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Keith Hudson, nicknamed the "Dark Prince of Reggae" (1946 in Kingston, Jamaica - 1984 in New York, USA), was a Jamaican reggae artist and record producer. He is known for his influence on the Dub movement. Raised in a musical family, Hudson first worked as a dentist but soon was hanging out with musicians like Don Drummond. So, he really entered the music business in 1968 by producing Ken Boothe's Jamaican hit "Old Fashioned Way". In the following months he worked with Delroy Wilson and John Holt and was the first to record DJ U Roy in 1969 with Dynamic Fashion Way. Other DJ productions included tunes with Dennis Alcapone and Big Youth ("S 90 Skank") released in 1972 became the DJ's biggest hit. In 1975, Hudson released his classic Pick A Dub, widely considered to have been the first deliberately thematic dub album, with tracks specifically mixed in the dub style for the purpose of appearing together on an LP. His album Rasta Communication (1978) was well received by a wider audience and is considered a roots reggae classic. Hudson died of lung cancer in 1984.
Albums
Class & Subject – 1972 – Mafia
Furnace – 1972 – Imbidimts
Pick a Dub – 1974 – Mamba / Atra / Blood & Fire (CD)
Entering The Dragon – 1974 – Magnet (reissued by Trojan in 2006 and by Sunspot in 2011)
Flesh of My Skin, Blood of My Blood – 1974 – Mamba /Atra 1988 – (Reissued by Basic Replay 2004)
Torch of Freedom – 1975 – Mamba / Atra
Too Expensive – 1976 – Virgin Records
Brand – 1977 – Joint International (US) / Brand (UK) / Pressure Sounds (CD)
Rasta Communication – 1978 – Joint International (US)
From One Extreme To Another – 1979 – Joint International (US)
Playing It Cool, Playing It Right – 1981 – Joint International (US) (Reissued by Basic Replay 2003)
Nuh Skin Up Dub – 1982 – Joint International (US)
Steaming Jungle – 1982 – Disc Disk
I'm No Fool
Keith Hudson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rushed in, where wise men never tread
The lanes, the little corners, the back roads
That lead to nowhere
Fools, trod,
Where wise men never trod
The little back roads, the alleys
The back streets, where I was brought up
No fools, never trod where I was brought up
Fools, oohhh they are fools
I said fools, go where, wise men never been
The back streets, the little alleys
Where I was brought up
No fools, never come that way
They never come this way, where I was brought up
No fools, they never come by me
Fools
When I look through my window in the morning
From the ray of the warm sun beating down
The smell of herb that comes through the door
The laughter of my brother so happily as we change
No fools, they never come my way
They never come by me,
They never come where I was brought up
I was brought up on the wildest side of town
No fool ever come my way
In Keith Hudson's song I'm No Fool, he reflects on the idea that foolish people venture where wise men never go. He describes the little corners, back roads, alleys and the wild side of town, where he grew up and how he never saw any foolish people trod these paths. The lyrics highlight the sense of pride that comes from being raised in a tough neighborhood where not many people dared to go, and the strong sense of community that existed between the people who lived there.
Throughout the song, Hudson emphasizes that he is proud of his roots and that he has nothing but contempt for those who only want to take advantage of others. He celebrates his brother's laughter and the smell of herbs wafting through the door, signifying that despite growing up in a difficult environment, there was still joy and love to be found. Overall, the song is a powerful commentary on the importance of embracing one's identity and roots, even in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
I said fools
I am talking about foolish people
Rushed in, where wise men never tread
They went to places where wise people wouldn't go
The lanes, the little corners, the back roads
Refers to narrow and less popular places
That lead to nowhere
Places that do not have an actual destination
Fools, trod,
Foolish people walked
Where wise men never trod
To places where wise people wouldn't go
The little back roads, the alleys
Small streets, narrow ways
The back streets, where I was brought up
Referring to a rough area where the artist grew up
Fools, they never trod where I was brought up
Foolish people never went to the area where the artist was raised
No fools, never trod where I was brought up
Foolish people did not go where the artist was raised
Fools, oohhh they are fools
Emphasizes that foolish people are indeed, foolish
When I look through my window in the morning
When the artist looks out their window in the morning
From the ray of the warm sun beating down
Referring to the sunlight shining through the window
The smell of herb that comes through the door
Referring to the scent of marijuana coming from another room
The laughter of my brother so happily as we change
The sound of the artist's brother laughing while they are getting ready
No fools, they never come my way
Foolish people never come to where the artist lives
They never come by me,
Foolish people never come around the artist
They never come where I was brought up
Foolish people never come to the area where the artist was raised
I was brought up on the wildest side of town
The artist grew up in a rough and dangerous part of town
No fool ever come my way
Foolish people never come around the artist
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Junior Walker, Keith Hudson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind