You live and you love
Live and love life.
So turn on your light
Bring your energy and light up the night.
Make it shine bright
Make this night unforgettable, fill it with positive energy.
Now listen to this
Pay attention to what's coming next.
Jam it
Let's get jamming!
We come together when the feeling's right
We are gathered here for this special Reggae night to have a good time.
And we'll be jamming till the morning light, Mmm, hmm, oh, oh
We will dance and sing all night long until the sun comes up.
Many river calls
There are a lot of things to do before I can go to Reggae night.
Got to get my things, got to catch this ride
I have to make sure I have everything I need and catch my transportation.
Got to look my best
I need to dress nicely for the occasion.
Cause I know they'll be mashing it up tonight, Mmm, hmm, oh, oh
I know the party will be lit, so I need to bring my A-game.
You will find it happens only once a year
Reggae night only comes once a year.
So don't miss out on this session here, oh
Don't miss out on the fun tonight!
There'll be people coming from the north and south and east and west
People are coming from all over to enjoy the night with us.
So you better look your best, man
Make sure you dress to impress!
Now lightening strikes at 8,
The party starts at 8 PM sharp!
So you better not be late
Don't be late to the party.
For this rub-a-dubbing, rockin', Jammin' fun, fun loving, yeah
The party will have Reggae, rock and jamming music, and a fun-loving atmosphere.
Tonight we'll bring with family
Let's bring our family to enjoy the party tonight.
And let's tell some friends
Invite some of our friends to come party with us.
That everyone will have a jam, jam session
Everyone will enjoy singing and dancing together.
Comin' out Ribbit Very nice style Ram it
Let's come out and party, have a good time, and enjoy the music.
Keep on rockin' down
Let's keep the party going, I don't want it to end.
Whoa...oh... Reggae night
Reggae night here we come again!
Ram it, jam it Ooh, yeah...
Let's have a great time and party all night long.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: AMIR S. BAYYAN, LA TOYA YVONNE JACKSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@vinn1876
Lyrics
Yeah, mon, Reggae night
You live and you love
So turn on your light
Make it shine bright
Now listen to this
Jam it
Reggae night
We come together when the feeling's right
Reggae night
And we'll be jamming till the morning light,
Mmm, hmm, oh, oh
Many river calls
Got to get my things, got to catch this ride
Got to look my best
Cause I know they'll be mashing it up tonight,
Mmm, hmm, oh, oh
Reggae night
We come together when the feeling's right
Reggae night
And we'll be jamming till the morning light,
Mmm, hmm, oh, oh
You will find it happens only once a year
So don't miss out on this session here, oh
There'll be people coming from
The north and south and east and west
So you better look your best, man
Now lightening strikes at 8,
So you better not be late
For this rub-a-dubbing, rockin',
Jammin' fun, fun loving, yeah
Reggae night
We come together when the feeling's right,
Mmm, hmm, oh, oh
Reggae night
And we'll be jamming till the morning light
You will find it happens only once a year
So take advantage of this festive cheer
Tonight we'll bring with family
And let's tell some friends
That everyone will have a jam, jam session
Ooh, yeah
Comin' out
Ribbit
Very nice style
Ram it
Oh...oh...
Reggae night
Oh...oh...
Reggae night
Oh...oh...
Reggae night
Oh...oh...
Reggae night
Oh...oh...
Reggae night
Oh...oh...
Keep on rockin' down
Oh...oh...
Reggae night
Oh...oh...
Reggae night
Reggae night
We come together when the feeling's right,
Mmm, hmm, oh, oh
Reggae night
And we'll be jamming till the morning light,
Mmm, hmm, oh, oh
Reggae night
We come together when the feeling's right,
Mmm, hmm, oh, oh
Reggae night
And we'll be jamming till the morning light,
Mmm, hmm, oh, oh
Oh...oh...
Reggae night
Whoa...oh...
Reggae night
Oh...oh...
Reggae night
Oh...oh...
Reggae night
Ram it, jam it
Ooh, yeah...
@janderarruda8596
Nunca mais existirão tempos tão bons como os anos 80/90...
@Thongas022
Anos 70 também estão nessa lista.
@martinhaguedes
@Thongas022 Concordo.
@estrelaserafim8530
Com toda certeza, relíquias 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🙏
@diogobrunooliveiradasilva7708
Verdade eramos felizes e nao sabiamos ai veio facebook watssap e internet e acabou com o que era puro e transformou em putaria e depravacao tudo inclusive a musica essa geracao jamais sabera o que e musica de verdade
@mathelox25
Muito bom mesmo
@valdirrodrigues5591
Jimmy Cliffy já pode ser considerado patrimônio mundial da Unesco esse merece
@rafaelabraz9309
Infelizmente não nasci nessa época, mas eu curto muito esse som!! A vibe dessa música é demais, assim como tantas outras da mesma época... Bons tempos que não voltam mais 😓💔
@fabiomoura7530
nao tem problema,bb aproveita a musica e a energia da epoca que vem junto com o som ... bjus flor
@AdielMoraesdaSilva
O importante é que você curte a vibe a alegria da música