As with many of their contemporaries such as The Chemical Brothers and Underworld, Leftfield pioneered the use of guest vocalists throughout their career. Among the more prominent were Toni Halliday (of Curve), who sang on "Original", Djum Djum on "Afro-Left" and Earl 16 and Cheshire Cat on "Release the Pressure".
Neil Barnes' entry into the music world was as a DJ at The Wag Club while simultaneously playing percussion instruments. Around 1989, inspired by Afrika Bambaata, Barnes decided to try his hand at electronic music production. In 1990, he released the single "Not Forgotten" on the Rhythm King label. It was followed by "More Than I Know" in 1991.
For the remixes of these tracks, Barnes called upon Paul Daley, then a hairdresser, but also in A Man Called Adam and a formerly a session musician for the Brand New Heavies and Primal Scream, appearing on their Dixie Narco EP. Barnes and Daley had previously worked together as percussionists at The Sandals' first club, Violets. As their mutual interest in electronic music became clear the pair decided that they would work instead upon Leftfield, once Barnes had extricated himself from his now troublesome contract with Rhythm King.
Leftfield's first major career break came in 1993 with the single "Open Up", a collaboration with John Lydon. That single was soon followed by their debut album, Leftism in 1995. On this album, Leftfield blended styles like dub, breakbeat, and techno. Five singles supported the album: "Release the Pressure" (featuring Earl 16 and Chesire Cat), "Song of Life", "Open Up" (featuring John Lydon), "Original" (featuring Toni Halliday) and "Afro-Left" (featuring Djum Djum).
Leftism was shortlisted for the 1995 Mercury Music Prize but lost out to Portishead's Dummy. In a 1998 Q magazine poll, readers voted it the eightieth greatest album of all time, while in 2000 Q placed it at number 34 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever. The album was re-released in 2000 with a bonus disc of remixes.
In 1996, the song "A Final Hit" featured on the Trainspotting soundtrack.
Their second and final album, Rhythm and Stealth was released in 1999 and it reached #1 in the UK Albums Chart. The album maintained a similar style, and featured Roots Manuva, Afrika Bambaataa, and MC Cheshire Cat from Birmingham.
Rhythm and Stealth was shortlisted for the Mercury Music Prize in 2000 but lost out to Badly Drawn Boy's The Hour of Bewilderbeast. Three singles were issued: "Afrika Shox", "Dusted" and "Swords". The song "Phat Planet" featured on Guinness' 1999 advert, Surfer.
In 2002 the band split. In 2005, they issued the greatest hits compilation A Final Hit. In 2010, Leftfield reunited and played a string of shows. However, Leftfield is now represented by Barnes alone with a backing band and singers, as Daley is concentrating on his DJ work, as well as releasing a solo album.
Official site: http://www.leftfieldtour.co.uk
Afro-Left
Leftfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Knowing all the time all the lies all the games
Thinking up a storm when it storms it's going to rain
Taking what's mine all the time, all the time
Take some for yourself
It's all good for something
And when there's no more to give
The window will shine in the light
Knowin' your mind, knowin' your mind
That you've got to remember
You've got to remember, your name
Knowin' your mind, knowin' your mind
That you've got to remember
That you've got to remember, your name
Staggering around, can't find a place to sit down
Nothing suits my ass
Toast to some champagne of pain
I know you can bring us all a bottle
Remember the time when time was a friend
And you could make him lend you a hand
Now there's a place where taking takes place
And time just gets in your way
Take some for yourself
It's all good for something
And when there's no more to give
The window will shine in the light
On what's left for me
Knowin' your mind, knowin' your mind
That you've got to remember
That you've got to remember, your name
Knowin' your mind, knowin' your mind
That you've got to remember
You've got to remember, your name
Knowin' your mind, knowin' your mind
That you've got to remember
You've got to remember, your name
Knowin' your mind, knowin' your mind
That you've got to remember
You've got to remember, your name
Yeah, take some for yourself
It's all good for something
And when there's no more to give
The window will shine in the light
Take some for yourself
It's all good for something
And when there's no more to give
The window will shine in the light
On what's left for me
What's left for me
The lyrics to Leftfield's song Afro Left can be interpreted in different ways, but the main interpretation seems to be about self-discovery and identity. The first verse talks about being surprised by the size of one's brain, indicating that the singer is intelligent and aware of the world's lies and games. They are also able to think deeply and predict the outcomes of things. The phrase "taking what's mine all the time" suggests a desire for asserting oneself and seizing opportunities. The singer advises taking some for oneself, as it's all good for something, but also warns that there will come a point where there's no more to give. At that point, the window will shine in the light on what's left for the singer.
The next part of the song depicts the singer as feeling lost and unable to find a place to sit down. They are dissatisfied with everything around them and toast "champagne of pain," which could refer to celebrating or commiserating with others who are in a similar state. The lyrics then reflect on a time when time was the singer's friend, and they could make it lend them a hand. However, now there's a place where taking takes place, and time just gets in the way. The final repetition of the chorus emphasizes the importance of knowing oneself and one's name.
Overall, the song seems to be about coming to terms with one's identity and understanding the limitations of time and resources. It encourages taking action and seizing opportunities while also reflecting on the past and recognizing the changes that have occurred.
Line by Line Meaning
Taken by surprise by the size of my brain
I am shocked by the magnitude of my own mental power.
Knowing all the time all the lies all the games
I am aware of the deceitful tricks that people play.
Thinking up a storm when it storms it's going to rain
I am coming up with many ideas at once, like a thunderstorm brewing, and I know that these ideas will soon be put to use.
Taking what's mine all the time, all the time
I am assertive, always grabbing what is rightfully mine without hesitation or reservation.
Take some for yourself
It's all good for something
And when there's no more to give
The window will shine in the light
On what's left for me
It's important to take care of yourself and your needs first, because when everything is gone, you will still have yourself to rely on and be proud of.
Knowin' your mind, knowin' your mind
That you've got to remember
You've got to remember, your name
It's important to understand yourself and your own mind, and to always remember who you are and what you stand for.
Staggering around, can't find a place to sit down
Nothing suits my ass
I am lost and uncomfortable, unable to find a place to rest and hoping for something to come along that will fit me better.
Toast to some champagne of pain
I know you can bring us all a bottle
Let's raise a glass to the hardships we have faced, and I know that you have the power to help all of us overcome those challenges.
Remember the time when time was a friend
And you could make him lend you a hand
Once, time seemed to be on my side and willing to help, but now it just gets in the way and slows me down.
Now there's a place where taking takes place
And time just gets in your way
In this current situation, it's all about taking what you can get, and time is not a helpful factor.
Take some for yourself
It's all good for something
And when there's no more to give
The window will shine in the light
On what's left for me
Once again, prioritize yourself and your own well-being, because in the end, that is all you will have left to show for your efforts.
Yeah, take some for yourself
It's all good for something
And when there's no more to give
The window will shine in the light
Reiterating the importance of taking care of yourself, because eventually others will have taken all they can from you and you will be left with nothing but yourself to rely on.
On what's left for me
What's left for me
Focusing on what remains important to me and what I still have left in my life.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: NEIL BARNES, NEIL TRACEY COLE, PAUL T. DALEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@arturofigueroa2287
Taken by surprise by the size of my brain
Knowing all the time all the lies all the games
Thinking up a storm when it storms it's going to rain
Taking what's mine all the time, all the time
Take some for yourself
It's all good for something
And when there's no more to give
The window will shine in the light
On what's left for me
Knowin' your mind, knowin' your mind
That you've got to remember
You've got to remember, your name
Knowin' your mind, knowin' your mind
That you've got to remember
That you've got to remember, your name
Staggering around, can't find a place to sit down
Nothing suits my ass
Toast to some champagne of pain
I know you can bring us all a bottle
Remember the time when time was a friend
And you could make him lend you a hand
Now there's a place where taking takes place
And time just gets in your way
Take some for yourself
It's all good for something
And when there's no more to give
The window will shine in the light
On what's left for me
Knowin' your mind, knowin' your mind
That you've got to remember
That you've got to remember, your name
Knowin' your mind, knowin' your mind
That you've got to remember
You've got to remember, your name
Knowin' your mind, knowin' your mind
That you've got to remember
You've got to remember, your name
Knowin' your mind, knowin' your mind
That you've got to remember
You've got to remember, your name
Yeah, take some for yourself
It's all good for something
And when there's no more to give
The window will shine in the light
Take some for yourself
It's all good for something
And when there's no more to give
The window will shine in the light
On what's left for me
What's left for me
@KostazK
This is the definition of a MODERN dance song. And yes, i write this comment in 2024
@toneb64
I saw Leftfield do the 25th anniversary of Leftism , Afro-Left was truly brilliant live !
@WristCutGauze
One of those brilliant songs that just doesn't age.
@cathodius
(Seven years later) It really doesn't!
@MancBing
I concur
@dariodev
yeah
@zeljkonikolic1242
still...
@iamjavademon
I just discovered this song 3 months ago and i listen to it at least 20 times in everyday since then. I kid you not.
@marionnye3690
62 and still one of my fave tracks xxx
@rolfingerbier
57