Jimmy Riley born in Jonestown, Kingston, Jamaica grew up in the city's Waterhouse district and attended Kingston Senior School along with Slim Smith. When Smith had success in The Techniques, Riley hung around with the group hoping to join, but was limited to carrying things for them and helping out with harmonies. He decided to form his own group, The Sensations, along with Cornell Campbell, Buster Riley (brother of The Techniques' Winston Riley), and Aaron "Dego" Davis. The Sensations had a successful audition for producer Arthur "Duke" Reid, and the group had mid-1960s success with "Everyday is Just a Holiday" and "Those Guys". On leaving the group in 1967, Riley joined Smith and Lloyd Charmers in the re-formed Uniques, having huge success with songs such as "Watch This Sound" and "My Conversation". When the Uniques split up, Riley initially recorded as a solo artist for Bunny Lee before moving away to record independently. He began producing his own recordings and others by artists such as Slim Smith and Delroy Wilson. He had several hits in the 1970s, including "Tell The Youths The Truth", "Nyah Bingi", and "Clean up the Streets", and continued to be successful in the 1980s, working with Sly & Robbie's Taxi productions. In 1983, Riley topped the UK reggae chart with his version of Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing". In the late 1980s, Riley moved to Miami, and put his career on hold, but returned to Jamaica in the early 1990s.
Riley's son Tarrus followed him into music and the success of Tarrus gave a boost to Jimmy's career. They performed together several times, headlining a number of festivals including the Ocho Rios Seafood Festival in 2007. Jimmy Riley's album release in 2008 Sly and Robbie Presents Jimmy Riley: Pull Up Selector saw him again working with Sly & Robbie, and features Tarrus on the title track, which was also released as a single in 2008.
In September 2013 he released the album Contradiction, that featured guest appearances from his son Tarrus, Sizzla, and Fantan Mojah.
He died on the morning of 23 March 2016 in New York from cancer.
Sexual Healing
Jimmy Riley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up!
Oh, baby now let's get down tonight
Ooh baby, I'm hot just like an oven
I need some lovin'
And baby, I can't hold it much longer
And when I get that feeling
I want sexual healing
Sexual healing, oh baby
Makes me feel so fine
Helps to relieve my mind
Sexual healing baby, is good for me
Sexual healing is something that's good for me
Whenever blue teardrops are fallin'
And my emotional stability is leaving me
There is something I can do
I can get on the telephone and call you up baby
And honey I know you'll be there to relieve me
The love you give to me will free me
If you don't know the thing you're dealing
Ohh I can tell you, darling, that it's sexual healing
Get up, get up, get up, get up
Let's make love tonight
Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up
'Cause you do it right
Baby, I got sick this mornin'
A sea was stormin' inside of me
Baby, I think I'm capsizin'
The waves are risin' and risin'
And when I get that feeling
I want sexual healing
Sexual healing is good for me
Makes me feel so fine, it's such a rush
Helps to relieve the mind, and it's good for us
Sexual healing, baby, it's good for me
Sexual healing is something that's good for me
Well, it's good for me and it's so good to me my baby, ohh
Come take control, just grab a hold
Of my body and mind, soon we'll be making it, honey
I'll be feeling fine,
You're my medicine, open up and let me in
Darling, you're so great, I can't wait for you to operate
I can't wait for you to operate
When I get this feeling
I need sexual healing
Oh when I get this feeling
I need sexual healing
I gotta have sexual healing, darling
'Cause I'm all alone
Sexual healing, darling
Till you come back home
The song "Sexual Healing" by Jimmy Riley is a love song that focuses on the physical and emotional connection between two people. The lyrics "Get up, get up, get up, get up!" and "Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up!" serve as a call to action to the person to whom he is singing, inviting them to join him in a night of passion. He describes his physical need for love, using metaphors such as "I'm hot just like an oven" and "It's getting stronger and stronger." The singer also reveals that when he is feeling down or unstable, he calls upon his lover to provide him with emotional support that can only come from the intimacy of a sexual relationship.
The chorus contains the most memorable line of the song: "I want sexual healing." The phrase is repeated several times throughout the chorus, emphasizing the importance of physical intimacy to this relationship. The singer suggests that sexual healing is not only pleasurable, but also serves a therapeutic purpose, as it helps him to "relieve his mind." The final verse repeats the chorus, with the singer expressing his physical need for sexual healing until his lover returns home.
Line by Line Meaning
Get up, get up, get up, get up!
Trying to wake up and shake off whatever it is that is keeping them from the sought after ‘sexual healing’
Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up!
The only thing they want to wake up to is sexual healing
Oh, baby now let's get down tonight
Asking their lover to join them and have sexual intercourse tonight
Ooh baby, I'm hot just like an oven
They are flaming with lust and desire
I need some lovin'
They are expressing their desire for sexual activity
And baby, I can't hold it much longer
They are stating that they cannot hold back their urges for 'sexual healing' anymore
It's getting stronger and stronger
Their desires are building up and growing stronger every time they try to resist it
And when I get that feeling
They are describing how they feel when they are aroused and turned on
I want sexual healing
The only cure to their current state of mind and body is sexual healing. They want to engage in sexual activity
Sexual healing, oh baby
Sexual healing is not only what they want, but it is what they need
Makes me feel so fine
They feel good and satisfied after engaging in sexual activity
Helps to relieve my mind
Sexual healing provides a sense of relief and helps ease their mind from any emotional or mental stress
Sexual healing baby, is good for me
They know that sexual healing is beneficial and good for their overall health and well-being
Sexual healing is something that's good for me
Reiterating that engaging in sexual activity is beneficial for their physical and emotional health
Whenever blue teardrops are fallin'
When they are feeling sad and emotional
And my emotional stability is leaving me
Their emotions are becoming unbalanced and they are losing emotional control
There is something I can do
They know what they need to do to feel better
I can get on the telephone and call you up baby
Calling their lover and expressing their need for sexual healing
And honey I know you'll be there to relieve me
They have complete trust in their lover's ability to fulfill their desires and help them feel better
The love you give to me will free me
Their lover's love and sexual healing sets them free from their emotional and physical struggles
If you don't know the thing you're dealing
If their lover does not know how to satisfy them sexually
Ohh I can tell you, darling, that it's sexual healing
This is a clear and explicit explanation of what the lover needs to do to help them feel better
Let's make love tonight
They want their lover to engage in sexual activity with them tonight
'Cause you do it right
They prefer their lover to provide the 'sexual healing' they seek because they know how to satisfy them
Baby, I got sick this mornin'
They woke up feeling unwell and frustrated due to their unfulfilled desires
A sea was stormin' inside of me
Expressing how their inner desires feel like a thunderstorm inside of them
Baby, I think I'm capsizin'
Their emotions are overwhelming and they feel like they're about to burst
The waves are risin' and risin'
Their sexual urges are overwhelming and are growing stronger every minute
Sexual healing is good for me
Repeating the fact that sexual healing is what they need and desire to feel better
Makes me feel so fine, it's such a rush
Sexual healing makes them feel amazing and fulfilled, like an adrenaline rush
Helps to relieve the mind, and it's good for us
Sexual healing is not only beneficial for them, but it is also good for their relationship
Well, it's good for me and it's so good to me my baby, ohh
Expressing how much their lover means to them and how satisfied they are during and after receiving sexual healing
Come take control, just grab a hold
Inviting their lover to take control of their body and provide the sexual healing they crave
Of my body and mind, soon we'll be making it, honey
Engaging in sexual activity to provide sexual healing to both their body and mind
I'll be feeling fine
Expressing their satisfaction after receiving sexual healing
You're my medicine, open up and let me in
Their lover is the only cure for their desires, and they want them to let them in and provide the sexual healing they need
Darling, you're so great, I can't wait for you to operate
Expressing how much they admire their lover and how eagerly they are waiting for them to provide their sexual healing
When I get this feeling
Describing their feeling of being sexually aroused
I need sexual healing
There is only one thing they need to satisfy their desires: sexual healing
I gotta have sexual healing, darling
They are expressing how necessary sexual healing is to them, and how much they need it
'Cause I'm all alone
Their desires are not being met, and they feel isolated and alone in their struggle
Sexual healing, darling
Once again asking for sexual healing from their lover
Till you come back home
They are waiting for their lover to return and provide the sexual healing they so desperately desire
Writer(s): Odell Brown, David Ritz, Marvin Gaye
Contributed by Chloe H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Cal-bd3ws
To this day, still the best version to me... Sooooo smooth... Too mean... Volume to the max with bass thumping that my body feels it... True harmony...
@petermugo6858
Jimmy rilly true message to the society. big tune
@AppleMan531
R.I.P. Jimmy Riley May you take Sly & Robbies Taxi to Heaven.
@jeffreywafula1172
He did justice to that song
@tinahungria
great version ! =)
@Kelema86
Sweeeeeeeeeeet
@junereid8751
R.I.P.
@pabloishikawa
muy buena version!!
@arnettemorgan5540
Indeed!
@ladakhking
RIP