Keziah Jones (born Olufemi Sanyaolu on January 10, 1968 in Lagos, Nigeria) … Read Full Bio ↴Keziah Jones (born Olufemi Sanyaolu on January 10, 1968 in Lagos, Nigeria) is a Nigerian singer-songwriter and guitarist. He describes his musical style as “Blufunk”, which is a fusion between raw blues elements and hard, edgy funk rhythms. Also his Nigerian roots and soul music can be considered a major influence on his sound.
He is known for his distinctive style of guitarplaying, above all his percussive right-hand technique which is similar to bass player's slapping technique. He's also famous for playing most of his live shows with a bare torso.
Son of a chief Osodolamu Sanyaolu in a Yoruba tribe and successful industrialist, Keziah (Olufemi) spent his early childhood in a large family in the semi-Muslim part of Nigeria, close to the city of Lagos. From a young age he was being prepared to follow his father's footsteps and was expected to have an academic career. Therefore his father enrolled him in a Public School in London and Keziah left Nigeria at 8 years old to be educated in England.
"I had to find a way out of all that bullshit, and music was it!" By the age of 13 he discovered the old school piano and taught himself how to play and write songs. Three years later he switched to the guitar, neglecting his studies more and more. After scraping through exams he went against his father's wishes and family tradition even more by skipping school and trying out his songs in the streets, clubs and London Underground, constantly avoiding the police, the Immigration Department - and his own relatives.
Keziah played mostly improvised sets with tenor Saxophone player Kevin Wood at the Red Eye club in Lewisham, south London at least three times during 1988/9.
Keziah led a bohemian life for several years instead of the one envisaged for him. "Lose all time, love your mind, free your soul!" (from his song Free Your Soul). Moving from London to Paris, accompanied by his guitar, he acquired an excellent reputation as a musician and performer with a unique style. In 1991, while playing in the Paris Metro, Keziah is discovered by the French music label "Delabel" manager. In 1992, Delabel signed Keziah for his first album to record it in Paris, "Blufunk is a fact," including the worldwide success of Keziah's first single "Rhythm is Love." Obviously, Keziah' Parisian subway experience was instrumental to his skyrocketing career, as clearly stated in his official biography.
Keziah often cites Fela Kuti and Jimi Hendrix as important influences. Also Keziahs major influences were Michael Jackson[citation needed] Keziah is not in support of Drm ,he thinks music should be shared no matter the cost.and people in third world countries should listen to music to help them,he alos works with these people to and play music while doing it.
Keziah Jones also paints and writes poetry. He’s a talented[citation needed]photographer and he produces short films, one among them entitled "BLACKSPEEDTEXT." This film, his music and the other facets of his artistic life reflect his experiences on the streets.
Keziah was married to Anglo-Nigerian singer Akure Wall in 1994. they separated in 1996.

The Invisible Ladder
Keziah Jones Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The wind is so strong
It'll blow your conscience away
I think I'll tie myself up in a neat boat
And quietly cease to exist
Because the psychological warfare
That's going on in our midst
Will put the ethics police
On your ass

So you better not try to resist
The wind is so strong
It'll blow your conscience away
The wind is so strong
It'll blow your conscience away

[Chorus:]
Taste - Liquid desire
Fate - Destiny's fire

Love - I'll take you higher
Fate - The invisible ladder

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Keziah Jones's song "The Invisible Ladder" deal with themes of self-preservation, societal pressures and the pursuit of desires. The opening lines capture the strength and power of the wind, with the singer suggesting that it is strong enough to blow away one's conscience. The metaphorical use of the wind highlights that external factors can have such a strong influence on a person's psyche and moral values that they may wish to disappear. The singer talks about the psychological warfare that goes on in our midst, suggesting that the pressures and expectations placed on each individual can feel like a form of warfare. This leads to the need to protect oneself from the ethics police, who serve as the moral guardians of society.

The chorus of the song reinforces the themes present in the verses. Taste, fate, love, and destiny are all elements of life that guide people. The singer speaks of the desire to climb higher, to strive for more, using the metaphorical ladder of destiny. The ladder is described as invisible, emphasizing that one must take a leap of faith to climb higher in life. The chorus of the song creates a sense of both momentum and mystery, reinforcing the idea that life is a climb, and we must keep moving forward.

Overall, "The Invisible Ladder" is a song that embodies the complexity of modern life. It touches on societal pressures, our desires and dreams, and the need for strength in the face of adversity.

Line by Line Meaning

The wind is so strong
The situation is intense and unstable

It'll blow your conscience away
It will test your morality and principles

I think I'll tie myself up in a neat boat
I'll isolate myself from the chaos

And quietly cease to exist
I'll withdraw from the world

Because the psychological warfare
The intangible battle for control

That's going on in our midst
That's happening around us

Will put the ethics police
Will make the authorities watchful

On your ass
Will be watching you closely

So you better not try to resist
It's not worth the fight

The wind is so strong
The situation is still intense and unstable

It'll blow your conscience away
It will still test your morality and principles