He left home at the age of 14 and worked on a sugar plantation outside Clarendon, cleaning out irrigation ditches, before winning a local talent competition when he was 18; prompting a move to the capital, Kingston, in order to achieve a successful musical career.
In 1965 he joined up with Kenneth Knight and Lloyd Shakespeare in The Emotions, whilst also working as a record plugger for Ken Lack's Caltone label. The group were unsuccessful in auditions for other producers, but Lack offered them an audition after overhearing Smith singing to himself as he worked one day. In 1966, the group had their first hit, with the Lack-produced, "Buy You a Rainbow". The Emotions went on to have several hit singles and by 1968, the singer, by this point known as Max Romeo, felt confident enough to launch a solo career. Working with producer Bunny Lee, the young star recorded a number of pop songs, mainly love ballads, but they failed to be popular and so he returned to The Emotions, now recording for Phil Pratt. During this time he began work as a sales representative for Bunny Lee and did some recording with The Hippy Boys, which would later became The Upsetters.
Later on in 1968, Romeo wrote new lyrics for the rhythm track of Derrick Morgan's "Hold You Jack" and handed them over to Lee. Morgan, who was due to add his vocals to the track, ultimately gave it a miss, as did several other vocalists (including John Holt and Slim Smith), leading the producer to turn to Romeo to sing the lyrics he had written. The result, "Wet Dream", was an instant hit in Jamaica, although in the UK it was met with a BBC Radio ban, despite Romeo's somewhat-disingenuous claim that the song was actually about a roof that has a leak. Still, the ban only made it more popular and the single charted in the Top Ten, in the UK Singles Chart, spending almost six months therein, before featuring on his LP, A Dream, which included several follow-up singles in a similar vein, such as "Mini Skirt Version", "Fish in the Pot", "Belly Woman", and "Wine Her Goosie". A UK tour also met with Romeo being banned from performing at several venues, although many allowed him to play, the singer staying in the UK for eighteen months.
In 1970, Romeo returned to Jamaica and set-up Romax, an unsuccessful record label and sound system. Following which, he recorded several singles, mainly with old producer Bunny Lee, before going on to work a host of other producers including Niney Holness. This was followed by a period of which saw the release of a series of politically charged singles, most advocating the democratic socialist People's National Party (PNP), which chose his song, "Let The Power Fall On I", as their campaign theme for the 1972 Jamaican general election. Romeo joined the PNP Musical Bandwagon, travelling around Jamaica, playing on the back of a truck. After this, Romeo recorded a number of religious songs, until he worked with producer Lee "Scratch" Perry, producing the classic singles "Three Blind Mice" (an adaptation of the nursery rhyme with lyrics about a police raid on a party), "Sipple Out Deh", and "Chase the Devil". A remixed version of "Sipple Out Deh", entitled "War Ina Babylon", was another popular track in the UK, the first fruits of his deal with Island Records, and was followed by an album of the same name, and a follow-up single "One Step Forward". Shortly after this the pair fell out, leaving Romeo to self-produce his follow-up album, Reconstruction, which could not match the success of its predecessor. Perry's animosity towards Romeo was demonstrated by his single "White Belly Rat", with Perry also writing the word 'Judas' over a photograph of Romeo on the wall of his Black Ark studio.
He moved to New York City in 1978, where he co-wrote (with Hair producer Michael Butler) the musical, Reggae, which he also starred in. In 1980 he appeared as a backing vocalist on "Dance" on The Rolling Stones album Emotional Rescue. In 1981, the favour was returned when Keith Richards (of The Rolling Stones) co-produced and played on Romeo's album, Holding Out My Love to You. The rest of his output during the decade went practically unnoticed, with Romeo finding work at a New York electronics store. He returned to Jamaica in 1990, and began touring and recording more regularly.
He visited the UK again in 1992, recording the albums Far I Captain of My Ship and Our Rights with Jah Shaka. In 1995 he recorded Cross of the Gun with Tappa Zukie, and he joined up with UK rhythm section/production team Mafia & Fluxy in 1999 for the album Selassie I Forever.
His music has been sampled by other artists; The Prodigy sampled his track "Chase the Devil" for their 1992 UK Top Ten hit "Out of Space". Kanye West has also used samples from it to produce Jay-Z's hit song "Lucifer", which appeared on Jay-Z's 2003 release - The Black Album.
"Chase the Devil" is featured on the reggae radio station K-JAH Radio West in a popular videogame Grand Theft Auto San Andreas, released in October 2004. Romeo's single "Sipple Out Deh" appeared in John Peel's Record Box.
- Albums:
A Dream (1970) Trojan
Let The Power Fall (1972) Dynamic
Revelation Time (1975) Black World
War Ina Babylon (1976) Island
Reconstruction (1979) Island
I Love My Music (1979) Wackies
Rondos (1980) King Kong
Holding Out My Love to You (1981) Shanachie
Transition (1989) Rohit
Fari - Captain of My Ship (1992) Jah Shaka
Our Rights (1992) Jah Shaka
Cross or the Gun (1995) Tappa Zukie
Selassie I Forever (1999) Mafia & Fluxy
Love Message (1999) Warriors
Something is Wrong (1999) Warriors
In This Time (2001) 3D (Max Romeo & Tribu Acustica)
Pocomania Songs (2007) Ariwa Sounds
- Compilations:
Max Romeo Meets Owen Gray At King Tubby's Studio (1984) Culture Press (with Owen Gray)
Max Romeo and the Upsetters (1989)
Wet Dream (1993) Crocodisc
McCabee Version (1995) Sonic Sounds
Open The Iron Gate (1999) Blood & Fire
The Many Moods of Max Romeo (1999) Jamaican Gold
Pray For Me: The Best of Max Romeo 1967-73 (2000) Trojan Records
Perilous Times (2000) Charmax
On The Beach (2001) Culture Press
The Coming of Jah (2002) Trojan
Ultimate Collection (2003) (compiled by David Katz)
Holy Zion (2003) Burning Bush
Wet Dream: The Best of Max Romeo (2004) Trojan
Crazy World of Dub (2005) Jamaican Recordings
One of Jamaica's most provocative lyricists, a singer who gave us such enduring songs as 'Chase The Devil' (which was sampled in the song 'Out of Space' by The Prodigy and the song 'Lucifer' by Jay-Z), 'Public Enemy Number One', 'One Step Forward' and 'Three Blind Mice'. It was Romeo who first introduced Britain to the concept of rude reggae with 'Wet Dream', which, despite a total radio ban, reached number 10 in the UK charts in May 1969.
In 1972 Romeo began working with producer Lee "Scratch" Perry. 'Babylon Burning', 'Three Blind Mice' and 'The Coming Of Jah' all maintained his star status in Jamaica between 1972 and 1975. Revelation Time was one of the best albums of 1975, and 1976's War Ina Babylon was hailed by the rock press as an all-time classic reggae album. Two outstanding contributions that will remain classic recordings from the so-called ‘golden age’ of Jamaican reggae music.
Two Faced People
Max Romeo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just like you were my brother
I could never ever believe
You were just a back-stabber
You wish me luck in front of my face
And evil when my back is turned
It's a part of your mind
You will pay for your crime
Two faced people
How wicked you are
Two faced people
You'll never get far
You led me to think you're my friend
When you were my enemy
You take my kindness for weakness
My weakness for granted
You wish me good in front of my face
And bad when my back is turned
But I'll pay you no mind
I just left you to time
You will pay for your crimes
Two faced people
How wicked you are
Two faced people
You'll never get far
Two faced people
How wicked you are
Two faced people
You'll never get far
You led me to think you're my friend
When you were my enemy
You take my kindness for weakness
My weakness for granted
You wish me good in front of my face
And bad when my back is turned
But I left you to time
I'll pay you no mind
You will pay for your crimes
Two faced people
How wicked you are
Two faced people
You'll never get far
Max Romeo's song "Two Faced People" is a powerful commentary on the dangers of trusting those who have malicious intentions. In the opening lines, Romeo describes how he initially thought the person who betrayed him was a close friend, even referring to him as a brother. However, he quickly realizes that this person is not to be trusted, and that he is nothing more than a backstabber. The chorus repeats the phrase "Two faced people, how wicked you are," emphasizing the idea that those who pretend to be friends but secretly plot against you are truly evil.
Romeo's frustration with these two-faced people comes through in the lyrics. He describes how they "wish me luck in front of my face, and evil when my back is turned." This is particularly dangerous because it makes it difficult to protect oneself from their schemes. However, Romeo doesn't let these people get the best of him. He says that he will "pay you no mind" and leave them to their own devices, knowing that they will ultimately pay for their crimes.
Overall, "Two Faced People" is a powerful warning about the dangers of trusting those who pretend to be friends. Romeo emphasizes that these people are truly evil, and that they will never get far in life because their wickedness will eventually catch up to them.
Line by Line Meaning
You sat at my table and eat
You seemed like a close person to me enough to break bread together.
Just like you were my brother
You were accepted in my home, surrounded by trust and familiarity.
I could never ever believe
I found myself in disbelief about what I later found out about you.
You were just a back-stabber
It was apparently your nature to pretend to be close, then betray with ease.
You wish me luck in front of my face
To deceive me, you present the illusion of good intentions toward me.
And evil when my back is turned
But you're empty inside and negative; when I'm not around, you act on that nature.
It's a part of your mind
Your nature to be two-faced is an instinct to you now.
So I left you to time
I chose to cut you off and wait for circumstances to turn against you.
You will pay for your crime
I believe that karma will punish you for betraying my trust and disregarding my honesty.
Two faced people
Individuals pretending to be one thing, only to reveal their real personality traits.
How wicked you are
You are immoral and malicious because of your conspiratorial nature.
Two faced people
Individuals who possess dishonest and deceitful ways of interacting with others.
You'll never get far
Ultimately, I know that you'll be caught and punished for your treachery.
You led me to think you're my friend
You pretended to care for me, but it was all an act.
When you were my enemy
In truth, you were working against me and always had been.
You take my kindness for weakness
You saw my openness and decency as an opportunity to take advantage of me.
My weakness for granted
You assumed that you would never be discovered and could keep fooling me forever.
But I'll pay you no mind
I refuse to acknowledge that you even exist anymore, as you're not worth my attention.
I just left you to time
I cut you out of my life in hopes that time will heal the wound your betrayal inflicted.
You will pay for your crimes
I believe in the laws of karma and know that you will receive punishment for your wrongdoing.
Two faced people
People who can't be trusted to be truthful and transparent.
How wicked you are
You are cruel and conniving, with a twisted nature that delights in the misfortune of others.
Two faced people
Individuals who are adept at deception and who are often able to get away with their various schemes and lies.
You'll never get far
Despite your attempts to succeed by deceit, your eventual downfall is inevitable.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lawrence Njawe
Honest Truth....That's mankind for you. Thank you, Max Romeo.👍
fast eddie
Yes sir..said just right
Mr'f
💯🔥🔥☝🏽
AlphaSuperior
True , so true.