Labi Siffre (born June 25, 1945) is an English poet, songwriter, and singer… Read Full Bio ↴Labi Siffre (born June 25, 1945) is an English poet, songwriter, and singer. Born the fourth of five children to a Barbadian/Belgian mother and a Nigerian father and raised in Bayswater and Hampstead, London, he was educated at a Catholic monastery school, St Benedict's School in Ealing. His musical influences included Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Charlie Mingus, Jimmy Reed, Wes Montgomery, Billie Holiday, Jimmy Reed, and Mel Tormé. In July 1964, he met his partner Peter Lloyd, and the two officially became partners under the Civil Partnership Act 2004 when the Act entered into force in December 2005.
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.
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.
Entertainment Value
Labi Siffre Lyrics
Look at the people
Look at them running (uh-huh)
Where are they going?
Where are they coming from?
It is a pity that in the city
even a pretty girl has to hide her face
Don't try to breathe in with too much feeling (ah-huh)
Do and you're reeling
All over the place (mhm)Mothers who send their children out for fresh air
wish they could wash lungs like they wash clothes and hair
Get on the bus
Get on the train
Read your paper
Read about pain
The entertainment value in a plane crash is something we should find out about
Look at the people
Look at ourselves (mhm)
We are the people making the mess and the smells
What will our children think about what we leave them?
They're telling us now
and we won't believe them
Get on the bus
Get on the train
Read your paper
Read about pain
The entertainment value in a plane crash is something we should find out about
The entertainment value in a plane crash is something we should find out about
The entertainment value in a plane crash is something we should find out about
Look at the people
Look at them running (uh-huh)
Where are they going?
Where are they coming from?
Look at them running (uh-huh)
Where are they going?
Where are they coming from?
It is a pity that in the city
even a pretty girl has to hide her face
Don't try to breathe in with too much feeling (ah-huh)
Do and you're reeling
All over the place (mhm)Mothers who send their children out for fresh air
wish they could wash lungs like they wash clothes and hair
Get on the bus
Get on the train
Read your paper
Read about pain
The entertainment value in a plane crash is something we should find out about
Look at the people
Look at ourselves (mhm)
We are the people making the mess and the smells
What will our children think about what we leave them?
They're telling us now
and we won't believe them
Get on the bus
Get on the train
Read your paper
Read about pain
The entertainment value in a plane crash is something we should find out about
The entertainment value in a plane crash is something we should find out about
The entertainment value in a plane crash is something we should find out about
Look at them running (uh-huh)
Where are they going?
Where are they coming from?
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Labi Siffre
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Melanie
on Cannock Chase
So beautiful :)