He started as a calypso singer under the name Lord Creator. With his move to Jamaica in the late 1950s, he recorded his first big hit, Evening News, in 1959 with Fitz Vaughan Bryan's big band. In 1962, he recorded Independent Jamaica, which became the official song marking Jamaica’s independence from the British Empire on August 6, 1962. That song was also the first record on Chris Blackwell’s newly founded Island Records label in the United Kingdom. (Island 001). In 1963, Don't Stay Out Late, produced by Vincent Chin, became a huge hit in Jamaica.
In 1964, he had a hit with Big Bamboo, produced by Coxsone Dodd with Tommy McCook on saxophone. After Little Princess in 1964, he recorded a calypso album, Jamaica Time, on Studio One. It included calypso classics like Jamaica Farewell and Yellowbird, as well as a cover of Bob Dylan's Blowing in the Wind.
His next album, Big Bamboo, was recorded at Dynamic Studios sometime after 1969, when the studio was established by Byron Lee. Carlton Lee, who is otherwise unknown, is listed as the producer.
Creator’s biggest hit was Kingston Town, recorded in 1970 for producer Clancy Eccles which is a reggae version of his 1964 ska tune King & Queen (Babylon). After that, Lord Creator virtually disappeared from the music scene.
In 1977, he recorded Life, a rerecording of his 1969 song, Such is Life, at The Black Ark for Lee "Scratch" Perry.
In 1989, the British group UB40 recorded Kingston Town. There is a story that after this, Eccles saw Creator, who had become homeless and destitute, on a Kingston street. When Eccles called out to him, Creator fled thinking Eccles had come to collect $30 he owed him. Eccles chased him down and told him UB40 had recorded Kingston Town and that Creator had earned substantial royalties. With the money he earned in royalties, Creator revitalized his life and career. He appeared in oldies shows in Jamaica, and toured Japan.
Paint Up Clean Up Time
Lord Creator Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We're going to clean up every town
From Kingston to Montego Bay
Beautify this island in every way
What a good thing it would be
What a lovely sight to see
Everybody lend a hand
We want this island looking grand
It's paint up, clean up time!
My neighbor never clean her yard
For six full months I was feeling sad
But I noticed the other day
Her house was looking bright and gay
Then I wondered to myself
I took meh paint from off the shelf
In short pants I'm bending low
I tell meh wife to help also
She start to complain, I had to explain:
It's paint up, clean up time!
Get your paintbrush, get your broom
Give a new look to every room
In every shop and every store
They're painting up as never before
Don't you think that me and you
Can also do the same thing too
Every house should look so nice
In this island paradise
Play your part, now's the time to start:
It's paint up, clean up time!
Believe me friend I nearly dead
Do my stalking under meh bed
Goin' have a suitcase in his hand
Silly man don't you understand
They're killing roach, they're killing flea
What you think they goin' do to me
I'm going to walk right out that door
I can't take the sting no more
Don't you know we got to go:
It's paint up, clean up time!
Lord Creator's song "Paint Up Clean Up Time" is an upbeat and cheerful tune that encourages everyone to participate in a collective effort to clean up and beautify their towns and cities in Jamaica. The song's opening lines, "If you hear the talk that's going around, we're going to clean up every town," serves as a call to action for all Jamaicans to take pride in their communities and join hands to make their surroundings beautiful. The first verse of the song mentions two prominent Jamaican cities, Kingston and Montego Bay, and urges the people to make the whole island a beautiful paradise.
In the second verse of the song, Lord Creator narrates his personal experience. He recounts how he had been feeling sad for a long time because his neighbor's yard had been unkempt for six months. One day, he saw that his neighbor's house was looking beautiful, so he decided to contribute by painting his own house. He urges his wife to join him, and as they paint and clean their house, he gives her a word of encouragement that it's "paint up, clean up time."
The last verse of the song is rather humorous, as Lord Creator draws attention to the need for individuals to keep their surroundings clean, even if it means getting rid of pests like cockroaches and fleas. He humorously says, "Believe me friend I nearly dead/Do my stalking under meh bed/Goin' have a suitcase in his hand/Silly man don't you understand/They're killing roach, they're killing flea/What you think they goin' do to me." The chorus repeats the same lyrics to remind listeners to play their part in cleaning up their surroundings.
In summary, "Paint Up Clean Up Time" is a lyrical masterpiece that taps into the communal spirit of Jamaicans to take pride in their environment and make their surroundings beautiful. It is a timeless classic that reminds people of their responsibility to keep their neighborhood clean and beautiful.
Line by Line Meaning
If you hear the talk that's going around
There's a buzz going around that we need to clean up all the towns.
We're going to clean up every town
We are determined to clean up every town and city.
From Kingston to Montego Bay
We will take this effort from one end of the island to the other.
Beautify this island in every way
We want to make every inch of this island look beautiful.
What a good thing it would be
It would be a great accomplishment to succeed in our mission.
What a lovely sight to see
It would be amazing to see the island all clean and pretty.
Everybody lend a hand
We urge everyone to contribute and help us make the island look fantastic.
We want this island looking grand
We have a strong desire to make the island look magnificent and impressive.
Get your house in line, keep it looking fine
It's a call to action for people to clean up their own homes and maintain them in good condition.
It's paint up, clean up time!
We're announcing to everyone that it's time to start painting and cleaning up.
My neighbor never clean her yard
My neighbor's yard is usually dirty and unkempt.
For six full months I was feeling sad
I was unhappy and distressed about my neighbor's dirty yard for six months.
But I noticed the other day
But one day, I saw something different.
Her house was looking bright and gay
Her house was looking lively and colorful.
Then I wondered to myself
I started thinking to myself.
I took meh paint from off the shelf
Then I decided to get my paint cans from the shelf.
In short pants I'm bending low
I'm wearing shorts and bending over to get to work.
I tell meh wife to help also
I asked my wife to help me too.
She start to complain, I had to explain
She started complaining, and I had to explain to her our civic duty of cleaning up the island.
Get your paintbrush, get your broom
We need to collect our paintbrushes and brooms to start the cleaning effort.
Give a new look to every room
We should try to give every room in our homes a new look by cleaning and painting.
In every shop and every store
Even shops and stores are beginning to clean and paint.
They're painting up as never before
They are putting in more effort than ever before to clean and paint their shops and stores.
Don't you think that me and you
Wouldn't you agree that you and I can also contribute to this cause?
Can also do the same thing too
We are capable of doing the same, and we should join in the cleaning effort.
Every house should look so nice
It would be wonderful if all the houses on this island look beautiful.
In this island paradise
This island is our paradise, and we should take care of it by cleaning and painting.
Play your part, now's the time to start
We all have a role to play in this effort, and now is the time to commence.
Believe me friend I nearly dead
I almost died from the insects in my house.
Do my stalking under meh bed
I had to hunt for pests like roaches under my bed.
Goin' have a suitcase in his hand
If I keep seeing pests, I'm going to pack my bags and move.
Silly man don't you understand
You are foolish if you don't realize the importance of cleaning and painting.
They're killing roach, they're killing flea
They are killing pests like roaches and fleas.
What you think they goin' do to me
I could be next on their list of pests to be killed.
I'm going to walk right out that door
I'll leave this place if I can't get rid of the pests that are bothering me.
I can't take the sting no more
I can't bear to live in a house with pests anymore.
Don't you know we got to go
We need to take action to clean and paint our homes and the entire island.
It's paint up, clean up time!
We're reminding everyone that it's time to start painting and cleaning up.
Writer(s): Kenrick Patrick
Contributed by Kaelyn K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Sanja
This tune has everything!
ketaminemeltdown
Top stuff :)