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Junior Byles (Kerrie Byles Junior, aka King Chubby) was born in Kingston, Jamaica 1948.
He first formed The Versatiles with friends Ben Davis and Dudley Earl, and they were soon recording. Their first songs were cut for Joe Gibbs, with Lynn Tait's Band under Lee Perry's direction. From these sessions came "The Time Has Come", which was entered for the 1967 festival.
Another festival entry was 1971's "Rub Up" in 1971, but Byles' debut solo single (1970) was "What The World Is Coming To" c/w "Live As One", and released in the UK with strings and vocal chorus.
In 1971 Byles also recorded "Beat Down Babylon" (co-written by friend Harold Meikle) for Lee "Scratch" Perry, backed by The Now Generation Band (including Val Douglas Bass, Mikey Chung Guitar, and Wire Lindo Organ).
Following the critical acclaim "Babylon" received, Byles then worked with Perry for the whole of 1972. These sessions produced 12 tracks, 10 of which formed the album "Beat Down Babylon".
In what must have been some incredible moments of musical genius, Perry recorded Junior Byles' monumental hit "A Place Called Africa" at the same session that produced Bunny Wailer's phenomenal hit "Dreamland". The musicians at these sessions included the Barrett brothers, Tony Chin (lead guitar), Glen Adams (organ), and the rhythm guitar of Reggie Lewis.
During the mid to late 1970's he was reduced to homelessness, hunger and mental turmoil, and spent much of his life living at the street level. Indeed, his mental condition was so frail at this time, that upon hearing of Haile Selassies' death on August 27 1975, he tried suicide. This resulted in a long stay at Kingstons Bellevue mental hospital.
Byles still managed to record during these troubled times, with releases on Thing, Micron, Lovepower, Well Charge, Clocktower, Hot Shot, Impact, Treasure Isle, Observer, Advance, Soul Beat, Upsetter, Justice League, Wizzdom and Orchid.
Aside from the tracks already mentioned, "The Long Way", "Chant Down Babylon", "Bury O Boy", "Fade Away" and the incredible "Curley Locks" all rank as some of the greatest music Jamaica has ever produced.
Apart from the retrospective looks at his career, Byles still occasionally releases new material, as well as composing for other artist's. He recently performed his first show in the U.S. at the Sierra Nevada Festival in Marysville and the Ocean Rooms in Hackney, though he appeared less than 100% mentally well at the latter.
Fade Away
Junior Byles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And no love for humanity
Shall fade away, fade away.
He who checks for only wealth
And not for his physical health
Shall fade away, fade away.
Though some believe in diamonds and pearl
They shall fade away, hear what I say.
The rich is getting richer every day,
And the little that the poor man got it shall be taken away.
Do you hear what I say? Yeah, hear what I say.
The man who worships silver and gold
Shall surely, surely, surely lose his own soul,
Then fade away.
The one who's always acting smart
And don't carry no love in his heart
Shall fade away.
God is here and there and everywhere
And he knows when you play the game unfair,
So people beware, or else you fade away!
Hey! Beware, or dare you fade away.
You've gotta fade, gotta fade, gotta fade now.
The rich is getting richer every day,
And the little that the poor man got it shall be taken away.
Do you hear what I say, hey? Hear what I say.
The one who's always acting smart
And forgetting to carry love in his heart
Shall fade away.
God is here and there and everywhere
And his eyes, his eyes are watching you,
You're gonna fade away, yeah, yeah,
You're goin' to fade, fade, fade, fade away...
Fade away... Yeah, yeah... !
"Fade Away" by Junior Byles reflects the universal human struggle between materialism, individualism, and spiritualism, community, where the former gradually absorb our entire existence while the latter constantly reminding us that we are all fragile beings. The song warns against the danger of vanity, and the desire for wealth or power in ways that deviate from our physical and spiritual needs. Junior Byles cautions that individuals seeking only materialistic gains such as money, possessions, and status symbols, without a sense of empathy towards other human beings, are likely to 'fade away' quickly. In other words, the song is a call to humility and a reminder that all our material possessions will eventually decay with time.
Byles emphasizes the theme of impermanence in the song by contrasting the gradual accumulation of wealth by the rich with the gradual deprivation of the poor, and argues that those who place their priority in material possessions will eventually lose their souls to the ephemeral nature of life. The lyrics are a call to embrace spiritual values that emphasize love and compassion over selfish individualistic desires. Byles invokes God and his omniscient presence, reminding his listeners that we are being watched and that if we do not tread a righteous path, we will fade away.
Overall, "Fade Away" is a compelling and thought-provoking song that reflects on the inherent impermanence of human existence and warns against the danger of prioritizing material possessions over our spiritual and physical needs.
Line by Line Meaning
He who seeks of only vanity
Those who pursue only material possessions and superficial desires
And no love for humanity
Without regard for the well-being of others
Shall fade away, fade away.
Will ultimately disappear and lose significance.
He who checks for only wealth
Those who prioritize acquiring money above all else
And not for his physical health
Without concern for their own well-being and health
Though some believe in diamonds and pearl
Some people prioritize luxury and material possessions above all else.
And feel like they're on top of the world,
Believing that their wealth and status places them above others.
They shall fade away, hear what I say.
Despite their wealth, their power and influence may not last forever. Such materialistic pleasures are temporary.
The rich is getting richer every day,
Wealth tends to accumulate with those who already possess it
And the little that the poor man got it shall be taken away.
Those who have less wealth and limited resources often have even more taken from them.
Do you hear what I say? Yeah, hear what I say.
An emphasis on the importance of paying attention and reflecting upon these words
The man who worships silver and gold
Those who revere and deeply prioritize wealth (materialism).
Shall surely, surely, surely lose his own soul,
At the expense of their own morality and spiritual well-being, they run the risk of losing their sense of self and their values.
Then fade away.
Their soul may ultimately disappear forever.
The one who's always acting smart
Those who possess an inflated sense of self-importance, and often belittle others with their haughty behavior.
And don't carry no love in his heart
Without love or compassion towards others
God is here and there and everywhere
Believing that divine forces exist everywhere around us
And he knows when you play the game unfair,
Those who engage in deceptive and manipulative behavior may meet their comeuppance in due time.
So people beware, or else you fade away!
A warning against acting negatively towards others and becoming insignificant and forgotten as a result.
Hey! Beware, or dare you fade away.
An emphatic warning, urging people to reconsider their behavior before it's too late.
You've gotta fade, gotta fade, gotta fade now.
A repetition of the warning to encourage people to reflect and improve their behavior before it's too late.
And his eyes, his eyes are watching you,
The belief in the existence and vigilance of a higher power.
You're gonna fade away, yeah, yeah,
The inescapable and ultimately humbling fate of everybody and everything.
You're goin' to fade, fade, fade, fade away...
A continuation of the theme of mortality and impermanence.
Fade away... Yeah, yeah... !
An intense and passionate assertion of the message at the heart of the song.
Contributed by Lila Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@AvonRuLeZ
He who seeks of only vanity,
And no love for humanity,
Shall fade away, fade away.
He who checks for only wealth,
And not for his physical health,
Shall fade away, fade away.
Though some believe in diamonds and pearl,
And feel like they're on top of the world,
They shall fade away, hear what I say.
The rich is getting richer every day,
And the little that the poor man got,
It shall betaken away.
Do you hear what I say? Yeah, hear what I say.
The man who worships silver and gold,
Shall surely, surely, surely lose his own soul,
Then fade away.
The one who's always acting smart,
And don't carry no love in his heart,
Shall fade away.
God is here and there and everywhere,
And he knows when you play the game unfair,
So people beware, or else you fade away!
Hey!…
@dskintek
i actually get more church from this than i do at church god bless
@paulkelly873
Dave S.. your inner consciousness is growing. Jus flow with it... " God is here, there and everywhere
@MsJack-id3ms
Here listening in October 2020. Good music never fades away.
@Tropic_Chameleon
So true.. Jah bless!
@mickbrown8249
WORDS frm 76' JB mean true. . we all must stay TRUE to Humanity..plandemic going well Monolithic plan says me X
@EyeSpyBlackAmor
Yess
@MellodoseMusic
100%
@bodilly418
12-2020 never fade away
@jamaicanwash6667
This classic reggae tune never fades away ! It is 2023 and I still get the goosebumps listening to it! Bless up!❤
@tediursic7641
like newer ending story....