Siffre released his first six albums of songs between 1970 and 1975, and a further three albums between 1988 and 1998. During this period he had several solo hits, including "It Must Be Love" (No. 14, 1971) (later covered by and a No. 4 hit for Madness, for which Siffre himself appeared in the video); "Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying" (No. 11, 1972); and "Watch Me" (No. 29, 1972). In 1978 two of his songs, "Solid Love" (performed by Siffre) and "We Got It Bad" (co-written and performed by Bob James) reached the UK finals of the BBC's A Song for Europe. His 1987 hit "(Something Inside) So Strong", which reached No. 4, was an anti-Apartheid anthem that won the Ivor Novello Award for "Best Song Musically and Lyrically", and has since been used in Amnesty International campaigns, a television advertisement and Alice Walker's film against female genital mutilation: Warrior Marks.
In 1997, Siffre's play "DeathWrite" was staged at the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff and later televised.
His song "I Got The..." was sampled in rapper Eminem's hit single "My Name Is," Siffre, who is openly gay, said in an interview that he turned down the offer to approve the song at first until the original sexist and homophobic lyrics were removed: "Dissing the victims of bigotry – women as bitches, homosexuals as faggots – is lazy writing. Diss the bigots not their victims." Siffre eventually allowed its usage when he was sent a censored "clean" version, not realizing that he was also allowing the riffs use on the alternative "dirty" versions with the original lyrics.
In 1984 Siffre began writing poetry and has since released three books of poetry: "Blood on the Page" 1995 and "Monument" 1997. His poetry addresses a variety of themes, from theology and childhood to sociology, love, hate, language, critical thinking, and communication. In 2006, he released a new album, The Last Songs.
Crying Laughing Loving Lying
Labi Siffre Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's why I don't cry
That's why I don't cry Laughing, laughing sometimes does somebody some good somehow
That's why I--I'm laughing now
That's why I--I'm laughing now Loving, loving never did me no good no how--no how
That's why I can't love you now
That's why I can't love you now Lying, lying never did nobody no good no how-no how
So why am I lying now? So why am I lying now? So why am I lying now?
The lyrics to Labi Siffre's song "Crying Laughing Loving Lying" can be interpreted as a commentary on the human experience of dealing with emotions and relationships. Siffre seems to be saying that while crying may be a natural human response to emotional pain, it ultimately doesn't do anyone any good. Laughing, on the other hand, may be more helpful in some situations, perhaps because it can help to ease tension and make us feel better. The same can be said for lying - even though it may seem like an easy way out of a difficult situation, it ultimately doesn't benefit anyone in the long run.
The line "Loving, loving never did me no good no how--no how" can be interpreted in a few different ways. It could be that Siffre has been hurt so badly in the past that he can no longer love someone as fully as he once did. Alternatively, he may be suggesting that love is inherently a flawed concept - that it never truly benefits anyone in the end.
Overall, these lyrics are complex and thought-provoking, challenging listeners to consider what it means to truly feel emotion and build meaningful relationships with others.
Line by Line Meaning
Crying, crying never did nobody no good no how
Crying never brought about any positive outcomes for anyone, which is why I refuse to cry.
That's why I don't cry
I do not cry because it never helps to improve a situation.
Laughing, laughing sometimes does somebody some good somehow
Sometimes laughing can make a positive impact on a person or situation.
That's why I--I'm laughing now
That is why I am choosing to laugh in this moment.
Loving, loving never did me no good no how--no how
My experiences with love have never led to anything positive for me, which is why I cannot love you now.
That's why I can't love you now
I am unable to love you because of the negative experiences I have had with love in the past.
Lying, lying never did nobody no good no how-no how
Lying has never brought about positive results for anyone, which is why I question why I am even lying now.
So why am I lying now? So why am I lying now? So why am I lying now?
I am unsure why I am choosing to lie in this moment, considering my knowledge that it never leads to anything good.
Writer(s): Labi Siffre Copyright: Chrysalis Songs Ltd.
Contributed by Daniel S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Melanie
on Cannock Chase
So beautiful :)