Of Jamaican descent, and the second youngest of nine children, he was born in Lewisham, London. He is known as the 'King of Lovers Rock'. His music is sometimes closer to R&B, and pop, than to reggae music itself. His first major album was the self-titled Maxi Priest (1988) along with his cover of Cat Stevens' Wild World established him as one of the British reggae top singers this internationally acclaimed vocalist, is the only UK reggae act to score an American Billboard Number One. That was with a track entitled "Close To You", which was released in 1990.
In addition, a duet with Roberta Flack - "Set The Night To Music", also reached the U.S. Top Ten in 1991. In the latter half of his lengthy recording career, he has favoured working alongside other established, or up and coming, artistes. For example, Maxi Priest has worked with Sly & Robbie, Shaggy, Beres Hammond, Jazzie B, Apache Indian, Roberta Flack and Shabba Ranks.
Golden Teardrops
Maxi Priest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was home just the other day
When someone told me
That you're still with the man
That you left long time ago
Oh, I'm not tryin' to play in your love affair
But you mean so much to me
It all comes back to me
Oh, my little sister
I can be your shoulder to cry on
But you're a big girl now
And you can't waste your life away, ooh
Golden teardrops, chasing rainbows
Will help you to ease your mind
But you've got to let go sometime
Golden teardrops, chasing rainbows
Will help you to ease your mind
But you've got to let go sometime
Oh, my little sister
I'm not tryin' to tell you what to do
But the wounds that I thought
Would have healed by now
Are still tearing you apart
I can dry your eyes
But I won't tell you lies
But you got to be strong
Need to take control of your life
Golden teardrops, chasing rainbows
Will help you to ease your mind
But you've got to let go sometime
Golden teardrops, chasing rainbows
Will help you to ease your mind
But you've got to let go sometime
Sometime, sometime, ooh yeah
Chasing rainbows, chasing rainbows
Oh, my little sister
I can dry your eyes
But I won't tell you lies
But you got to be strong
Need to take control of your life
Golden teardrops, chasing rainbows
Will help you to ease your mind
But you've got to let go sometime
Golden teardrops, chasing rainbows
Will help you to ease your mind
But you've got to let go sometime
Golden teardrops, chasing rainbows
Will help you to ease your mind
But you've got to let go sometime
Golden teardrops, chasing rainbows
Will help you to ease your mind
But you've got to let go sometime
In Maxi Priest's song Golden Teardrops, the singer tries to console his little sister who is stuck in a love affair with a man who left her long ago. The singer finds out about his sister's situation when someone tells him about it, and he sympathizes with her. He recognizes that his sister means so much to him, and he can't bear to see her go through emotional pain, which is evident in the golden teardrops in her eyes. He assures his sister that he can be her "shoulder to cry on," but she is now a big girl who can't waste her life away.
The chorus of the song revolves around "golden teardrops, chasing rainbows," which illustrates the concept of moving on through healing, accepting the situation, and letting go. The singer advises his sister to hold on to her strength, take control of her life, and not let her emotional turmoil consume her. Maxi Priest's song serves as a reminder to listeners that sometimes, it is necessary to let go of the past, no matter how difficult it may seem, and move on to brighter days.
Line by Line Meaning
You just don't understand
I know you're going through a tough time but I feel like you're not seeing things objectively.
I was home just the other day
I had recently been in my hometown.
When someone told me
This conversation I'm about to relay to you didn't happen firsthand.
That you're still with the man
I heard from someone that you're still together with your ex.
That you left long time ago
I remember when you broke up with him and it seems like ages ago.
Oh, I'm not tryin' to play in your love affair
I'm not meddling or trying to interfere with your relationship.
But you mean so much to me
I care about you deeply.
When I see those teardrops in your eyes
I can sense that you're struggling to deal with something painful.
It all comes back to me
It reminds me of the time when I saw you cry because of the same reason.
Oh, my little sister
This term of endearment is how I feel about my connection with you.
I can be your shoulder to cry on
I'm here to support you when you need someone to lean on.
But you're a big girl now
You've grown up and I don't want to infantilize you.
And you can't waste your life away, ooh
I don't think it's wise for you to dwell on this pain and let it consume your life.
Golden teardrops, chasing rainbows
The idea of a fleeting, unattainable thing (gold and rainbows) is a metaphor for how holding onto pain is a fruitless endeavor.
Will help you to ease your mind
Focusing on something else will distract you from your problems.
But you've got to let go sometime
At some point you need to move on and let go of what's hurting you.
I'm not tryin' to tell you what to do
I'm not the authority on what you should do, but I'm offering my perspective.
But the wounds that I thought
I hoped the scars from the past wouldn't still be affecting you.
Would have healed by now
I expected you to be over this by now.
Are still tearing you apart
It's clear that you're still deeply hurt by what happened.
I can dry your eyes
I can be here for you when you need to cry.
But I won't tell you lies
I'll be honest with you, even if it means having a difficult conversation.
But you got to be strong
I'm encouraging you to build up your own inner strength so that you can move past this.
Need to take control of your life
Taking ownership of your own life is a powerful step toward letting go of the past.
Sometime, sometime, ooh yeah
At some point in the future, you'll be able to look back on this and feel better.
Chasing rainbows, chasing rainbows
Again, the idea of chasing something unattainable is a metaphor for letting go of what's causing you pain.
Oh, my little sister
This endearment indicates that the singer has a strong bond with their friend.
Golden teardrops, chasing rainbows
The metaphor is repeated to stress the importance of turning away from pain.
Will help you to ease your mind
Distracting yourself with something else will bring peace of mind.
But you've got to let go sometime
Holding onto pain will only lead to continued suffering. You need to give it up at some point.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: EVEY D, MAXI PRIEST, ROSS ANDERSON, SIMON LAW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind