Smith made his recorded debut in 1994 as part of IQ Procedure through Suburban Base’s short-lived hip hop imprint Bluntly Speaking Vinyl. He debuted as Roots Manuva the same year on Blak Twang's "Queen’s Head” single, before releasing his own single, “Next Type of Motion” the following year. 1996 saw the release of his collaborations with Skitz (“Where My Mind Is At”/”Blessed Be the Manner”). The release of “Feva” followed in 1997; this was also the year that saw the first releases from Big Dada, a collaboration between Coldcut’s Ninja Tune label and hip hop journalist Will Ashon.
Releasing for Coldcut's renowned experimental/hip-hop label Ninja Tune in 1998, some of his music may be seen as a predecessor of grime. The following year he released his fearsome debut album, “Brand New Second Hand”. Manuva was rewarded for his breakthrough with a MOBO as Best Hip Hop Act that year. He has also relesed 2001's “Run Come Save Me”, followed the next year by “Dub Come Save Me” in, which features dub remixes of five songs from the previous album alongside new work. This was followed up with the release of “Awfully Deep” in 2005 and “Alternately Deep” in 2006.
The lyrics of his songs are usually known to take a distinctly British edge, with many critics highlighting his references of eating cheese on toast and drinking bitter as examples of this. His warm and easily recognizable voice can be heard on many songs he performed with other artists such as Chali 2na (of Jurassic 5 & Ozomatli), DJ Shadow, U.N.K.L.E., Nightmares on Wax, The Cinematic Orchestra, Beth Orton and Leftfield. He also made an appearance on the Gorillaz album, Demon Days, lending his distinctive vocals to the track, "All Alone".
No Love
Roots Manuva Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We're gonna do it like we're supposed to do it
CHORUS:
Don't nobody got no love for Smith
There ain't no peace, there ain't no justice
And it seems like much of a muchness
But right now I really couldn't care much less (repeat 2x)
[Verse 1]
I'm the lost, the found,
The good penny, the bad pound
Getting me down?
That's the reason for me dancin'
I shake my tush to the pictures in the music
Immune to the decadence, I found some meaning
Places I've been in, slapping the demons,
Cleansin' the heathens, Lands End to St. Stephen's
Rhyme with no reason, son of the 5th season
Soon as I'm on the case, soon as I'm leaving,
Artisan outlaw, long-time looney
Black George Clooney, moody in the midnight
15 tablets, check my prescription
I seen these shrinks and they say I'm too pristine
I said I'm too sta-quo with a government health risk
See my todger with the luminous piss
[CHORUS]
[Verse 2]
Wayward son of a Johnson, no Charlie, no Bronson
Steady we on some, lookin' to lump sum,
Pull up a gumption, thanks for your function
There ain't no assumption
She said me no son, please bring the lotion
For good body touching with the good body motion
Bitter or habitual
Flinging my bling-bling, this my inkling,
to walk with the in-thing
Outernational ghetto, hoo-rah
Big time passion, splash the hoopla
Cigars on push bikes, first-class flights
First-class trains, people look at me strange
They don't know my name but they know my pain
Cause I'm the stupid in the corner getting steadily canded
[CHORUS]
[Verse 3]
As the hip-hop Holy Ghost touchs my spirit
I'm spiritually uplifted, that's what the punches did
And now I'm known and I'm prone to the feeling of havin' a buff pocket but still wanna kill all in my family
Idiot life, you shoulda taught me better
From the very first day, when I very first met ya
I seen the trends, the fads and the phases,
The (whole host of points of view? / the old host of 'Points Of View'?) brought to the stages
The sound of 'P' made me feel more conscious
Tuned up my mind to the systems design, but
Those were the days, the era of "yester"
Now the whole scene's progressed to pimps and OG's
Now I'm the fogey kickin the bogey,
With nothing in between and no place for me
Yes I'll take to the trends and split the cliches
I'm a pimpernel man, UVA,
Defender of the soul peeing soul decay
Cause everybody...
CHORUS OUT
The song "No Love" by Roots Manuva is a commentary on the lack of love and justice in the world. The chorus sets the tone for the song with the line "Don't nobody got no love for Smith", suggesting that even the most common and ordinary person, represented by "Smith", is not valued or cared for. The lack of peace and justice in society is also highlighted in the chorus, and the overall feeling of apathy and indifference is emphasized with the line "but right now I really couldn't care much less".
In the first verse, Roots Manuva describes himself as both lost and found, good and bad, and suggests that the negativity around him is what fuels his music and dance. He talks about finding meaning in music and cleansing himself of negative energy and urges through dancing. He also references his mental health struggles, including taking prescription tablets and seeing therapists who describe him as "too pristine".
In the second verse, Roots Manuva references his upbringing and the challenges he faced growing up. He suggests that his experiences have made him who he is today, and despite his success, he still faces judgment and scrutiny from those who don't know him. He also touches on themes of materialism and consumerism with the line "flinging my bling-bling".
In the third verse, Roots Manuva references his spiritual journey and the impact that hip-hop has had on his life. He suggests that he has a "buff pocket" but still feels the desire to "kill all in my family", perhaps referencing the idea that success doesn't always bring happiness or fulfillment. He also criticizes the current state of hip-hop and popular culture, suggesting that it has lost its integrity and become more about materialism and ego than true creativity.
Line by Line Meaning
We're gonna do it like
We're gonna do it as expected
We're gonna do it like we're supposed to do it
We're gonna do it the right way
Don't nobody got no love for Smith
Nobody shows love for Smith
There ain't no peace, there ain't no justice
There is no peace or justice
And it seems like much of a muchness
It seems like nothing has changed
But right now I really couldn't care much less
I don't care about it right now
I'm the lost, the found,
I am both lost and found
The good penny, the bad pound
I am a mix of good and bad
Getting me down?
Is it bothering me?
That's the reason for me dancin'
I dance to forget
I shake my tush to the pictures in the music
I dance to the rhythm of the music
Immune to the decadence, I found some meaning
I am unaffected by excess, and found purpose
Places I've been in, slapping the demons,
I've been to dark places, confronting my demons
Cleansin' the heathens, Lands End to St. Stephen's
I cleanse the sinners everywhere I go
Rhyme with no reason, son of the 5th season
My raps may lack a clear message, and I am unique
Soon as I'm on the case, soon as I'm leaving,
As soon as I start something, or finish, I move on
Artisan outlaw, long-time looney
I am a skilled renegade, a bit crazy for a while
Black George Clooney, moody in the midnight
I am like a dark George Clooney, moody at night
15 tablets, check my prescription
I take 15 pills, check my prescription
I seen these shrinks and they say I'm too pristine
I saw doctors and they claim I am too perfect
I said I'm too sta-quo with a government health risk
I replied that I am too stagnant, and at risk from government healthcare
See my todger with the luminous piss
See my penis glowing in the dark urine
Wayward son of a Johnson, no Charlie, no Bronson
I am a lost son of a man named Johnson, not like Charlie Chaplin or Charles Bronson
Steady we on some, lookin' to lump sum,
We are moving forward to make money
Pull up a gumption, thanks for your function
Pull up some courage, expressing gratitude
There ain't no assumption
There is no assumption
She said me no son, please bring the lotion
She said no to me as a lover, but asked for lotion
For good body touching with the good body motion
To have a good time with a physical connection
Bitter or habitual
Bitter or used to it
Flinging my bling-bling, this my inkling,
Showing off my jewelry, this is my intuition
to walk with the in-thing
to follow trends
Outernational ghetto, hoo-rah
International ghetto, hurray!
Big time passion, splash the hoopla
Big time enthusiasm, making a scene
Cigars on push bikes, first-class flights
Smoking cigars while riding bikes, flying first-class
First-class trains, people look at me strange
Taking first-class trains, people look at me oddly
They don't know my name but they know my pain
They don't know me, but they know I suffer
Cause I'm the stupid in the corner getting steadily canded
I am the fool in the corner, getting drunk over time
As the hip-hop Holy Ghost touchs my spirit
As hip-hop touches my soul like the Holy Ghost
I'm spiritually uplifted, that's what the punches did
The music lifted my spirit, the beats did it
And now I'm known and I'm prone to the feeling of havin' a buff pocket but still wanna kill all in my family
Now I am famous but I still want to hurt those in my family, despite my wealth
Idiot life, you shoulda taught me better
My foolish life, you should have taught me better
From the very first day, when I very first met ya
From the very first day I met you
I seen the trends, the fads and the phases,
I've seen the trends, fads, and changes in fashion
The (whole host of points of view? / the old host of 'Points Of View'?) brought to the stages
A wide range of opinions expressed on various stages
The sound of 'P' made me feel more conscious
The sound of 'P' music made me more aware
Tuned up my mind to the systems design, but
Opened my mind to the design of the system, but
Those were the days, the era of "yester"
Those were the days, the olden era
Now the whole scene's progressed to pimps and OG's
Now the scene has evolved to pimp and gangster culture
Now I'm the fogey kickin the bogey,
Now I am the old-fashioned one, kicking the golf ball
With nothing in between and no place for me
No middle ground and no place for me
Yes I'll take to the trends and split the cliches
I will follow the latest trends and break the cliches
I'm a pimpernel man, UVA,
I am a man who flirts with women, UVA (a brand of sunglasses)
Defender of the soul peeing soul decay
Defender of the soul, preventing spiritual decay
Cause everybody...
Because everyone...
Don't nobody got no love for Smith
Nobody loves Smith
There ain't no peace, there ain't no justice
There is no peace or justice
And it seems like much of a muchness
It seems like nothing has changed
But right now I really couldn't care much less
But right now I don't care about it
CHORUS OUT
End of chorus
Contributed by Bella I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.