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," though Siffre objected to what he described as "lazy writing" and it had to be edited to get the sample cleared.
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.
I Got The
Labi Siffre Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Interesting Facts ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All I have to do is get to you
And then I feel just fine
I'm on a downer, but not all the way
When I'm feelin' low you do your thing just so
And then I feel OK
So good, you're the best there is
I got the blues, got it oh so bad
When I think of me its hard to be
A person quite so sad
You got the answer and it makes me glad
When I'm feelin' small you give me rock n' roll
And then I'm feelin' bad
Your so good, the way you give
So good, you're the best there is
Just a lonely soul
Slowly dyin'
I was smilin' hard
But I was lyin'
Then you sailed along
With you're sweet dream
When you stole my heart
I was with it
Mornin' come, sun don't shine
I'll get by without you
I was lost, but now I'm found
Tell me love it was you
Mornin' come, sun don't shine
I'll get by without you
I was lost, but now I'm found
Tell me love it was you
Just a lonely soul (Mornin' come, sun don't shine)
Slowly dyin' (I'll get by without you)
I was smilin' hard (I was lost, but now I'm found)
But I was lyin' (Tell me love it was you)
Then you sailed along (Mornin' come, sun don't shine)
With you're sweet dream (I'll get by without you)
When you stole my heart (I was lost, but now I'm found)
I was with it (Tell me love it was you)
The first two lines of the song, "I got the blues but I don't mind, all I have to do is get to you, and then I feel just fine," show that the singer is feeling down and unfortunate, but the presence of his lover can immediately lift him up, and his blues fade away. He expresses how good his lover is and how she can make everything feel better for him. He admits that he gets upset and sad, but his girlfriend has the answer and can lift him up. The lyrics represent the power of love to uplift, heal, and soothe someone in pain or upset.
The second verse starts with "Just a lonely soul slowly dyin'," and it reflects on the singer's life before the introduction of his true love. He says that he was trying hard to keep up appearances and hide his inner turmoil, but the arrival of his partner changed his life. The lyrics in the chorus, "Mornin' come, sun don't shine, I'll get by without you, I was lost, but now I'm found, tell me love it was you," show the depth of his love for his partner and how he can't imagine life without her.
Labi Siffre's "I Got The" has a catchy melody that pairs well with the lyrics, making it a beautiful love song that expresses the healing power of love in one's life. Below are ten exciting facts about the song:
Interesting Facts
Note: This section uses generative AI, which can be inaccurate.
Line by Line Meaning
I got the blues but I don't mind
I'm feeling down, but it's not a big deal because all I need is to see you and I'll feel better.
All I have to do is get to you
Simply being with you is enough to lift my spirits and make me feel good.
And then I feel just fine
Just being around you makes me feel happy and content.
I'm on a downer, but not all the way
I'm feeling sad, but I'm not completely depressed.
When I'm feelin' low you do your thing just so
When I'm feeling unhappy, you know exactly how to cheer me up.
And then I feel OK
Your actions make me feel better and I'm able to move on from my sadness.
Your so good, the way you give
You have a special ability to make others feel good and happy just by being yourself.
So good, you're the best there is
Your ability to make others feel good is unmatched by anyone else.
I got the blues, got it oh so bad
I'm deeply sad and struggling to deal with my emotions.
When I think of me its hard to be
I get caught up thinking about myself and my sadness, which makes it difficult to move past it.
A person quite so sad
I'm feeling more depressed than I usually do.
You got the answer and it makes me glad
You seem to have a solution to my sadness, and just knowing that makes me happy.
When I'm feelin' small you give me rock n' roll
When I feel insignificant and worthless, you inspire me with hope and strength through music.
And then I'm feelin' bad
Your encouragement and the music you share with me help to pick me up when I'm feeling down.
Just a lonely soul
I feel lonely and disconnected from others.
Slowly dyin'
My loneliness and sadness are draining me of life and energy.
I was smilin' hard
I was putting on a facade of happiness to hide my true emotions.
But I was lyin'
My smile didn't reflect my true emotions, which were sadness and loneliness.
Then you sailed along
You came into my life unexpectedly.
With you're sweet dream
You brought something wonderful into my life that felt like a dream come true.
When you stole my heart
You captured my affection and love.
I was with it
I was completely enamored and in love with you.
Mornin' come, sun don't shine
A new day has arrived, but it doesn't feel bright or happy.
I'll get by without you
I'll have to go on without you, even if it's difficult.
I was lost, but now I'm found
I was feeling aimless and struggling before you came into my life, but now I feel like I've found a purpose.
Tell me love it was you
I'm grateful for you and I want to know that you'll always be there for me, even when things are difficult.
Contributed by Luke G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
udontknow
I got the blues but I don't mind
All I have to do is get to you
And then I feel just fine
I'm on a downer, but not all the way
When I'm feelin' low you do your thing just so
And then I feel OK
You're so good, the way you give
You so good, you're the best there is
I got the blues, got it oh so bad
When I think of me
It's hard to be a person quite so sad
You got the answer, and it makes me glad
When I'm feelin' small, you gimme rock 'n roll
And then I feel laid back
You're so good, the way you give
So good, you're the best there is
Just a lonely soul
Slowly dyin'
I was smilin' hard
But I was lyin'
Then you sailed along
With your sweet dream
When you stole my heart
I was livid
Mornin' come, sun don't shine
I'll get by without you
I was lost, but now I'm found
Tell me love it was you
Mornin' come, sun don't shine
I'll get by without you
I was lost, but now I'm found
Tell me love it was you
Just a lonely soul (Mornin' come, sun don't shine)
Slowly dyin' (I'll get by without you)
I was smilin' hard (I was lost, but now I'm found)
But I was lyin' (Tell me love it was you)
Then you sailed along (Mornin' come, sun don't shine)
With your sweet dream (I'll get by without you)
When you stole my heart (I was lost, but now I'm found)
I was livid (Tell me love it was you)
Tobi Won Kanogy
I got the blues but I don't mind
All I have to do is get to you
And then I feel just fine
I'm on a downer but not all the way
When I'm feelin' low you do your thing just so
And then I feel okay
You're so good, the way you give
So good, you're the best there is
I got the blues, got it oh so bad
When I think of me it's hard to be
A person quite so sad
You got the answer and it makes me glad
When I'm feelin' small you give me rock n' roll
And then I feel laid back
You're so good, the way you give
So good, you're the best there is
Just a lonely soul
Slowly dyin'
I was smilin' hard
But I was lyin'
Then you sailed along
With your sweet dream
When you stole my heart
I was livid
Mornin' come, sun don't shine
I'll get by without you
I was lost, but now I'm found
Tell me love it was you
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Mornin' come, sun don't shine
I'll get by without you
I was lost, but now I'm found
Tell me love it was you
Just a lonely soul (Mornin' come, sun don't shine)
Slowly dyin' (I'll get by without you)
I was smilin' hard (I was lost, but now I'm found)
But I was lyin' (Tell me love it was you)
Then you sailed along (Mornin' come, sun don't shine)
With your sweet dream (I'll get by without you)
When you stole my heart (I was lost, but now I'm found)
I was livid (Tell me love it was you)
TheDrFunkenstein
a LOT LOT LOT of rappers and producers owe there whole career to this man.
Labi Siffre was a fucking genius and needs to be recognized like it.
Martin Hofvenstam
Is.
Dragon4Fire
Yes, and *their
MichelleMyBelle
I'm here because of a Beck article saying he had this sample on hold then em got it. I'd love to know what other songs he has that rappers have used because this song is 🔥🔥🔥
TMiii
@MichelleMyBelle “Streets is Watching” by Jay-Z is one.
noleafclover2200
Agreed
Jenny Fox
I can't beleive I've never heard him. He's just fabulous.
Jason Brian
You've never heard something inside so strong? Absolutely outstanding record :)
willam Estrada
Im with you miss jenny!! I feel like dancing solo if necessary!
McK
Better late than never