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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.
Poor Chubby
Junior Byles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm gon' lose this one if I don't get a recent pay
Some folks say I'm a irresponsible bloke
And therefore everybody's up there talking 'bout me, now Lord, Lord
Old town folks are talking 'bout poor chubby
Got one life and I'm goin' to live it
Once we love and I'm goin' to give it
And therefore everybody's up there talking about me, now
(Huh)
Old town folks are talking 'bout poor chubby
If I find myself in jail just the other day
Not a single friend would try to get me bailed
This made me smile as I sing this here song
It goes you know, everybody's up there talking 'bout me
Old town folks are talking 'bout poor chubby
Du, du, du
Du, du, du
Everybody's up there talking about, now Lord
Old town folks are talking about poor chubby
The lyrics of Junior Byles's "Poor Chubby" speak to the experience of being judged and ostracized by others due to perceived failures or shortcomings. The singer describes losing a job and fearing losing another if they don't receive a recent pay. Despite this struggle, others label them as an "irresponsible bloke" and a "low down dirty train," leading to gossip and scrutiny from the old town folks who enjoy talking about "poor chubby."
The singer recognizes that they only have one life to live and wants to live it to the fullest by giving love. However, the judgment and rumors persist, and even in the event of being jailed, the singer does not believe that anyone would come to bail them out. The lyrics suggest a deep feeling of isolation and hopelessness in the face of community disapproval.
Overall, Junior Byles's "Poor Chubby" is a powerful commentary on the impact of societal judgments and gossip on an individual's sense of self-worth and belonging. The singer is resigned to their situation but still longs for the love and support they feel they deserve but are not receiving.
Line by Line Meaning
When I lost a job just the other day
I recently became unemployed
I'm gon' lose this one if I don't get a recent pay
My current job is at risk if I don't receive my paycheck soon
Some folks say I'm a irresponsible bloke
Some people think I'm not responsible enough
And therefore everybody's up there talking 'bout me, now Lord, Lord
Because of this, everyone is gossiping about me
Old town folks are talking 'bout poor chubby
The people in my community are talking negatively about me
Got one life and I'm goin' to live it
I only have one life and I plan on living it to the fullest
Once we love and I'm goin' to give it
While I'm alive, I want to love and give as much as possible
Some folks say I'm a low down dirty train
Some people view me as a deceitful person
And therefore everybody's up there talking about me, now (Huh)
As a result, everyone is still gossiping about me now
Old town folks are talking 'bout poor chubby
The people in my community continue to speak poorly of me
If I find myself in jail just the other day
If I end up in jail in the near future
Not a single friend would try to get me bailed
None of my friends would attempt to bail me out
This made me smile as I sing this here song
Despite this, I find humor in the situation and express it through this song
It goes you know, everybody's up there talking 'bout me
As mentioned before, everyone is talking negatively about me
Old town folks are talking 'bout poor chubby
The people in my community are still talking about me and my troubles
Du, du, du
Repetitive musical interlude
Du, du, du
Repetitive musical interlude
Everybody's up there talking about, now Lord
Everyone is gossiping about me, which bothers me
Old town folks are talking about poor chubby
Once again, the people in my community are the source of the negative talk about me
Contributed by John J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.