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.
Words Of Wisdom
Max Romeo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't want to let
Don't want to let
Don't want to let
Well, I don't want to let you go, girl
Out of my life
I want you to wear my ring, girl
Darling I love you
Oh so badly my baby
I want you beside me
Coz I love you, yes, I love you
Only you
Well, I don't want to let you go, girl
Out of my life
I want you to wear my ring, girl
And be my wife, and be my wife
Darling I love you
Oh so badly my baby
I want you beside me
Coz I love you, oh yes, I love you
Only you
Well, I don't want to let you go, girl
Out of my life
I want you to wear my ring, girl
And be my wife, and be my wife, and be my wife
The song "I Don't Want To Let You Go" by Max Romeo is a declaration of love, a plea to a woman not to leave his life, and to be his wife. The repeated refrain, "Don't want to let" emphasizes the urgency with which the singer is pleading for his love to stay. The lyrics communicate the deep love he has for the woman, and how much he wants to be with her forever. He wants her to wear his ring, and become his wife, which suggests a long-term commitment.
The song has a simple, repetitive structure that echoes the urgency and passion of his plea. The repetition of the phrase "I don't want to let you go, girl" creates a sense of desperation and a desire to hold on to his love. The lyrics convey a sense of vulnerability, with the singer admitting that he needs nothing else but her love, and that he can't imagine his life without her. The song's melody is simple and soulful, with a classic reggae rhythm, creating a perfect match with the lyrics.
Interestingly, the song's simplicity has made it a timeless classic, and it has been covered numerous times by other artists. It has also been used in several movies and TV shows, making it an iconic classic worldwide. The song was written by Max Romeo, who is a Jamaican reggae artist known for his distinctive style, and this song is considered one of his best works. It is a genuinely sentimental song, full of heartfelt emotion, and its enduring popularity is a testament to its timeless appeal.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't want to let
The singer strongly desires to not let go of his loved one
Well, I don't want to let you go, girl
The singer is addressing his loved one directly and expressing his reluctance to let her leave
Out of my life
The singer does not want his loved one to leave his life
I want you to wear my ring, girl
The singer wants to propose to his loved one by giving her a ring as a symbol of his commitment to her
And be my wife, and be my wife
The singer wants his loved one to marry him and become his wife
Darling I love you
The singer is expressing his deep affection and love for his loved one
Oh so badly my baby
The singer feels a strong desire and longing to be with his loved one
Coz I love you, yes, I love you
The singer reiterates his feelings of love towards his loved one
Only you
The singer wants his loved one to know that she is the only one he loves and desires
And be my wife, and be my wife
The singer repeats his desire for his loved one to marry him and become his wife
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: LARADO KOLZEN ROMO, COREY WADE HENDERSON, NEVADA ROMO, ZAIN SMITH, DUSTIN ANTHONY PROVENZANO, BOB MARLETTE, Zain Glynn Smith, Nevada Tonito Romo
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Words Of Wisdom
Max Romeo
A good name is rather to be chosen
Than great riches
And loving favour
Rather than silver and gold
The rich and the poor meet togather
JAH is the maker of them all
A prudent man forseeth the evil
And hideth himself
But the simple pass on
And are punished
Rob not the poor
Because he is poor
Neither oppress the afflicted in the gate
For JAH will plead their cause
And spoil the soul of those that spoiled them
Make no friendship with an angry man
And with a furious man thou shalt not go
Lest thou learn his ways
And get a snare to thy soul.
Be not thou one of them that strike hands
Or of them that are sureties for debts
If thou hast nothing to pay
Why should he take away thy bed from under thee?
Rob not the poor
Because he is poor
Neither oppress the afflicted in the gate
For JAH will plead their cause
And spoil the soul of those that spoiled them
He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity
And the rod of his anger shall fail.
He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed
For he giveth of his bread to the poor.
Cast out the scorner
And contention shall go out
Yeah! Strife and reproach shall cease
Mihran Abrahamian
"Words of Wisdom" is the title on the Trojan "Pray For Me" comp.
Tip Top Sound
Thanks!
DJ TWINNY - MANCHESTER, UK.
Good Name and Drums Version on the other side I have this Record.