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Lucky Dube (born August 3, 1964, died October 18, 2007) was a reggae musician from Johannesburg, South Africa. He was named Lucky because when he was born in poor health, and the doctors thought he would die. But he survived, so was named Lucky. In his youth, Lucky lived with many different family members, singing in bars and in church. He eventually formed a band with some friends, but they could not afford to purchase instruments. Eventually, Lucky wrote a play which he and his bandmates performed, earning enough money to buy a guitar. Their band was then called Skyway, and they played in the mbaqanga style.
Two years after Skyway's formation, Lucky joined Richard Siluma's Love Brothers. He stayed with them for several years, before switching to reggae in the early 1980s. His first major success in that field came at the influential Sunsplash festival in Jamaica.
Lucky's "Together as One" was the first song by a black artist to be played on a white radio station in South Africa. His two most popular albums, Prisoner and Slave, are among the most renowned and best-selling in South Africa's history. One of Lucky's favourite singers was the late Peter Tosh.
On the 18th of October 2007, Lucky was shot dead in an attempted car jacking in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Discography
Rastas Never Dies
Think About The Children
(The Above Two available on 2on1 - Lucky Dube Rastas Never Dies/Think About The Children (2000))
Slave (1989)
Prisoner (1990)
Together as one (1992)
House of exile (1992)
Captured Live (1993)
Victims (1993)
Trinity (1995)
Serious reggae business (1996)
Taxman (1997)
The Way It Is (1999)
The Rough Guide To Lucky Dube (2001)
Soul Taker (2001)
The other side (2005)
Respect (2006)
Let the Band Play On
Lucky Dube Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You can hardly see it on his face
Because of the smile
People coming in from miles away
To hear him sing and see him play
So he can' t disappoint them now
The room is full of smoke
But he can see them dancing
It doesn' t bother him at all 'Cause he knows it' s only tears of joy
[Chorus:]
Let the band play on
There' s a girl sitting by the corner there
And she looks at him with her big brown eyes
He smiles back and carries on playing
It doesn' t bother him at all
Somehow, it gives him some comfort
Police came in halfway through the night
With the good news
Neighbors are complaining
'Cause the music is so low low low low
So turn it up, now
[Chorus:]
Let the band play on
The lyrics of Lucky Dube's song, Let the Band Play On, describe a musician who is going through a tough time but is still able to put on a great show for the people who have come to listen to him play. Despite the challenges he is facing, he keeps a smile on his face and is able to bring joy to his audience through his music. The smoke-filled room and the tears of joy from the crowd show how deeply his music has affected them.
The musician's performance is disrupted by the police who come in halfway through the night with news of complaints from the neighbors about the loud music. However, the musician refuses to let this dampen his spirit and instead turns the music up, urging the band to keep playing. The girl sitting by the corner watching him is moved by his performance and shows her admiration with her big brown eyes.
The song is a testament to the power of music to uplift people's spirits and bring joy even in tough times. It also highlights the struggles that musicians go through to keep their audience entertained and their love for their craft.
Line by Line Meaning
Even though his times are hard
Despite facing difficult times
You can hardly see it on his face
He hides his struggles well
Because of the smile
He still smiles despite his hardships
People coming in from miles away
Fans from far distances come to see him perform
To hear him sing and see him play
They come to enjoy his music and performance
So he can't disappoint them now
He feels the pressure to give his best for his audience
The room is full of smoke
The atmosphere is filled with smoke
But he can see them dancing
He observes the crowd enjoying themselves through the smoke
And he can see them crying
He notices that some are crying in joy
It doesn't bother him at all 'Cause he knows it's only tears of joy
He is not concerned about the tears because he understands it's from happiness
Let the band play on
He and his band should continue playing for their fans
There's a girl sitting by the corner there
A girl is sitting in the corner of the room
And she looks at him with her big brown eyes
She gazes at him with colorfully big eyes
He smiles back and carries on playing
He returns the smile and continues to play his music
It doesn't bother him at all
He is comfortable with the girl's attention
Somehow, it gives him some comfort
The girl's attention comforts him in some way
Police came in halfway through the night
Police officers arrived in the middle of the performance
With the good news
They bring a positive update
Neighbors are complaining
People who live nearby are expressing their unhappiness
'Cause the music is so low low low low
The music volume is too low for their liking
So turn it up, now
They demand for the music to be louder
Let the band play on
Despite the interruption, the band should continue to play their music
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DUBE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tyron
on Different Colours (Live)
2024 approves
Sr Kajota
on Peanut Butter (live)
I love that Song. It comes from the gospel group The Thrutless called "peanut butter and jelly" its kind of adpatation, but its amazing the way how Lucky dube could do this.