Jonathan's first single broke down racial barriers, becoming the first song by a black artist to be played by white radio stations in South Africa. Because Jive was headquartered in England, Jonathan decided to move there to focus on his recording career. His commitment to his craft paid off with his self-titled debut album, which received a Grammy nomination for the pop hit "Lies."
Jonathan's ability to blend his roots in African music with western pop sensibilities would be a trademark of many albums to follow, though never more refined than in his latest release.
For example, the first single from Jonathan is a rendition of the folk-rock classic "Fire and Rain." Butler breathes new life into this classic, infusing the vocals with intensity, as subtle as it is powerful. The musical arrangement is lively and soulful, indicative of his roots in World music. "Fire and Rain" is already garnering accolades from top radio programmers. Lori Lewis, program director for WSMJ in Baltimore states, "It literally gave me a lump in my throat. I walked into the studio and introduced it live on air. Vocals this great are really rare."
If You
Jonathan Butler Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If you're ready now (come go with me)
If you're ready, hey ay (come go with me)
Come on, go with me (come go with me)
No hatred
Will be tolerated
Peace and love
Love is the only transportation
To where to go for communication
If you are ready
(Come go with me)
Get ready now?
(Come go with me)
No disaster
Will ever enter there?
No, no, no
No wars, no wars
Will ever be declared
No economical exploitation
No political domination
Everybody come go with me
Take me by my hand all
(Come go with me)
Gotta get ready
(Come go with me)
Everybody get ready
(Come go with me)
Dit, dit, dit, dit, dit
Deedle de dit, dit, dit, dit, dit, dit
Dit, dit, dit, dit, dit,
Deedle de dit, dit, dit, dit, dit, dit
Love is the only transportation
Two way, that's told all communication
If you're ready (come go with me)
Take me by the hand all (come go with me)
If you're ready, oh, ready ((come go with me)
Come go with me (come go with me)
Ohoho, hear the sound (come go with me) (come go with me)
Between all the races (come go with me)
No, no lyin' (come go with me)
Take me by the hand all (come go with me)
Ohoho, hear the sound (come go with me) (come go with me, let's go)
If you are ready
(Come go with me) (come go with me)
I'd like to take you to the races
(Come go with me) (come go with me, let's go)
(come go with me)
Jonathan Butler's "If You're Ready" is a call to action for people of all races to come together in love and unity. The song encourages everyone to let go of their hatred and prejudices and instead embrace peace and love. It emphasizes the importance of love as the only means of communication that can connect people from different races and backgrounds.
Butler motivates the listener to join him on this journey towards a better world by constantly repeating the phrase "if you're ready, come go with me." He predicts that if everyone comes together and works towards a common goal, disasters, wars, and economic exploitation will become things of the past. The lyrics suggest that love is the only vehicle that can transport us from our current reality to one where everyone is united in a world filled with peace and harmony.
Overall, the song has a positive message that resonates with people of all backgrounds. It speaks to the desire in all of us to live in a world where love and peace reign supreme, and everyone is treated with dignity and respect.
Line by Line Meaning
If you're ready (come go with me)
If you are ready to join the peace and love movement, come with me
If you're ready now (come go with me)
If you are ready now to embrace love and unity, join me
If you're ready, hey ay (come go with me)
If you are truly ready and committed, let's go together
Come on, go with me (come go with me)
Join me in spreading peace, love, and harmony among all people
No hatred
"No hatred" means we will not tolerate any form of hatred towards anyone
Will be tolerated
We will not allow any hateful action, speech or attitude
Peace and love
We strive to achieve a world characterized by peace and love
Between the races
We aim for peaceful coexistence, regardless of race or ethnicity
Love is the only transportation
Love is the only means of communication and transportation needed to achieve a harmonious world
To where to go for communication
Love is the destination and also the bridge that connects us all
No disaster
We will work together to prevent any disastrous event from taking place
Will ever enter there?
We aim to create a safe and secure space devoid of any disaster or crisis
No wars, no wars
We will not allow any wars, conflict or violence to disrupt a peaceful world
Will ever be declared
We will not allow any war to be declared, as such declaration only leads to chaos and destruction
No economical exploitation
We will work towards economic justice and put an end to economic exploitation
No political domination
We will end political domination and work towards a fair, just and equitable world
Everybody come go with me
Everyone who shares our vision and values, come and join us
Take me by my hand all
Take my hand and let's work together to create a better world
Gotta get ready
We must all prepare ourselves to embrace peace, unity and love
Everybody get ready
Everyone must be ready to join the peace and love movement
Love is the only transportation
Once again, love is emphasized as the only means of transportation to reach our goal
Two way, that's told all communication
Love is the two-way road through which we communicate and connect with each other
Ohoho, hear the sound (come go with me) (come go with me)
Let's listen to the sound of peace and love and act on it, let's come together
Between all the races (come go with me)
Peace and love transcends race and ethnicity, let's embrace it all together
No, no lyin' (come go with me)
We will not tolerate any form of dishonesty or deception, let's be truthful
I'd like to take you to the races (come go with me)
I want to bring everyone together, regardless of any differences, and work towards a better world
(come go with me)
This line is a repeated invitation to join the peace and love movement
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CARL MITCHELL HAMPTON, HOMER BANKS, RAYMOND E. JACKSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind