Boothe seemed, at the time, to have the makings of an international, long-lasting, hit maker, certainly when compared to most of the other latter-day reggae acts. His smoother style gave him a wider appeal, rather like UB40 and Aswad. Boothe's choice of songs also showed the breadth of his musical taste. But for all that, he only managed one more hit in the UK Chart, "Crying over You", which made Number 11.
In more recent times, Boothe has also recorded for Bunny Lee, Phil Pratt, King Jammy, Pete Weston, Jack Ruby, Hugh "Red Man" James, Castro Brown, and Tappa Zukie. Plus in 1995, he teamed up with Shaggy, for a new styled version of his old track, "The Train Is Coming", which appeared on the soundtrack of the film, Money Train.
A double-disc overview of Boothe's Trojan years, Crying over You, was released by the label in 2001.
Boothe's official Web site is at www.kenboothemusic.com
Red Red Wine
Ken Boothe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Goes to my head, yeah
Makes me forget that I still love her so
Red, red wine
It's all up to you
Makes me forget that I still love her so
And I'll try, yes I'll try
But I just can't lose my mind
Yes I'll try and I'll try
Just one thing makes me forget
Red, red wine
It's all up to you
Makes me forget that I still love her so
Red, red wine
It's all up to you
Makes me forget that I still love her so
And I'll try, yes I'll try
But I just can't lose my mind
Yes I'll try and I'll try
Just one thing makes me forget
Red, red wine
It's all up to you...
The lyrics to Ken Boothe's "Red Red Wine" portray the aftermath of a heartbreak, where the individual is resorting to alcohol to numb the pain. The "Red, red wine" is symbolic of the temporary escape that alcohol provides. According to the lyrics, the wine goes to his head and makes him forget that he still loves the person who broke his heart. The repetition of the line "Makes me forget that I still love her so" emphasizes the internal conflict that the singer is facing.
However, amidst the numbness and temporary relief that red wine offers him, he still tries to overcome his heartbreak. He says, "And I'll try, yes, I'll try, but I just can't lose my mind." The struggle between moving on and holding onto the past is evident in these lines. The song ends with the repetition of the line, "Red, red wine, it's all up to you," indicating that the singer has surrendered himself to alcohol and its effects.
Overall, "Red Red Wine" is a poignant representation of how individuals cope with heartbreak in different ways, often resorting to temporary fixes that may not necessarily be helpful in the long run.
Line by Line Meaning
Red, red wine
The singer is referring to the alcoholic beverage, red wine
Goes to my head, yeah
The wine has an effect on the singer, causing him to become intoxicated
Makes me forget that I still love her so
The singer is using alcohol as a means of forgetting about a past love interest
It's all up to you
The singer is relying on the red wine to make him forget about his ex-lover
And I'll try, yes I'll try
The singer acknowledges that he will make an effort to move on from his past relationship
But I just can't lose my mind
Despite his efforts, the singer is struggling to let go of his feelings for his ex-lover
Just one thing makes me forget
The singer sees red wine as the only way to escape his thoughts and feelings about his past relationship
Red, red wine
The singer repeats the chorus, emphasizing the importance of the red wine in his attempt to forget his ex-lover
It's all up to you
The singer reiterates that his ability to forget about his past relationship is solely dependent on the red wine
Writer(s): Bobby George
Contributed by Molly J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Rick Clemons
The one and only Ken Boothe! I had not heard his version of this song before, but, like other songs, he makes it his own.
Jack
Grew up with Tony Tribe rocksteady one but nothing can beat Tinga Stewart verson pure reggae quality
Jack
Nothing can beat Tinga Stewarts version but love Kens thanx
Stephen Whittle
I really rate Ken Boothe's vocal presence - the slower tempo works well imho.