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.
If You Have Faith
Labi Siffre Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If you have faith,
If you have faith
Well that′s all you need.
And if you believe,
And if you believe,
And if you believe,
Well that's all you need.
Seems much too long,
You can carry on,
You can carry on,
Cause if you have faith,
If you have faith,
If you have faith
Well that's all you need.
And if you can try,
If you can try,
If you can try,
Well you may succeed,
And if you have hope,
If you have hope,
If you have hope,
Well that's all you need
And though we′re not so sure
What we′re here for,
You need nothing more,
You need nothing more
Cause if you have faith,
If you have faith,
If you have faith,
Well that's all you need
If you get tired
And feel that it′s time to give in,
Cause you think of the times when you lost,
And you thought you might win,
Open you mind, Take it all
Think for a while, You'll find a way,
Don′t be afraid, lift up your chin,
You'll find the strength,
If you have faith,
If you have faith,
If you have faith,
Well that′s all you need
That's all you need,
That's all you need,
If you have faith.
The song “If You Have Faith” by Labi Siffre encourages listeners to have faith and believe in themselves no matter how exhausted they may become along the way. The lyrics emphasize that having faith, hope, and belief are the necessary ingredients to succeed in life. The song’s opening lines, “If you have faith, Well that's all you need” set the tone for the entire piece, with the repetition of the phrase emphasizing its importance. The song encourages listeners to keep going despite the difficulty of the journey, as long as they keep their faith strong.
The line, “And though we′re not so sure What we′re here for, You need nothing more” highlights the existential uncertainty that is a part of life. However, the song suggests that even if we may not know what our purpose is, we can still find success as long as we have faith and belief.
The song’s chorus emphasizes the idea that having faith is the key to success no matter how difficult the journey may seem: “If you have faith, If you have faith, If you have faith, Well that's all you need.” Through this song, Labi Siffre wants to inspire listeners to stay the course, even during the most challenging times.
Line by Line Meaning
If you have faith,
Believing in something greater than oneself is enough.
Well that's all you need.
Having faith alone is sufficient.
And if you believe,
Believing in oneself and one's goals is significant.
And if the road you're on
Seems much too long,
You can carry on,
You can carry on,
Persisting in the face of difficulties and adversity is essential.
If you can try,
If you can try,
If you can try,
Making an attempt and striving for one's goals is important.
Well you may succeed,
Success is possible with effort and determination.
And if you have hope,
If you have hope,
If you have hope,
Maintaining a positive outlook and expecting good things is valuable.
And though we're not so sure
What we're here for,
You need nothing more,
You need nothing more
Even if the purpose in life is unclear, one can find meaning through faith and hope.
If you get tired
And feel that it's time to give in,
Cause you think of the times when you lost,
And you thought you might win,
When feeling discouraged by past failures, it is important to keep going and to not give up.
Open you mind, Take it all
Think for a while, You'll find a way,
Don't be afraid, lift up your chin,
You'll find the strength,
By staying open-minded, reflecting, being brave, and having faith, one can find the strength to move forward.
That's all you need,
That's all you need,
Believing, hoping, trying, and having faith are all that is necessary.
If you have faith,
Believing in something greater than oneself is enough.
If you have faith,
If you have faith,
If you have faith,
Well that's all you need
Having faith alone is sufficient.
Writer(s): Labi Siffre
Contributed by Eva A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Melanie
on Cannock Chase
So beautiful :)