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.
We Are All One
Jimmy Cliff Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll be you, you'll be me (Oh, yeah)
We all are one, same universal world
I'll be you, you'll be me
No matter where we are born, we are human beings
The same chemistry where emotions and feelings
All corresponding in love compatible
You can't get around it, no matter how hard you try
You better believe it
And if you should find out that you are no different than I
Reply
We all are one (We all), we are the same person (Same person)
I'll be you, you'll be me (I'll be me, you'll be you)
We all are one (We all), same universal world
I'll be you, you'll be me
The only difference I can see is in the conscience
And the shade of our skin doesn't matter
We laugh, we chatter, we smile, we all live for
And the feelings that make all those faces always renew
So true, so true
And would you believe that I have all those same feelings too
The same as you
We all are one, we are the same person
I'll be you, you'll be me (I'll be me, you'll be you)
We all are one (We all), same universal world
I'll be you, you'll be me (Mmm, hmm)
We all are one (We all), we are the same person (Same person)
I'll be you, you'll be me (I'll be me, you'll be you)
We all are one (We all), same universal world
I'll be you, you'll be me
Look at the children, they're having fun with no regards to why
They all look different but deep inside
Their feelings of love they don't hide
They don't hide, they don't hide, they don't hide
We all are one, we are the same person
I'll be you, you'll be me (Oh, yeah)
We all are one, same universal world
I'll be you, you'll be me
We all are one (We all), we are the same person (The same person)
I'll be you, you'll be me (No matter where you go)
We all are one (We all), same universal (Same person)
I'll be you, you'll be me (Oh, yeah)
We all are one (You know, I know)
We are the same person (We all know, oh, yeah)
I'll be you, you'll be me (Oh, yeah)
We all are one (Emotions and feelings), same universal
(All corresponding to love)
I'll be you, you'll be me
The lyrics of Jimmy Cliff’s song "We All Are One" are about the unity of all human beings, regardless of their background or ethnicity. The song begins with Cliff stating that we are all one and that he could be anyone, and anyone could be him. He goes on to explain that human beings are all the same, with the same emotions and feelings. He emphasizes that we cannot deny this fact, no matter how hard we may try. Cliff then talks about how the only real difference between people is their level of awareness and the color of their skin.
The chorus of the song continues to assert that we are all one, and the only thing that separates us is our conscience. Cliff states that "the shade of our skin doesn't matter," and that we all laugh, chatter, and smile. He believes that we are all united through our feelings of love, which renew us each day. Finally, Cliff points out that children provide an excellent example of how people can come together, especially since they don't hide their feelings of love and compassion.
Overall, this song inspires people to recognize the common bond we share as human beings. It highlights the importance of looking beyond superficial differences and recognizing that we are all fundamentally the same.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, we all are one, we are the same person
No matter who we are or where we come from, we are all connected and share the same humanity.
I'll be you, you'll be me (Oh, yeah)
We should strive to understand and empathize with each other by imagining ourselves in other people's shoes.
We all are one, same universal world
Despite our cultural differences and unique experiences, we are all part of the same universal human family.
No matter where we are born, we are human beings
Our place of birth does not define us, but rather our shared human experience and ability to feel emotions and connect with others.
The same chemistry where emotions and feelings
We share a universal chemistry in our bodies and brains that allows us to experience a range of emotions and connect with others.
All corresponding in love compatible
Our capacity for love and connection makes us all compatible with one another, regardless of our differences.
You can't get around it, no matter how hard you try
No matter how much we may try to deny or ignore our shared humanity and connection to others, it remains true and cannot be avoided.
And if you should find out that you are no different than I
If we take the time to truly understand and connect with each other, we may come to realize that we are more similar than different.
The only difference I can see is in the conscience
While we share a common humanity, our differences may lie in our beliefs, values, and morals.
And the shade of our skin doesn't matter
The color of our skin should not define us or dictate how we are treated, as we are all equal in our shared humanity.
We laugh, we chatter, we smile, we all live for
We all share basic human experiences such as joy, conversation, and the desire to live life to the fullest.
And the feelings that make all those faces always renew
Our emotions and experiences are constantly evolving and renewing, but at the core we all share the same human experience.
And would you believe that I have all those same feelings too
We should strive to connect with others by recognizing our shared emotions and experiences, as we are all more similar than different.
Look at the children, they're having fun with no regards to why
Children have the ability to see past differences and connect with others through play and joy, without questioning why they should or should not connect.
They all look different but deep inside
While children may physically appear different from one another, they are all similar in their capacity for joy and connection with others.
Their feelings of love they don't hide
Children openly express their feelings of love and connection with others, and this is something we should strive to emulate as adults.
We all are one (You know, I know)
We are all aware, on some level, of our shared humanity and connection to others.
We are the same person (We all know, oh, yeah)
Despite our differences, we share a common humanity that makes us all part of the same human family.
I'll be you, you'll be me (Oh, yeah)
We should strive to understand and empathize with each other by imagining ourselves in other people's shoes.
Same universal (Same person)
Our shared universal experience connects us all and makes us part of the same human story.
I'll be you, you'll be me
We should strive to understand and empathize with each other by imagining ourselves in other people's shoes.
We all are one (Emotions and feelings)
Despite our differences, we are all united through our shared capacity for experiencing emotions and feelings.
Same universal (All corresponding to love)
Love is a universal language that connects us all, and it is something we should strive to cultivate in our relationships with others.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: AMIR S. BAYYAN, HUEY P. HARRIS, JOSEPH ELLIS WILLIAMS, RAYMOND HARRIS
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