By this time, Roy had begun exploring the teachings of Rastafari, having become acquainted with followers in the Washington Gardens area. This turning point led to the crucial decision to seek complete creative control over his music. Deeming the Jamaican recording establishment too conservative for his choice of subject matter, Roy formed his own Tafari and Earth labels with the help of Munchie Jackson and Lloyd Barnes. In 1974, he came knocking on the door of the Black Ark, the studio run by Washington Gardens resident Lee "Scratch" Perry, an eclectic producer known to be sympathetic to the Rastas. Perry set aside studio time for the recording of both "Black Bird" and "Tribal War." The latter proved to be a hit; its status as a roots classic was later assured through the host of versions that followed. Among them were readings by singers John Holt, Junior Reid, and Freddy McKay and DJ cuts on the rhythm by Dillinger, Trinity, and Prince Far I. Roy responded with a string of excellent, Rasta-informed singles for his new imprints that maintained the standards. Lacking the backing of a big producer, however, songs as excellent as "Prophesy," "Christopher Columbus," "Earth," and "Jah Can Count on I" eventually receded from view, and Roy's full-length Tribal War LP was given a limited release in the U.S. Roy's finest efforts then were largely forgotten until Pressure Sounds released the Tafari Earth Uprising and Packin' House sets during the second half of the 1990s.
Roy continued to record into the early '80s. While "Long Time Rock Steady" and "Skanking on the Banking," a pair of late-'70s 12"s cut for Herman Chin-Loy, found him adopting dancehall techniques, he returned to roots flavors with 1981's Columbus Ship (recorded at Channel One and mixed by Scientist). Laying low for the remainder of the decade, the singer returned with Prophesy in 1989, a collection of his '70s material in old and new guises. Roy was vaunted into the spotlight once again when Victory Dance, a one-rhythm album based around "Prophesy," was compiled at the start of the '90s. Following the release of Live On (1990) and a European tour with Gregory Isaacs, Pressure Sounds owner Adrian Sherwood brought Little Roy into a London studio for the recording of Longtime, ensuring that the singer's vision would live on into the 21st century.
Biography by Nathan Bush (AMG - All Media Guide)
Heart-Shaped Box
Little Roy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've been locked inside your heart-shaped box
for weeks
I've been drawn into your magnet tar pit trap
I wish I could leach your cancer when you turn black
Hey, wait, I've got a new complain
Forever in debt to your priceless advice
Hey, wait, I've got a new complain
Hey, wait, I've got a new complain
Forever in debt to your priceless advice
Your advice
Meat eating orchids forgive no-one just yet
Cut myself on angel hair and baby's breath
Broken hymen of your highness I'm left black
Throw down your umbilical noose so I can climb right back
Hey, wait, I've got a new complain
Forever in debt to your priceless advice
Hey, wait, I've got a new complain
Forever in debt to your priceless advice
Hey, wait, I've got a new complain
Forever in debt to your priceless advice
Your advice
She eyes me like a pisces when, I am weak
I've been locked inside your heart-shaped box for weeks
I've been drawn into your magnet tar pit trap
I wish I could leach your cancer when you turn black
Hey, wait, I've got a new complain
Forever in debt to your priceless advice
Hey, wait, I've got a new complain
Forever in debt to your priceless advice
Hey, wait, I've got a new complain
Forever in debt to your priceless advice
Your advice
The lyrics to Little Roy's cover of Heart-Shaped Box by Nirvana can be interpreted as a metaphorical representation of the toxic and destructive nature of a toxic relationship. The opening line "She eyes me like a pisces when I am weak" suggests that the singer feels vulnerable and exposed to the manipulative and controlling behavior of their partner. The line "I've been locked inside your heart-shaped box for weeks" represents the imprisonment and entrapment that the singer feels within their relationship.
The line "I wish I could leach your cancer when you turn black" is a reference to the idea of the partner's negative behavior and actions being akin to a cancerous disease, which the singer longs to remove. The line "Meat eating orchids forgive no-one just yet" refers to the idea that destructive and manipulative behavior will not be forgiven until a change is made. The line "Broken hymen of your highness I'm left black" could be interpreted as a metaphor for the damage done to the singer's self-esteem and sense of self-worth.
Overall, the song explores themes of toxic relationships, emotional manipulation, and the desire to break free from the cycle of abuse and negativity.
Line by Line Meaning
She eyes me like a pisces when I am weak
She looks at me with empathy when I am vulnerable
I've been locked inside your heart-shaped box for weeks
I have been trapped by your love for a long time
I've been drawn into your magnet tar pit trap
Your attraction towards me is suffocating me
I wish I could leach your cancer when you turn black
I want to help you fight your inner demons when you are at your lowest
Hey, wait, I've got a new complain
Hold on, I have something else to express
Forever in debt to your priceless advice
I am eternally grateful for your guidance and support
Your advice
Your guidance and wisdom
Meat eating orchids forgive no-one just yet
The beauty of nature is unforgiving and impartial
Cut myself on angel hair and baby's breath
I have hurt myself unintentionally with sweet and delicate things
Broken hymen of your highness I'm left black
I feel used and broken by someone of noble and exalted status
Throw down your umbilical noose so I can climb right back
Release me from your suffocating grasp, so I can be free again
Contributed by Eliana E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
D J Miles
on Hard Fighter
Lyrics for Hard Fighter by Little Roy are:
I guess I'm the hardest fighter
So one day I'll be a winner
In everything I do
There is someone to do it to
But no matter how they imitate
The thing that I originate
Imitation won't live long
Origination will be strong, strong, strong
I guess I'm the queen guestkeeper
Yet I'm the worst receiver
No matter how I give
The people still don't want to see me live
But matter how they grumble one side
When they see me come they got to run and hide.
Because they know I'm doing right
And the weakest they just can't stand up and fight
But no matter how they imitate
The thing that I originate
Imitation won't live long
Origination will be strong, strong, strong
I guess I'm the queen guestkeeper
Yet I'm the worst receiver
No matter how I give
The people still don't want to see me live
But matter how they grumble one side
When they see me come they got to run and hide.
Because they know I'm doing right
And the weakest they just can't stand up and fight