He catapulted to the top of the Jamaican charts in 1997 with the dancehall … Read Full Bio ↴He catapulted to the top of the Jamaican charts in 1997 with the dancehall boomshots "Heads High" and "Nike Air", his distinctive vocals fusing melodious singing with precision deejaying (rapping). Since then he has built an international fan base with hit singles like "Pull Up", "Tamale" and "Hot Gal Today" but it is on his latest CD "Constant Spring" that Mr. Vegas' spectacular sing-jay approach and cleverly crafted lyrics dazzle with the intensity of an evening in, well, Las Vegas.

Born Clifford Smith in Kingston, Jamaica, he was given the nickname Mr. Vegas by his cousin for the neon pink shorts he wore on the football field; in addition to his athletic skills Mr. Vegas also demonstrated musical talents early on. However an unfortunate dispute over the ownership of a DAT resulted in Vegas being hit in the jaw with an iron pipe; after the assault Vegas' mouth was wired shut so he was forced to create a unique method of vocalizing through his teeth. That style was first heard on "Nike Air", the song that initially positioned Vegas on the dancehall charts. Characterized by uplifting lyrics aimed (especially) at young women, he followed "Nike Air" with another affirming and very appealing tune "Heads High" which reached number one in Jamaica, hit the British Top Ten and found its way onto several urban stations across America.

Vegas' 1997 debut album "Heads High" (Greensleeves Records) further displayed his captivating vocal capabilities on songs like "Jacket", "Sweet Pineapple" and "Everywhere I Go"; it also earned him a British Mobo Award as Best Reggae artist, while establishing his fan base beyond the Jamaican dancehall.

However Vegas demonstrated even greater versatility on his 2001 sophomore release "Damn Right" (Greensleeves) which featured a stronger R&B and hip-hop flavor on the hits "Girls Time" and "She's A Ho", sensitive singing on the roots rocking "Rise" and a sensational duet with Sean Paul "Hot Gal Today".

With his move to the Los Angeles based independent label Delicious Vinyl Vegas released his third CD "Pull Up". The title track was recorded on Scatta Burrell's wildly popular Coolie Dance riddim, entered the Billboard charts and took Vegas' music into previously uncharted territory. Another single from "Pull Up" "Tamale" also did well, particularly in Europe.

Vegas has just completed his fourth and finest CD so far "Constant Spring" which presents an amalgam of styles including reggaeton productions by the red hot duo Luny/Tunes on the tracks "Johnny" and "Papito" and Latin tinged duets with Don Omar ("Pobre Diablo") and El Medico ("Penicilin"). Another scorching combination "Burnin" features soca sensation Kevin Lyttle. Vegas' long time associate Jamaica's Richard "Shams" Browne produced several tracks including "Million Dollar Baby" and "Slow Wine" while veteran dancehall hit makers Steely and Clevie's Sleepy Dog riddim scampers under Vegas' current Jamaican chart topper, the CDs title track "Constant Spring". Another Jamaican hit that is currently finding popularity throughout Europe is Vegas' self-produced, uncharacteristically contemplative "More Love", his emotive singing lamenting Jamaica's upwardly spiraling crime rate but the song's lyrics are applicable to many troubled territories throughout the world:

"I walk these Kingston streets, everyday a bare a beat/I can't get no sleep all I hear is AKs when they speak/ I walk Spanish town all I hear is people get gunned down, when I look around all I see is bodies on the ground. My shadow's afraid to even walk beside me, my shadow's afraid to even walk this city gun dawg and his friend full the morgue in Kingston city/too many guns in town."

"Crime, violence, war, it affects everyone," Vegas says, "and there is nothing in that song that doesn't relate to what is going on everywhere, especially Kingston. We want this album to be versatile so a Latino person a hip hop person, urban kids or all nationalities will listen to it."

Reflecting the ongoing changes within the music industry, Vegas and his manager Leslie Cooney of the Los Angeles based company Addict Management will be taking a very different approach regarding the release of "Constant Spring": they will not be signing to just one label. "We have found that as an independent artist Vegas can better exploit his appeal in every territory without the expectations and limitations of being signed to one label," says Ms. Cooney. "Instead, we will directly supply his fans with music worldwide and will seek licenses with different labels in their respective territories. Whether by an actual record or digital distribution, if there is a demand for Vegas it can now be met without waiting for the record label machinery to spring into action. We are taking matters in our own hands and Vegas is planning his own future."

And for Mr. Vegas the future appears to be shining even brighter than the flashing neon lights that abound in the Nevada city that is his namesake. www.mr-vegas.com

Whenever You're Lonely
Mr. Vegas Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

We been together baby for a very long time
All kinda weather, rain and the sunshine
Now we reach another mountain and everything,
All come falling, all come tumbling down
So many people try play we destiny and faith
But dem fi know sah this a love,
This a nuh time fi hate
Now we reach another level and everything,

All come falling, all come crashing.

We build a life together
We look out for each other
Like ocean on a river
We run to one another

They can't stop
Nothing can stop wi
They can't stop
Nubody can't stop wi
So many people want wi fall dem wah fi
Si wi fail
Put a bag a obstacle all along
We love way
Dem can't stop wi
Nobody cah stop wi
They can stop wi
Nothing can't stop wi now

Whenever you're lonely
And you need me
Call on me
And I'll be there wo oh
We like a pen to a letter
And I'm not leaving you
My one and only, when you need me,
Call on me and I'll be there, wo oh
Baby we belong together
And I'm not leaving you...

For so long I dreamt of being here by your side
Down on my knees asking you to be my bride
Still Nuff a dem a run a come a bag a lies
All come falling all come tumbling down
Mi Neva know say all weh friends a turn wi enemies
Dem full a so much envy and jealousy
Can't believe say them want this love fi disconnect
All come falling all come crashing

Looking at you is like staring in the mirror
When the rain fall girl
L'll be your umbrella

Writers: Clifford Smith, Indra Rudder

Overall Meaning

The song "Whenever You're Lonely" by Mr. Vegas talks about a love that has stood the test of time, through different seasons of life, and now faces yet another trial. The singer asserts that there are people who are envious of the couple's relationship, and may try to thwart it, but they will not succeed. In fact, the obstacles that come their way only serve to make their love stronger, as they stand by each other and face them together.

The lyrics also speak of the singer's commitment to his partner, vowing to always be there for her whenever she feels lonely and needs him. The comparison made between their love and the ocean and river highlights its depth and constant flow, as they continually run to each other for support.

The song is a testament to the power of love and the resilience of relationships. Despite the challenges that come their way, the couple's love remains steadfast and unbreakable.

Line by Line Meaning

We been together baby for a very long time
We have been in a long-term relationship for a considerable period of time.

All kinda weather, rain and the sunshine
We have faced different kinds of challenges, both good and bad times throughout our relationship.

Now we reach another mountain and everything, All come falling, all come tumbling down
We are currently facing another big challenge, and everything seems to be falling apart.

So many people try play we destiny and faith But dem fi know sah this a love, This a nuh time fi hate
Many individuals have tried to interfere with our relationship, but they must understand that this is pure love, and not the time for negativity.

Now we reach another level and everything, All come falling, all come crashing.
We have reached a new level of our relationship, but everything is crashing down.

We build a life together We look out for each other Like ocean on a river We run to one another
We have built a life together and always support each other like the ocean and river, we rely on one another in times of trouble.

They can't stop Nothing can stop wi They can't stop Nubody can't stop wi
No one can stop us from being together.

So many people want wi fall dem wah fi Si wi fail Put a bag a obstacle all along We love way Dem can't stop wi Nobody cah stop wi
Many people want us to fail and try to create obstacles, but they can't stop us from loving each other.

They can stop wi Nothing can't stop wi now
Nothing can stop us now from being together.

Whenever you're lonely And you need me Call on me And I'll be there wo oh
Whenever you feel lonely, call me, and I will be there to comfort you.

We like a pen to a letter And I'm not leaving you My one and only, when you need me, Call on me and I'll be there, wo oh
We belong together like a pen to a letter, and I will never leave you. Whenever you need me, just call, and I will be there for you.

Baby we belong together And I'm not leaving you...
We belong together, and I will never leave you.

For so long I dreamt of being here by your side Down on my knees asking you to be my bride Still Nuff a dem a run a come a bag a lies All come falling all come tumbling down
I have always dreamt of being with you and proposing to you, but many people try to bring us down with their lies, causing everything to fall apart.

Mi Neva know say all weh friends a turn wi enemies Dem full a so much envy and jealousy Can't believe say them want this love fi disconnect All come falling all come crashing
We never knew that our friends would turn into our enemies with so much envy and jealousy, hoping that our love would fall apart.

Looking at you is like staring in the mirror When the rain fall girl L'll be your umbrella
Looking at you is like looking at myself in the mirror. I will always be there for you, like an umbrella protecting you from the rain.

Writer(s): Clifford Ray Smith, Indra Denys Rudder

Contributed by Riley T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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