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.
Gravity
Maxi Priest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And gravity wants to bring me down
Oh, I'll never know what makes a man
with all the love that his heart can stand
Dream of ways to throw it all away Yeah Gravity is working against me
And gravity wants to bring me down
Oh, twice as much ain't twice as good
And can't sustain like one half could
Gravity Ahh stay the hell away from me
Oh, twice as much ain't twice as good
And can't sustain like one half could
It's wanting more it's gonna bring it to my knees
Gravity is working against me
And gravity wants to bring me down
Oh, I'll never know what makes a man
with all the love that his heart can stand Yeah Dream of ways to throw it all away
Gravity is working against me
And gravity wants to bring me down
Oh, twice as much ain't twice as good
And can't sustain like one half could
It's wanting more it's gonna bring it to my knees
Gravity won't you stay the hell away from me
Gravity has taken better man than me oh How could it be
Tell me how could it be oh keep me where the light is come on,
keep me where the light is
keep me where the light is
Won't you keep me where the light is
keep me where the light is
I wanna be where the light is
I wanna be where the light is
keep me where the light is
keep me where the light is
I wanna be where the light is
Gravity won't you stay the hell away from me
The song "Gravity" by Maxi Priest talks about the struggle of the singer against the forces of gravity, both physical and emotional. He feels like gravity is constantly pulling him down and wants to bring him down to his knees. The song speaks about the internal demons that a man faces and his inability to resist the temptation of wanting more. The lyrics suggest that despite all the love that one can have in their heart, they can still dream of ways to throw it all away.
The theme of the song revolves around the idea of excess and the consequences it can have on one's life. The lines "twice as much ain't twice as good" and "it's wanting more it's gonna bring it to my knees" express the idea that it’s not always beneficial to have too much of something. The singer is aware of the dangers of wanting too much but still struggles to resist falling into the trap of indulgence. He wants to be kept away from the darkness and the heaviness of gravity and stay in the light.
Overall, "Gravity" is a song that delves into the internal struggles of an individual trying to resist their demons and not give in to temptation.
Line by Line Meaning
Gravity is working against me
The natural force of gravity is acting in opposition to my goals and desires.
And gravity wants to bring me down
Gravity is threatening to hinder my success and bring me failure.
Oh, I'll never know what makes a man
I cannot understand why a man would do certain things, especially when he has plenty of love in his life.
with all the love that his heart can stand
Despite having all the love he needs, a man still may act against his best interests.
Dream of ways to throw it all away
It is possible for a man to undermine himself by envisioning ways to lose all he has worked for.
Yeah Gravity is working against me
The natural force of gravity is acting in opposition to my goals and desires.
Oh, twice as much ain't twice as good
Having more of something does not guarantee that it is better or more beneficial.
And can't sustain like one half could
A larger amount may not have the same staying power or longevity as a smaller amount.
It's wanting more it's gonna bring it to my knees
The desire for more can be overwhelming and lead to ultimate downfall.
Gravity Ahh stay the hell away from me
The artist wants to avoid any negative forces in his life, including the force of gravity.
Gravity won't you stay the hell away from me
The singer repeats his desire for the force of gravity to stay away from him.
Gravity has taken better man than me oh How could it be
The artist acknowledges that many people, even those he deems better than himself, have been defeated by the force of gravity.
Tell me how could it be oh keep me where the light is come on,
The singer questions how such a natural force could be so destructive and asks to remain in the light, both literally and metaphorically.
keep me where the light is keep me where the light is
The singer repeats his desire to stay in the light, which can serve as a metaphor for positivity and success.
I wanna be where the light is
The singer expresses his desire to remain in a positive and successful environment.
keep me where the light is keep me where the light is
The artist again repeats his desire to remain in the light and avoid negative forces.
I wanna be where the light is
The artist reiterates his desire to remain in a positive and successful environment.
Contributed by Colin P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Dann Finley
As Smooth R&B/Reggae as it gets. Maxi was, is and will be the best ever! Thank you Maxi for making great music all the years!!!
Karl Henry
What can I say! Mr. Priest you have done it again... What a beautiful rendition... This is on repeat of course.. So great to see Maxi continuing his great contribution to reggae music.. I'm still hooked after all these years... Keep the music coming Maxi,we need your quality now more than ever.... One love💞
Angela Kirton
What a phenomenal song 🎤💙👑👌🏾
Charlotte Yaffe
love this song..... this man has done it again. heard my ex playing it while he was helping me move home I have to say I was so stressed out with the move... but when I heard this song my spirit was lifted. well done maxi.
gideon james
I love this song a lot, Maxi is at his best as always, He is still as smooth as silk, great album
Faruq Mahbub
For years I've been a maxi priest fan love his songs go strong
🌺LAVON BUNNY BRANNON🌺
BEEN LISTENING TO MAXI FOR OVER 30 YRS, JUST GREAT MUSIC, HES BETTER IN PERSON, VALENTINES DAY IN LONG BEACH, HIS DREADS ARE BEAUTIFUL! !!
Yvonne Halsall
love maxi priest what a voice
blackdog151
love this .Maxi hasnt lost his touch !
Pablio Estenio
Muito boas musicas