Londonbeat is a multi-racial R&B and dance music band, consisting originall… Read Full Bio ↴Londonbeat is a multi-racial R&B and dance music band, consisting originally of band members Jimmy Helms, Jimmy Chambers, George Chandler and William Henshall, who scored a number of pop and dance hits in the early nineties. Their career started in The Netherlands where "There's A Beat Going On" suddenly hit the Top 10 and it was decided to give additional attention to "9 A.M." which subsequently became a modest success in the United Kingdom. They are best known for their song "I've Been Thinking About You", which hit #1 on the Hot 100 and the Hot Dance Music/Club Play charts in 1991 and for their close harmonies of vocalists Helms, Chandler and Chambers with Henshall handling all the instruments.

Their follow-up single "A Better Love" became a Hot 100 Top 20 hit, and they returned to #1 on the dance chart with "Come Back" (Hot 100 #62).

In 1995, Londonbeat entered the UK heats of the Eurovision Song Contest with "I'm Just Your Puppet on a ... (String)", however they were not selected to go to the main contest (losing out to rap group Love City Groove) and the single limped in at Number 55.

In 2003 Londonbeat re-grouped with a new line up and signed to German record label Coconut. An album called Back in the Hi-Life featured re-recordings of "A Better Love" and "I've Been Thinkin About You" amongst the new tracks.

Marc Goldschmitz left the band in 2004, now pushing his german-indie-pop-projekt "die Unerklärlichen".

No Woman No Cry
Londonbeat Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Everything's gonna be alright everything's gonna be alright

Well I remember when we used to sit
In the government yard in Trenchtown
Observing all the hypocrities as they would
Mingle with the good people we meeet
Good friends we had good friends we've lost
Along the way

In this great future you can't forget your past
So dry your tears I say I say

Everything's gonna be alright yea it's gonna be alright
Everything's gonna be alright yea
Everything's gonna be alright come here little sister
Everything's gonna be alright don't you shed no tears

No woman no cry no woman no cry
No woman no cry no woman no cry

I remember when we used to sit
In the government yard in Trenchtown
And then Georgie hey would light the fire light
As it was love wood burning through the night
And we would cook some cornmeal porridge
Of which I'd share with you see my feet's my only carriage
So I got to push on through but while I'm gone I mean

Everything's gonna be alright hey it's gonna be alright
Everything's gonna be alright
Everything's gonna be alright hush little sister
Everything's gonna be alright so don't you shed no tears

No woman no cry no woman no cry
No woman no cry no woman no cry

Everything's gonna be alright yea it's gonna be alright
No woman no cry don't you shed no tears
Everything's gonna be alright I say hush little sister
No woman no cry

Everything's gonna be alright it's gonna be it's gonna be alright
No woman no cry no woman no cry

Everything's gonna be alright yea I know it's gonna be alright
No woman no cry come here little sister

Overall Meaning

The song "No Woman No Cry" by Londonbeat is a cover of Bob Marley's original song. The opening lines of the chorus ("Everything's gonna be alright") convey a message of hope to the audience. The first verse of the song reveals the singer's memories of sitting in the government yard in Trenchtown, observing the hypocrites and mingling with the good people. The "good friends we've lost along the way" line shows how the singer has experienced some loss in life but still hopes that everything will be alright in the end. In the second verse, the singer reminisces about how Georgie would light the fire, symbolizing warmth and love. The line "my feet are my only carriage" highlights the struggle of living in poverty and having to push on despite the hardships.

The repetition of the line "No woman no cry" in the chorus is a form of reassurance to women that everything will be alright, even without a significant other. The use of the phrase "hush little sister" reveals the singer's protective and nurturing nature towards women, as if they were family. The overall message of the song is one of hope and reassurance that everything is going to be alright despite setbacks and losses.

Line by Line Meaning

Everything's gonna be alright everything's gonna be alright
The singer is reassuring someone that everything is going to be okay, and that they don't need to worry.

Well I remember when we used to sit In the government yard in Trenchtown
The singer reminisces about spending time with friends in a public park in Trenchtown.

Observing all the hypocrities as they would Mingle with the good people we meet
The singer watched as fake people interacted with genuine people in the park.

Good friends we had good friends we've lost Along the way
The singer has lost some close friends over the years.

In this great future you can't forget your past So dry your tears I say I say
The singer believes that it's important to remember your past, even as you look to the future, and suggests that the listener stop crying.

Everything's gonna be alright yea it's gonna be alright Everything's gonna be alright yea Everything's gonna be alright come here little sister Everything's gonna be alright don't you shed no tears
The singer repeats his reassurance that everything will be okay, and specifically addresses a younger sister, telling her not to cry.

No woman no cry no woman no cry No woman no cry no woman no cry
The chorus repeats the phrase 'No woman no cry,' suggesting that women shouldn't cry, or perhaps referencing a specific woman who is being comforted.

I remember when we used to sit In the government yard in Trenchtown And then Georgie hey would light the fire light As it was love wood burning through the night And we would cook some cornmeal porridge Of which I'd share with you see my feet's my only carriage So I got to push on through but while I'm gone I mean
The singer remembers a specific friend who used to light a fire in the park, and they would cook together. The singer feels like he needs to keep moving forward in life, even though he misses those times.

Everything's gonna be alright hey it's gonna be alright Everything's gonna be alright Everything's gonna be alright hush little sister Everything's gonna be alright so don't you shed no tears
The singer continues to reassure someone, this time telling them to be quiet and not cry.

No woman no cry no woman no cry No woman no cry no woman no cry
The chorus repeats again, emphasizing the importance of not crying.

Everything's gonna be alright yea it's gonna be alright No woman no cry don't you shed no tears Everything's gonna be alright I say hush little sister No woman no cry
The singer repeats his earlier statements, telling someone not to cry, and reassuring them that everything will be okay.

Everything's gonna be alright it's gonna be it's gonna be alright No woman no cry no woman no cry Everything's gonna be alright yea I know it's gonna be alright No woman no cry come here little sister
The singer repeats for a final time that everything will be okay, and addresses the younger sister again.

Contributed by Jonathan P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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