Ken Boothe's (born 1948 in Kingston, Jamaica) is known as "Mr Rocksteady" f… Read Full Bio ↴Ken Boothe's (born 1948 in Kingston, Jamaica) is known as "Mr Rocksteady" for his prominence during the musical period 1966-1974 and was a major idol for the to-be members of UB40. Boothe started by recording a version of Sandie Shaw's "Puppet on a String" in 1967. Later the same year, Boothe and Alton Ellis had a successful U.K. tour with the group The Soul Vendors. Under new direction from record producer Lloyd Chalmers, the song "Everything I Own" surprisingly was Number One in the UK in 1974. The song, written by David Gates, was given a sympathetic light reggae feel and found instant favour in the West Indies and in the U.K.

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

Silver Words
Ken Boothe Lyrics

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Baby, I'm not joking
And it's not what I'm smoking
I really think you're nice
Don't think I'm kidding you
And don't think I'm bidding
That silver words are your price

But oh, if you could see, oh yeah

The change you've made in me
That the angels in the skies
Were envious and surprised
That anyone as nice as you
Would chance with me, woh yeah
Would chance with me, let me tell you

Baby, I'm not joking
And it's not what I'm smoking
I really think you're nice
Don't think I'm kidding you
And don't think I'm bidding
These silver words are your price

But oh, if you could see
The change you made in me
That the angels in the skies
Were envious and surprised
That anyone as nice as you
Would chance with me, oh yeah
Would chance with me, baby
Chance with me

But oh, if you could see
The change you made in me
That the angels in the skies
Were envious and surprised
That anyone as nice as you
Would chance with me, oh yeah
Chance with me, baby
Leave us alone
In our happy home
Leave us alone

With our happy home
...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Ken Boothe's "Silver Words" speak of genuine admiration and appreciation for someone special. The singer is not joking nor under the influence of drugs when he says he genuinely thinks the person is nice, and he is not trying to buy their affection with silver words. Instead, the singer is expressing how much of a positive impact this person has made in his life, and how even the angels in the sky would be envious and surprised that someone as nice as them would take a chance with someone like him. The song's message is clear - the singer is grateful for this person's presence and companionship in his life and wants to cherish it.

The song's narrative is simple but effective in expressing its core picture of appreciation and admiration. The tender and soulful delivery of the lyrics by Ken Boothe further amplifies the song's message of love and gratitude. The song's repetition of the verse and chorus also adds to its emotional impact, making it a perfect love song.

Line by Line Meaning

Baby, I'm not joking
I'm being serious

And it's not what I'm smoking
I'm not under the influence of any drugs or substances

I really think you're nice
I genuinely like you

Don't think I'm kidding you
Don't think I'm joking or lying to you

And don't think I'm bidding
And don't think I'm trying to buy your affection

That silver words are your price
That I'm using sweet talk or flattery to win you over

But oh, if you could see, oh yeah
But if you could understand

The change you've made in me
How much you've positively impacted my life

That the angels in the skies
Even the heavens above

Were envious and surprised
Were amazed and even jealous

That anyone as nice as you
That someone as wonderful as you