Labi Siffre (born June 25, 1945) is an English poet, songwriter, and singer. Bor… 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," 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.

La-De-Da-De-Da
Labi Siffre Lyrics

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If you believe in me
Like I believe in you
Then you will plainly see
That I could never do you harm

If you could look at you
The way that I do
Then you will plainly see

That I will always be your friend

Don′t you know
That I'm lost without your love
And I just break up
A pair of shoes standing naked in the moss
But I just break up

If you could feel for me
The way I′m feeling for you
The we would touch and be
In perfect harmony you see
You see

Don't you know
That I'm lost without your love
And I just break up
We had our fights

But if you need like I need you
It needs a little make-up.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Labi Siffre's song La-De-Da-De-Da speak about the importance of friendship and love in a relationship. It starts with the singer urging his partner to believe in him, just as much as he believes in her. He assures her that he would never intentionally hurt her, and that their trust is crucial for their relationship to thrive. In the following lines, he asks her to look at herself as he sees her - beautiful, lovable, and cherished. He affirms that he will always be her friend and support system.

The singer then goes on to speak of the void he feels in his life without his partner's love. He equates himself to "a pair of shoes standing naked in the moss," implying that he feels vulnerable and exposed without her. He acknowledges their past disagreements but says that they can always reconcile with a little "make-up." The final lines of the song express the desire for a perfect union where they can touch each other and be in complete harmony.

The song is a beautiful testament to the power of love and friendship in a relationship. It stresses the importance of mutual respect and support for a lasting and fulfilling bond. The lyrics are simple yet impactful, conveying a powerful message to the listeners.

Below are some interesting facts about Labi Siffre's song La-De-Da-De-Da:

Interesting Facts
Note: This section uses generative AI, which can be inaccurate.