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.
Roots Radical
Jimmy Cliff Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm a radical, (roots radical)
I'm a true born Jamacan,
Yes, I'm a radical (roots radical),
And I'm miles away from home.
I'm a radical, (roots radical)
Yes, I'm a radical (roots radical),
And I'm miles away from home.
They won't see me round the corner,
They can't catch me on the straight.
They won't see me round the corner,
They can't catch me on the straight.
cause I'm a radical, (roots radical)
Cause I'm a true born Jamacan,
Yes, I'm a radical (roots radical),
And I'm miles away from home.
The Babylon system get I down,
I'll own the well when they lock I in a cell,
The Babylon system get us down,
Oh what the hell when the rice won't swell.
I'm a radical, radical (roots radical),
And I'm a royal African man,
I'm a radical (roots radical),
And I'm miles away from home.
(roots radical) x4
Ain't no stops, no traps, no barriers
Can stop me on my way,
And if they try to hurt me,
I'll just up and fly away.
Cause I'm a radical, (roots radical)
Cause I'm a true born Jamacan,
Yes, I'm a radical (roots radical),
And I'm miles away from home.
The Babylon system teach us wrong,
Wanting us all to sing their song.
The Babylon system teach us wrong,
Wanting us all to fool around.
but I'm a radical, radical (roots radical)
Cause I'm a royal African man,
I'm a radical (roots radical),
And I'm miles away from home.
(roots radical) x2
miles away from home.....
(roots radical) x2
miles away from home.....
(roots radical) x2
miles away from home.....
(roots radical)
radical (roots radical),
Natural African man
A radical, a radical (roots radical),
And I'm miles away from home.
cause I'm a radical (roots radical),
miles away from home.....
I'm a radical (roots radical),
I'm a true born Jamacan,
Yes, I'm a radical (roots radical),
And I'm miles away from home.
miles away from home.....
(roots radical)
The song "Roots Radical" by Jimmy Cliff is about being proud of one's heritage and identity, even if it means being far away from home. The lyrics speak of being a radical, a true born Jamaican and a royal African man. The Babylon system is seen as oppressive and trying to force people to conform to their ways, but the singer will not be swayed. He is determined to stay true to his roots and remain an independent thinker. The recurring line "miles away from home" emphasizes his physical distance from where he comes from, but also represents a metaphorical distance from those who do not understand or accept him.
Throughout the song, the singer asserts his independence and freedom. He boasts of his ability to evade those who would try to catch him and his determination to stand apart from the crowd. The use of repetition in the chorus, with the phrase "roots radical" being repeated four times, adds to the sense of defiance and power. The song ends on a triumphant note, with the singer celebrating his identity and strength.
Line by Line Meaning
Roots Radical
It's who I am and what I stand for.
I'm a radical, (roots radical)
I'm not afraid to stand out and be my true self.
I'm a true born Jamacan,
I'm proud of my heritage.
And I'm miles away from home.
I'm far from where I grew up, but I carry my roots with me.
They won't see me round the corner,
I move with stealth and caution.
They can't catch me on the straight.
I'm too quick and clever for them to catch me.
The Babylon system get I down,
The oppressive system brings me down.
I'll own the well when they lock I in a cell,
Even when I'm imprisoned, I won't let them break me.
Oh what the hell when the rice won't swell.
Living in poverty and at the mercy of the system is unbearable.
And I'm a royal African man,
I come from a powerful lineage.
Ain't no stops, no traps, no barriers
Nothing can hold me back.
Can stop me on my way,
I have a mission and nothing will stand in my way.
And if they try to hurt me,
If they try to harm me, I won't let them defeat me.
I'll just up and fly away.
I'll escape and start anew elsewhere.
The Babylon system teach us wrong,
The system teaches us to conform, to acquiesce.
Wanting us all to sing their song.
They want us to be puppets under their control.
Wanting us all to fool around.
They want to distract us with meaningless activities.
Natural African man
I embrace my African roots.
cause I'm a radical (roots radical),
My radical beliefs and actions set me apart.
I'm miles away from home.....
I'm not physically close to family or where I grew up.
I'm a true born Jamacan,
I was born and raised in Jamaica.
And I'm miles away from home.
I'm far from where I grew up, but I carry my roots with me.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: HOLLIS CORDEL SPENCE
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