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.
Wild World
Jimmy Cliff Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You said you want to start something new
And it's breakin' my heart you leaving
Baby, I'm grievin'
But if you want to leave take good care
Hope you have a lot of nice things to wear
But then a lot of nice things turn bad out there
Oh baby, baby, it's a wild world
It's hard to get by just upon a smile
Oh baby, baby, it's a wild world
I'll always remember you just like a child girl
You know I've seen a lot of what the world can do
And it's breakin' my heart in two
Because I never want to see you sad girl
Don't be bad girl
But if you want to leave take good care
Hope you make a lot of nice friends out there
But just remember there's a lot of bad air and beware
Oh baby, baby, it's a wild world
It's hard to get by just upon a smile
Oh baby, baby, it's a wild world
I'll always remember you just like a child girl
But if you want to leave take good care
Hope you make a lot of nice friends out there
But just remember there's a lot of bad air and beware
Oh baby, baby, it's a wild world
It's hard to get by just upon a smile
Oh baby, baby, it's a wild world
I'll always remember you just like a child girl
Oh baby, baby, it's a wild world
Oh baby, baby, it's a wild world
Oh baby, baby, it's a wild world
It's hard to get by just upon a smile
The lyrics to Jimmy Cliff's "Wild World" tell the story of a man who has lost everything to a woman who has decided to leave him for something new. He is heartbroken over her departure and wishes her well, cautioning her to be careful in the "wild world" outside. He reflects on the world he has seen and the pain it has caused him, vowing to always remember her like a child.
At its core, "Wild World" is a song about loss and the difficulty of moving on. The singer is struggling to come to terms with his breakup and is worried about what will become of his former lover in the tumultuous world around them. The refrain of the song - "It's hard to get by just upon a smile" - serves as a reminder that life can be challenging and that we must be prepared to face its ups and downs head-on.
Overall, "Wild World" is a poignant and emotionally resonant song that continues to touch people all over the world. It speaks to the universal experience of heartbreak and serves as a comforting reminder that we are never truly alone in our pain.
Line by Line Meaning
Now that I've lost ev'rything to you
After losing everything to you, I am left with nothing.
You said you want to start something new
You expressed wanting to begin a new chapter.
And it's breakin' my heart you leaving
Your leaving is causing great emotional pain.
Baby, I'm grievin'
I am grieving the loss of our relationship.
But if you want to leave take good care
If you decide to leave, please take good care of yourself.
Hope you have a lot of nice things to wear
I hope you have nice things to wear in your new life.
But then a lot of nice things turn bad out there
However, many things that seem nice can turn bad out in the world.
Oh baby, baby, it's a wild world
The world can be a wild and unpredictable place.
It's hard to get by just upon a smile
It is difficult to survive on just a positive attitude.
I'll always remember you just like a child girl
I will always remember and think of you fondly, like a child.
You know I've seen a lot of what the world can do
I have witnessed many of the hardships and challenges that the world can offer.
And it's breakin' my heart in two
These experiences are causing me great emotional pain.
Because I never want to see you sad girl
I do not want to see you experience sadness or hardship.
Don't be bad girl
Please do not make poor choices that could negatively impact your life.
Hope you make a lot of nice friends out there
I hope you are able to make new, kind friends in your new life.
But just remember there's a lot of bad air and beware
It is important to be cautious, as there are many negative influences in the world.
Oh baby, baby, it's a wild world
Once again, the world can be a wild and unpredictable place.
Oh baby, baby, it's a wild world
The song repeats the idea that the world can be unpredictable.
Oh baby, baby, it's a wild world
Once again, the song reinforces the idea that the world is unpredictable.
It's hard to get by just upon a smile
Once again, the song mentions the idea that survival requires more than just a positive attitude.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Royalty Network
Written by: Yusuf Islam
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Taranberk2
I’ve never heard this version before. It’s very nice.
Gilbert Ikorong
@Taranberk2; it's by far the best version of this song. Jimmy Cliff was only 22 years old
Gilbert Ikorong
@
Taranberk2; it's by far the best version of this song. Jimmy Cliff was only 22 years old
Jay tee
Sorry have been in a coma
Je Brindle
I saw Jimmy Cliff for the first time in concert about 4 years ago. He was incredible. A great songwriter too.
Naisha Irsan
First time hear this version. It's amazing
christine mcgough
Jimmy Cliff is up there with the greatest..David Ruffin ..Marvin Gaye ..Otis Redding .Voice of an angel.
Ian Taylor
I don’t understand some of these comments, Jimmy Cliff is on of the fathers of Reggae, it would not be what it is today but for his work. Cat Stevens wrote this and Jimmy gently moulded it to his style.
Rico Baca
The Cat copied his style and got rich and famous.
Michael Farrow
@Kev Chambers Songwriters don't always interpret their own songs the best. In fact, I feel the same about lots of Cat Stevens' songs because I don't think he was a great, dynamic performer.