Jenkins was born in Neath, Wales, where she and her sister Laura were raised by their parents Selwyn John (1924–1995) and Susan. She has twin half-sisters from her father's first marriage, neither of whom she has met.
Six out of seven of Jenkins's studio albums reached number one in the classical charts between 2004 and 2008, selling a total of more than 4 million copies. After her first album, Premiere, made her the fastest-selling mezzo-soprano to date she became the first British classical crossover artist to have two number one albums in the same year. She is also the first female artist to win two consecutive Classical BRIT Awards: her second album, Second Nature, reached number 16 in the UK pop charts and was Album of the Year in the 2005 BRIT Awards.
On Sunday 25th November 2007, Katherine Jenkins' new album 'Rejoice' entered the 'Official UK Album Chart' at number 3. Katherine beat off stiff competition from the likes of Girls Aloud, Led Zeppelin, Spice Girls, Take That and Celine Dion.
No Woman No Cry
Katherine Jenkins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Out in the government yard in Trenchtown,
Observing the hypocrites
As they would mingle with the good people we meet
Good friends we have, good friends we've lost, along the way.
In this bright future you can't forget your past.
So dry your tears I say...
No woman, no cry
Little Darling, please don't she'd no tears
No woman, no cry
Said I remember when we used to sit
In the government yard in Trenchtown,
And then Georgie would make the fire light
Log wood burning through the night.
Then we would cook corn meal porridge,
Of which I'll share with you.
My feet is my only carriage,
So I've got to push on through
But while I'm gone I say...
No woman, no cry
No woman, no cry
Little Darling, please don't she'd no tears
No woman, no cry
I remember, when we used to sit
In the government yard in Trenchtown,
We would sing sing sing sing sing
Everything's gonna be alright
Ev'rything's gonna be alright
Ev'rything's gonna be alright
Ev'rything's gonna be alright
Ev'rything's gonna be alright
Sing sing sing
Ev'rything's gonna be alright
No woman no cry
No woman no cry
I say woman don't you cry
No woman no cry
Ev'rything's gonna be alright
Ev'rything's gonna be alright
Ev'rything's gonna be alright
Little Darling, please don't she'd no tears
No woman no cry
Katherine Jenkins’ song “No Woman No Cry” is a cover of the famous song by Bob Marley, and the lyrics explore themes of poverty and struggle in Trenchtown, Jamaica. The song begins with the singer reminiscing about sitting in the “government yard” in Trenchtown and observing the hypocrisy of the wealthy mingling with the poorer residents. It is apparent that the people of Trenchtown have lost friends and experienced great hardship, but the singer encourages them to hold on to hope and not forget their past.
The chorus “No woman no cry” is a message of encouragement to women, telling them not to shed tears or worry, and that everything will be alright. The verses continue with more nostalgic memories of Trenchtown, describing how a man named Georgie would light a fire and cook cornmeal porridge. The singer then acknowledges that they must continue to push forward despite their struggles and that everything will be okay.
Overall, the song is a message of hope and reassurance in the face of difficult times. It encourages listeners to remember their past and hold onto hope for a brighter future.
Line by Line Meaning
I remember when we used to sit
Memories of sitting together in the government yard in Trenchtown
Out in the government yard in Trenchtown,
Specifically recalling the location where they used to sit together
Observing the hypocrites
Noticing the people who acted one way in public but differently in private
As they would mingle with the good people we meet
Noting how these hypocrites would still socialize with the genuinely kind individuals they came across
Good friends we have, good friends we've lost, along the way.
Reminiscing about the friends they've made and the ones they've lost over time
In this bright future you can't forget your past.
Utilizing knowledge from previous experiences to prepare for a brighter future
So dry your tears I say...
Assuming a comforting tone toward those who feel emotional
No woman, no cry
Insisting that women shouldn't weep
Little Darling, please don't she'd no tears
Asking a loved one to hold back tears
Said I remember when we used to sit
Continuing their train of thought
And then Georgie would make the fire light
Explaining another memory from the same location
Log wood burning through the night.
Providing extra detail regarding the scene
Then we would cook corn meal porridge,
Sharing further memories of that time and place
Of which I'll share with you.
Passing on this specific aspect of their past experience
My feet is my only carriage,
Stating that they must rely on their own two feet to travel
So I've got to push on through
Encouraging themselves to keep moving forward despite any obstacles
But while I'm gone I say...
Expressing their continued presence in thought, even when physically absent
We would sing sing sing sing sing
Sharing another part of their past experience in Trenchtown
Everything's gonna be alright
Putting forth a hopeful message
No woman no cry
Repeating the idea that women shouldn't cry
I say woman don't you cry
Addressing a specific woman to dissuade her from crying
Little Darling, please don't she'd no tears
Reiterating the request to not cry
Ev'rything's gonna be alright
Further emphasizing the hopeful outlook
Contributed by Caden O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@PABLONACHOOSSANDON
recuerdo cuando me regalaron este cd ,es muy lindo,sensitivo llega al alma.
@silviaavigil
bello como ella
@greasemonkey981
Such a good song, but I don't feel that Ms. Jenkins' did justice to it. She sure tried hard though and she earns my respect for that. In her defense this is a difficult song to convert from reggae.
@bexie1992
Why is it?