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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)
You Stand Alone
Lucky Dube Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You've got a nose as long as a telephone wire
I swear to tell the truth
Nothing but the truth
So help me god
I cross my heart and hope to die
These are the words we use
To get out of situations
We don' t mean what we say
Then I remembered the terrible truth
About the truth
[Chorus:]
If you stand for the truth
You will always stand alone
The holy book tells us
The truth will set us free
But in this world I know different
Do you believe in the truth
Do you believe in righteousness
Do you believe in innocent
Till proven guilty
'Cause those that tell the truth
Are always on the run...Oh God
Then I wonder why
We don' t mean what we say
Then I remembered the terrible truth
About the truth
[Chorus]
In "You Stand Alone" by Lucky Dube, the artist explores the concept of honesty and the societal pressures that inhibit people from telling the truth. The first verse highlights the idea of lying and how people often make false promises to escape difficult situations. Dube acknowledges that people rarely mean what they say and that there is a lot of dishonesty prevalent in society. This leads the singer to question the notion of truth and its relationship with society.
In the chorus, it is established that standing up for the truth is a lonely venture. The singer suggests that people who speak the truth often find themselves isolated and disconnected from the rest of society. The song suggests that truth-tellers aren't always appreciated and are ostracized for defying societal norms.
The second verse speaks of the contradictions of truth in society. The holy book preaches that truth will set one free, but the events that occur in society prove otherwise. The singer challenges the listener to consider if they believe in the truth, righteousness, and the idea of innocence until proven guilty. Once again, the listener is reminded that those who speak the truth are always on the run in society.
Line by Line Meaning
Liar, liar, your pants are on fire
You're a liar and everyone knows it
You've got a nose as long as a telephone wire
You're a big liar and people can easily tell
I swear to tell the truth
I promise to be truthful
Nothing but the truth
Only the truth and nothing else
So help me god
I'm appealing to God to assist me in keeping my promise
I cross my heart and hope to die
I promise sincerely and swear to never go back on my word
These are the words we use
We say these things to be believed and trusted
To get out of situations
In order to escape punishment or consequences
Then I wonder why
I question why we do this
We don' t mean what we say
We aren't sincere when we say these things
Then I remembered the terrible truth
I realize the harsh reality
About the truth
About the idea of being honest
If you stand for the truth
If you support honesty
You will always stand alone
You will often be the only one who does
The holy book tells us
Religious scripture instructs us
The truth will set us free
Being truthful will liberate us
But in this world I know different
But in reality, things are not that simple
Do you believe in the truth
Do you have faith in honesty
Do you believe in righteousness
Do you have faith in the idea of acting justly
Do you believe in innocent
Do you have faith in the idea of being guiltless
Till proven guilty
Until it's been established that someone is guilty
'Cause those that tell the truth
Because those who are honest
Are always on the run...Oh God
Are often in danger and faced with opposition
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DUBE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kwajlove3294
Martin Luther King once said, I have a Dream.
Bob Marley said, everything is gonna be alright.
Tupac said, I'm not running from the Law, I'm here. I'm still here. I ain't go no wea.
Obama said, let us be UNITED again.
But THINGS haven't change yet.
@nanasedit5449
Who is still listening to this song in 2019?...i love it
I’m here 2021 , it’s two years ago I wrote this comment. Thank you God
@lmmaculatealualu5630
Ohemaa Nancy pamoja
@neemabugingoin2063
You still alive Lucky
@segewaben224
We don't mean what we say Nancy
@janetvanessa2755
we all love it
@nanasedit5449
@@segewaben224 ooh why?
@linalitv1695
I'm ready to stand alone God help me😭😭😭😭
@cityofglorychurchinternati4635
Lina Li "That courage"😊
@ritaojobolo3874
Lina Lie me too
@josuelucemamaialucena5341
Eu sou a brasileira mais apaixonada do mundo por luk dube sou até criticada to nem ai amo daria minha vida pra q ele podesse nannser novamente