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.

Prayer
Labi Siffre Lyrics

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When the morning light
Tries to hold you tight
You snuggle down inside

But when the day insists
There′s no use to resist
Just open up and pray

That every move you make
And every breath you take
And every word you say

Will help the ones you love
And those you don't think of
And those who turn away

And if there is a God
And us he′s thinking of
Well, don't forget to say

That wives and mothers cry
To see their babies die
It happens every day

So God in heaven above
What are you thinking of
Is this the way you play

Well, can't you hear them weep

Now children mind your feet
Maybe God has gone to sleep

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Labi Siffre's song "Prayer" convey a sense of longing and desperation for guidance and help from a higher power in the face of life's struggles and injustices. The singer reflects on the moments when the morning light tries to comfort and shield them, but eventually, the demands and challenges of the day cannot be resisted. In these moments, the singer encourages themselves to open up and pray.

The prayer consists of a plea for every action, breath, and word to have a positive impact on the ones they love, as well as on those they may not actively think about and even those who turn away from them. The singer acknowledges that if there is indeed a God who is mindful of humanity, it is essential not to forget to mention the pain and sorrow experienced by wives and mothers who witness their children dying every day. They question the intentions and actions of God, wondering if this is the way the divine chooses to play and interact with the world. The final lines express a poignant appeal for God to pay attention to the weeping voices of the suffering and to remind children to be careful as if God has somehow gone to sleep.

Overall, these lyrics highlight the singer's yearning for divine intervention and their grappling with the injustices and tragedies of the world. They question the actions and intentions of a higher power while also emphasizing the importance of compassion and care for others.

Line by Line Meaning

When the morning light
At the start of each new day

Tries to hold you tight
When you feel the warmth and comfort of the morning

You snuggle down inside
You embrace and find solace within yourself

But when the day insists
However, as the day progresses

There's no use to resist
There's no point in fighting against it

Just open up and pray
Just be open and turn to prayer

That every move you make
With every action you take

And every breath you take
And with every breath you inhale

And every word you say
And with every word you utter

Will help the ones you love
Will benefit and support your loved ones

And those you don't think of
And even those you may not actively think about