Most of Johnson's poetry is political, dealing mainly with the experiences of being an African-Caribbean in Britain. However, he has also shown himself more than capable of writing about other issues, such as British foreign policy or the death of anti-racist marcher Blair Peach. His most celebrated poems were written during the government of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The poems contain graphic accounts of the often racist police brutality occurring at the time.
Johnson's best known albums include his debut "Dread Beat An' Blood", "Forces of Victory", "Bass Culture" and "Making History". Across these albums are spread classics of the dub poetry school of performance - and, indeed, of reggae itself - such as "Dread Beat An' Blood", "Sonny's Lettah, "Inglan Is A Bitch" and "Independant Intavenshan".
When written, Johnson's poetry makes clever use of the unstandardised transcription of Jamaican Creole.
Of late, Johnson has only performed live on an intermittent basis.
Johnson's record label LKJ Records is home to other reggae artists, some of whom made up The Dub Band, with whom Johnson mostly recorded, and other Dub Poets, such as Jean Binta Breeze.
www.lintonkwesijohnson.com
Two Sides Of Silence
Linton Kwesi Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who were
Of necessary birth
For the earths hard
And thankless toil
Silence has no meaning
There is never a feeling
Or mere quietness
Never a moment
Of soundless calm
From within or without
Our troubled selves
How can the clamor
Of sounds be stilled?
There is no void where
Noises can collect
And be made mute
How indeed
Can there be silence
When our hearts beat out
A sonorous beat
Meeting the beating drums
Of an African past
When our eyes shed
Solid tears of iron blood
That falls on concrete ground
Inside our ears
Are the many wailing cries
Of misery
Inside our bodies
The internal bleeding
Of volcanoes
Inside our heads
The wrapped in thoughts
Of rebellion
How can there be calm
When the storm is yet to come?
This unending silence
Taut, impervious, unbending
Not lending an ear
To the most delicate of sounds
Awaits the blast of bombs
Which man will explode
To break this silent bond
To (?)
To the use to create
Hills of soft obedience
Where sweet-clothed sounds
Can rebound
And their echoes glide
Like a carefree bird
In rhythmic calm
To a mellow
Pure, silent space
Linton Kwesi Johnson's "Two Sides of Silence" is a poignant reflection on the relationship between silence and noise, particularly for those who were born into a life of hard labor and toil, such as the black working class. The singer argues that for those who have never experienced tranquility, for whom there is never a moment of soundless calm, silence has no meaning. The clamor of sounds cannot be stilled, there is never a void, and there can be no silence. Our hearts beat out a sonorous beat, echoing the beating drums of an African past, and our eyes shed solid tears of iron blood that falls on concrete ground. Inside our ears, we hear the many wailing cries of misery, inside our bodies the internal bleeding of volcanoes, inside our heads the wrapped-in thoughts of rebellion. How can there be calm when the storm is yet to come?
This unending silence that awaits the blast of bombs, which man will explode to break this silent bond, is the symbol of the oppression and suffering endured by the black working class. The silence is taut, impervious, unbending, and does not lend an ear to the most delicate of sounds. The singer suggests that the only way to break this silence is for these bombs to explode, creating hills of soft obedience where sweet-clothed sounds can rebound and their echoes glide like a carefree bird in rhythmic calm to a mellow, pure, silent space.
Overall, "Two Sides of Silence" is a powerful commentary on the relationship between sound and silence, and how these dichotomies are experienced differently by different communities, particularly the black working class. It highlights the struggle for liberation and the need to break the silence that perpetuates oppression and suffering.
Line by Line Meaning
To us
This is directed at those who were born into a life of hard work and thankless toil.
Who were
The people being addressed represent a specific group of individuals who are workers in society.
Of necessary birth
These people were born into their respective situations out of necessity, and not by choice.
For the earths hard
Their labor is necessary for the earth to continue functioning as it should.
And thankless toil
Despite their contributions, they receive little gratitude or recognition for the work they do.
Silence has no meaning
For these workers, silence represents nothingness or a lack of significance.
There is never a feeling
There are no moments in their lives where they feel tranquility or mere quietness.
Of tranquility
A sense of calmness and peacefulness is foreign to them.
Or mere quietness
There is no such thing as a moment where there is no noise whatsoever.
Never a moment
Their lives are filled with constant noise and chaos.
Of soundless calm
The idea of experiencing any moment of silence is impossible for them.
From within or without
Both internally and externally, there is no respite from the constant noise and unrest.
Our troubled selves
These workers are afflicted by constant turmoil and struggle.
How can the clamor
It is impossible to even attempt to quiet the many sounds and noises surrounding them, both internal and external.
Of sounds be stilled?
How can a person go about trying to silence the multitude of noises that constantly assail them?
There is no void where
There is no empty or silent space to be found where noises can simply fade away.
Noises can collect
Sounds and noises are constantly being produced, making it impossible for any one sound to be collected or muted.
And be made mute
It is impossible for any sound to be completely silenced.
How indeed
There is no answer to how one can experience silence in such a noisy environment.
Can there be silence
It is impossible to achieve true silence in the environment these workers find themselves in.
When our hearts beat out
The constant beating of their hearts cannot be ignored and must be reckoned with.
A sonorous beat
The beat of their hearts is loud and powerful, underscoring the vitality of their existence.
Meeting the beating drums
Their heartbeat echoes the drums of their African past, connecting them to their origins.
Of an African past
Their roots are a deep and important part of their identity.
When our eyes shed
Their tears cannot be withheld and are a testament to their emotional turmoil.
Solid tears of iron blood
These tears are heavy and significant, carrying the weight of their struggles on their sleeves.
That falls on concrete ground
Their struggles and pain are made even more apparent by the harsh reality of their surroundings.
Inside our ears
Their ears cannot escape the sounds of misery and suffering.
Are the many wailing cries
The cries of those in distress are all around and cannot be ignored.
Of misery
The constant presence of pain and suffering is a burden that these workers carry with them.
Inside our bodies
Their physical being is marked by internal bleeding and turmoil.
The internal bleeding
Their struggles go beyond the external and seep into their very essence.
Of volcanoes
These struggles are volatile and can erupt at any moment.
Inside our heads
Their thoughts are marked by rebellion and defiance.
The wrapped in thoughts
Their thoughts wrap around the idea of pushing back against their circumstances.
Of rebellion
The theme of rebellion is prevalent and important to their identity.
How can there be calm
It is impossible for them to experience any kind of calm amidst the chaos they are constantly surrounded by.
When the storm is yet to come?
The idea of an impending storm, or more struggle, is always present.
This unending silence
The noise and chaos is relentless and never-ending.
Taut, impervious, unbending
The barrier that noise creates is strong and unmovable, an ever-present force in their lives.
Not lending an ear
No matter how delicate or soft the sound, it is completely drowned out by the constant noise they are exposed to.
To the most delicate of sounds
Even the most gentle and fragile of noises cannot be heard or appreciated in this environment.
Awaits the blast of bombs
The only thing that can break through this noise barrier is something explosive and destructive.
Which man will explode
This explosion can come from anywhere and cannot be predicted or prepared for.
To break this silent bond
Once broken, this noise barrier can never be put back together again in the same way.
To (?)
This line is slightly unclear, but it likely refers to the idea of rebelling against the status quo and pushing for change.
To the use to create
This new direction will be used to bring forth something new and remarkable.
Hills of soft obedience
This new direction will lead to a society that is manageable, calm, and at peace.
Where sweet-clothed sounds
The sounds of this new world will be gentle and pleasing to the ears.
Can rebound
These sounds will echo beautifully throughout the new world, creating a sense of harmony and order.
And their echoes glide
Even the echoes of these sounds will be full of grace and beauty.
Like a carefree bird
The echoes of these sounds will be light and unburdened, like a bird in flight.
In rhythmic calm
Everything will be in sync and harmonious, creating a sense of peace and tranquility.
To a mellow
The world will be marked by a sense of softness and ease.
Pure, silent space
This new world will be marked by a sense of true silence, a respite from the loudness and chaos of before.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LINTON KWESI JOHNSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Selby Gama
on New Word Hawdah
In the early eighties, whilst at university and revelling in LKJ's dub-poetry, I stumbled upon a a commentary which spoke of him in these terms, "his lyrics explode like bombs and his voice is too important to ignore." Three and a half decades later, still revelling in his dub-poetry, this has a stronger resonance and remains apt. His music makes the clarity complete. I named one of my sons Lynton, and have taken time to explain to him the significance of my christening him so. Thank you LKJ for those explosive dynamite lyrics and that all too important voice.