Born in Cuba of mixed Cuban and Jamaican descent, Aitken and his family settled in Jamaica in 1938. After an early career working for the Jamaican Tourist Board singing mento songs for visitors arriving at Kingston Harbour, he became a popular nightclub entertainer. His first recordings in the late 1950s were mento tunes such as "Nebuchnezer", "Sweet Chariot" (aka the gospel classic "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot") and "Baba Kill Me Goat". Aitken's 1958 single "Boogie in My Bones"/"Little Sheila" was one of the first records produced by Chris Blackwell and the first Jamaican popular music record to be released in the United Kingdom. Other more Jamaican rhythm and blues orientated singles from this period include "Low Down Dirty Girl" and "More Whisky" both produced by Duke Reid.
Aitken moved to Brixton, London, in 1960 and recorded for the Blue Beat label, releasing fifteen singles before returning to Jamaica in 1963. He recorded for Duke Reid, with backing from the Skatalites on tracks such as "Zion" and "Weary Wanderer", before returning to the UK, where he began working with Pama Records. He recorded hits such as "Fire in Mi Wire" and "Landlord and Tenants", which led to a wider recognition outside of Jamaica and the UK. This cemented his position as one of ska's leading artists and earned him the nicknames The Godfather of Ska, and later Boss Skinhead. He gained a loyal following not only among the West Indian community, but also among mods, skinheads and other ska fans. He had hit records in the United Kingdom and other countries in the 1950s through to the 1970s on labels such as Blue Beat, Pama, Trojan, Rio, Dr. Bird, Nu-Beat, Ska-Beat,Hot Lead and Dice. Some of his singles featured B-sides credited to his brother, guitarist Bobby Aitken. Aitken also recorded a few talk-over/deejay tracks under the guise of 'King Horror', such as "Loch Ness Monster", "Dracula, Prince of Darkness", and "The Hole". Aitken settled in Leicester with his wife in 1970. His output slowed in the 1970s and during this period he worked as an entertainer in nightclubs and restaurants in the area including the popular 'Costa Brava Restaurant' in Leicester under his real name Lorenzo. In 1980, with ska enjoying a resurgence in the wake of the 2 Tone movement, Aitken had his only success in the UK Singles Chart with "Rudi Got Married" (#60) released on I-Spy Records (the label created and managed by Secret Affair. Aitken's career took in mento/calypso, R&B, ska, rock steady, and reggae, and in the 1990s he even turned his talents to dancehall. He performed occasional concerts almost until his death from a heart attack in 2005. After a long campaign, a blue plaque in his honour was put up at his Leicester home in 2007. Punk band Rancid cover's Aitken's Everybody Suffering on their 2014 LP Honor Is All We Know
Laurel Aitken (April 22, 1927 - July 17, 2005) became famous as one of the originators of Jamaican ska music in the late 1950s.
Aitken was born as Lorenzo Aitken in Cuba, and is the brother of singer Bobby Aitken. He moved to England in the 1960s, and had a loyal following among Skinheads and other ska fans. He had massive hits in the 1950s through 1970s, while recording for Blue Beat Records, Pama Records and Trojan Records. He recorded one of the earliest ska records, the double A-sided Boogie in My Bones / Little Sheila (1958). It was the first record on producer Chris Blackwell's Island Records label.
Aitken, who is known as "The Godfather of Ska", made his home in Leicester UK and performed live almost until his death. He suffered from a serious illness following a heart attack about a year before he died. He died from a heart attack in Leicester, UK on July 17, 2005.
More Whisky
Laurel Aitken Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Give them more whiskey, give them more whiskey now
Gonna get high cos baby gonna make me cry
Baby don't leave me, no you can't go this way
Baby don't leave, no you can't go this way
I wanna get high cos baby gonna make me cry
When it wasn't all right
Now you leave me standing
Watching till broad daylight
Oh whiskey, more more whiskey for me
Come on and get high cos baby gonna make me cry
Told me that you loved me
When it wasn't all right
Now you leave me standing
Watching till broad daylight
Oh whiskey, more more whiskey for me
Come on and get high cos baby gonna make me cry
I wanna get high cos baby gonna make me cry
Oh whiskey, more whiskey
The song "More Whiskey" by Laurel Aitken and Duke Reid's Group is a classic blues tune about heartbreak and using alcohol to numb the pain. The opening lines repeat the phrase "give them more whiskey now," emphasizing the notion of using alcohol as a solution to emotional problems. The next line "gonna get high cause baby gonna make me cry" speaks to the idea of self-medicating and "getting high" through drinking to help cope with the pain of heartbreak.
The verses of the song express the singer's frustration and desperation towards their partner as they plead for them not to leave. The lines "you told me that you loved me when it wasn't all right, now you leave me standing watching till broad daylight" highlight the pain of being lied to and betrayed. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "more, more whiskey for me, come on and get high cause baby gonna make me cry," emphasizing the cyclical nature of the singer's drinking and heartbreak.
Overall, "More Whiskey" is a song about the complex emotional state that comes with heartbreak and turning to alcohol to cope. It's a timeless classic that speaks to the human experience of pain and addiction.
Line by Line Meaning
Give them more whiskey, give them more whiskey now
Asking for more alcohol to help deal with emotional pain.
Gonna get high cos baby gonna make me cry
Intends to consume more alcohol to create euphoric feelings and distract from sad thoughts.
Baby don't leave me, no you can't go this way
Pleading with a lover not to abandon the relationship and cause more heartache.
I wanna get high cos baby gonna make me cry
Desire for inebriation in response to upcoming emotional pain.
You told me that you loved me
When it wasn't all right
Now you leave me standing
Watching till broad daylight
Recalling past words of love and betrayal, and the painful aftermath of their relationship ending in the early morning.
Oh whiskey, more more whiskey for me
Come on and get high cos baby gonna make me cry
Repeating the request for more alcohol to cope with emotional stress and potential future heartache.
Told me that you loved me
When it wasn't all right
Now you leave me standing
Watching till broad daylight
Reiterating the hurt and abandonment felt after being told false words of love.
Oh whiskey, more more whiskey for me
Come on and get high cos baby gonna make me cry
I wanna get high cos baby gonna make me cry
Oh whiskey, more whiskey
Final repetition of the need to drink more alcohol to numb emotional pain caused by a lover.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Laurel Aitken
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Roland S.
Laurel Aitken - More Whiskey
Give me more Whiskey, give me more Whiskey now
Give me more Whiskey, give me more Whiskey now
I wanna get high ‘cause babies gonna make me cry.
Baby don’t leave me, no you can’t go this way
Baby don’t leave me, no you can’t go this way
I wanna get high ‘cause babies gonna make me cry.
You told me that you love me when it wasn't alright
Now you leave me standing watching the broad daylight
More whisky, more more whisky for me
I wanna get high ‘cause babies gonna make me cry.
You told me that you love me when it wasn’t alright
Now you leave me standing
Watching the broad daylight
More whisky, more more whisky for me
I wanna get high ‘cause babies gonna make me cry.
I wanna get high ‘cause babies gonna make me cry.
More whisky