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.
Problems
Maxi Priest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's problems with this love affair
Problems and I can't get nowhere
So woman you know if it was down to me yeah
We would be together if it was down to me
But the true circumstance is I am with another
But she don't seem to understand why
[Chorus]
Though folks may say certain things certain ways
I know my heart will always stay
Forever by your side, our love will never hide
Our love will never hide
Painful heart and now I'm grievin'
With lots of lovin' deep within, alright
And now you feel what I am feelin'
Tell me how it's gonna end, alright
So woman you know most times I wish that I
Could be forever by your side and ever incomin' tide, oh
I know I'm glad you came, oh baby
True love is not a game, oh honey
But you and I shouldn't have to live apart
Though honey, I just don't know for sure
[Chorus]
Painful heart and now I'm grievin'
With lots of lovin' deep within, alright
And now you feel what I am feelin'
Tell me how it's gonna end, alright
Problems with this love affair
Problems and I can't get nowhere
Problems with this love affair
Problems, I still can't go nowhere hey hey yeah
If you have a problem with your love affair
If you have a problem with your love affair
If you have a problem with your love affair
The lyrics of Maxi Priest's song "Problems" paint a picture of a complicated love triangle. The singer seems to be torn between two women, one of whom he is currently with and the other with whom he has a history. He admits that he still has feelings for the second woman and wishes he could be with her, but circumstances prevent them from being together. He expresses the pain he feels in his heart and his confusion about how to proceed. The chorus reaffirms his commitment to the second woman, promising that their love will never hide, despite what others may say or do to try to keep them apart.
The song captures the intense emotions that come with love and heartbreak, and the difficulty of navigating complex relationships. It speaks to the universal experience of loving someone who may not always be right for us, and the struggle to let go of that relationship and move on. This is a theme that resonates across cultures and generations, making "Problems" a timeless classic.
Line by Line Meaning
If you have a problem with your love affair huh
There are issues with this romantic relationship
There's problems with this love affair
This love affair has issues that need to be addressed
Problems and I can't get nowhere
These problems are preventing any progress in the relationship
So woman you know if it was down to me yeah
If it was solely up to me, we would be together
We would be together if it was down to me
I want to be in a relationship with you
But the true circumstance is I am with another
The reality is that I am already in a relationship
But she don't seem to understand why
My current partner doesn't understand why I keep thinking about you
My mind just keeps on drifting back to you girl
I can't help but think about you all the time
[Chorus]
Repeating the chorus - my love for you is true and will never hide
Painful heart and now I'm grievin'
I am heartbroken and grieving over this situation
With lots of lovin' deep within, alright
Despite the pain, I still have a lot of love for you
And now you feel what I am feelin'
I hope you now understand how much I care for you
Tell me how it's gonna end, alright
What will happen with us in the end?
So woman you know most times I wish that I
Most of the time, I wish I could be with you forever
Could be forever by your side and ever incomin' tide, oh
I want to be with you through all of life's ups and downs
I know I'm glad you came, oh baby
I am happy that you came into my life
True love is not a game, oh honey
Our love is not a game, it's real and true
But you and I shouldn't have to live apart
We shouldn't have to be separated from each other
Though honey, I just don't know for sure
I am unsure about what the future holds for us
[Chorus]
Repeating the chorus - our love will never be hidden
Problems with this love affair
There are still problems with this romantic relationship
Problems and I can't get nowhere
These problems are still preventing any progress in the relationship
Problems with this love affair
The issues with this love affair persist
Problems, I still can't go nowhere hey hey yeah
These problems are still holding me back from moving forward
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MAX ELLIOTT, PAUL ROBINSON, MAX ALFRED AKA PRIEST MA ELLIOTT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind