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
tambourine
Mr. Vegas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to
Hey! Mr Tambourine Man, play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.
Though I know that evenin's empire has returned into sand
Vanished from my hand
Left me blindly here to stand but still not sleeping
My weariness amazes me, I'm branded on my feet
And the ancient empty street's too dead for dreaming.
Hey! Mr Tambourine Man, play a song for me
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to
Hey! Mr Tambourine Man, play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.
Take me on a trip upon your magic swirlin' ship
My senses have been stripped, my hands can't feel to grip
My toes too numb to step, wait only for my boot heels
To be wanderin'
I'm ready to go anywhere, I'm ready for to fade
Into my own parade, cast your dancing spell my way
I promise to go under it.
Hey! Mr Tambourine Man, play a song for me
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to
Hey! Mr Tambourine Man, play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.
Though you might hear laughin', spinnin' swingin' madly across the sun
It's not aimed at anyone, it's just escapin' on the run
And but for the sky there are no fences facin'
And if you hear vague traces of skippin' reels of rhyme
To your tambourine in time, it's just a ragged clown behind
I wouldn't pay it any mind, it's just a shadow you're
Seein' that he's chasing.
Hey! Mr Tambourine Man, play a song for me
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to
Hey! Mr Tambourine Man, play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.
Then take me disappearin' through the smoke rings of my mind
Down the foggy ruins of time, far past the frozen leaves
The haunted, frightened trees, out to the windy beach
Far from the twisted reach of crazy sorrow
Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free
Silhouetted by the sea, circled by the circus sands
With all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves
Let me forget about today until tomorrow.
Hey! Mr Tambourine Man, play a song for me
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to
Hey! Mr Tambourine Man, play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.
The song "Tambourine Man" by Mr. Vegas is a cover of the Bob Dylan classic "Mr. Tambourine Man". The lyrics of the song depict a person who is plagued by insomnia and seeks solace by requesting the tambourine man to play a song for him. The singer is unable to fall asleep and is lost in his thoughts, reminiscing the past and worrying about the future. As the tambourine man plays his music, the singer hopes to escape reality and join the tambourine man on a magical journey. With lines such as "Take me on a trip upon your magic swirlin' ship" and "Let me forget about today until tomorrow," the singer longs to let go of his troubles and find a new beginning.
The song is not only about escaping reality but also about the power of music to heal and inspire. The tambourine man's music is a source of comfort and inspiration for the singer, allowing him to forget his worries and follow his dreams. The song also touches upon themes of memory and nostalgia, with the singer recalling past experiences and wishing to relive them.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey! Mr Tambourine Man, play a song for me
Asking the tambourine man to play a song for him
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to
He is not sleepy and has nowhere to go
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.
He will follow the tambourine man in the morning
Though I know that evenin's empire has returned into sand
He knows that the evening's empire has crumbled
Vanished from my hand
He has lost control
Left me blindly here to stand but still not sleeping
He is lost but still awake
My weariness amazes me, I'm branded on my feet
He is amazed by how tired he is and feels stuck
I have no one to meet
There is nobody waiting for him
And the ancient empty street's too dead for dreaming.
The street is too lifeless for him to dream
Take me on a trip upon your magic swirlin' ship
Asking the tambourine man to take him on a journey
My senses have been stripped, my hands can't feel to grip
He has lost his senses and can't feel
My toes too numb to step, wait only for my boot heels to be wanderin'
He can't feel his toes and can only rely on his heels to wander
I'm ready to go anywhere, I'm ready for to fade into my own parade
He is ready to go anywhere and be a part of his own procession
Cast your dancing spell my way, I promise to go under it.
Asking the tambourine man to cast his spell so he can dance under it
Though you might hear laughin', spinnin' swingin' madly across the sun
Someone might hear him laughing and spinning wildly
It's not aimed at anyone, it's just escapin' on the run
He's not doing it to anyone in particular, he's just trying to escape
And but for the sky there are no fences facin'
There are no boundaries except for the sky
And if you hear vague traces of skippin' reels of rhyme
If someone hears him singing a vague, rhythmic tune
To your tambourine in time, it's just a ragged clown behind
He's just a ragged clown following the tambourine
I wouldn't pay it any mind, it's just a shadow you're Seein' that he's chasing.
He's not interested in the clown and it's just a shadow he's after
Then take me disappearin' through the smoke rings of my mind
Asking the tambourine man to take him on a journey in his mind
Down the foggy ruins of time, far past the frozen leaves
Going far into the past, into the foggy ruins of time
The haunted, frightened trees out to the windy beach
Going to the windy beach haunted by frightening trees
Far from the twisted reach of crazy sorrow
Going far from the reach of crazy sorrow
Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free
Dancing under the diamond sky with one hand waving
Silhouetted by the sea, circled by the circus sands
Silhouetted by the sea, surrounded by the circus sands
With all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves
All memories and fate are buried deep in the waves
Let me forget about today until tomorrow.
Hoping to forget about the present until tomorrow
Writer(s): Clifford R. Smith, Bobby Harris, A. Malcolm, O. Clennon
Contributed by Elijah J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@davidcampbell4115
This is my favorite song 🎵 by mr Vegas
@nellyzambrano9223
Me gusta mucho esta canción
@susannamohammed4376
My long time song still playing it in 2019 boom🤗
@jacobhuggins7572
And its still a BOP in 2023
@cecejones3402
I loveeeeeeeee this song soooooo much
@ramirezfcohn10
🔥🔥🔥
@yoyo2mg
Nice💪💪
@fredyvelasquezvillalba5357
2022 presente cartagena en la casa
@felipehernandez1087
Somebody got the lyrics?
@thomasschoeffel4779
In 2020 my Jamaican girlfriend can still shake her body like a tambourine