Starting out on the King Jammys Superpower sound system in Jamaica, Shabba quickly emerged on the Jamaican and international stages in the late 1980's with a number of fellow artists. These include the British vocalist Maxi Priest; reggae singers Cocoa Tea, Crystal, and Mykal Rose and R&B singer Johnny Gill; in addition to working with luminaries Chuck Berry and American rappers KRS-One and Chubb Rock. His biggest hit non-Jamaican hit was "Mr. Loverman", although in Jamaica and for many reggae lovers, this was not his best work. Other, more appreciated tracks by reggae enthusiasts, include "Respect", "Pirates Anthem", "Trailor Load A Girls", "Wicked in Bed", "Caan Dun", and "Ting A Ling".
He won back-to-back Grammy awards in the Reggae category in 1991 & 1992, the first dancehall deejay to do so. He also
His later reputation was badly damaged by his explicitly homophobic views and lyrics. This was evidenced by a particularly notorious incident on the Channel 4 programme 'The Word' where he appeared to advocate the crucifixion of homosexuals and was condemned for his comments by presenter Mark Lamarr.
Following this episode, and subsequent negative media coverage, his career never fully recovered. He was eventually dropped by his American record label, Epic Records, in 1996. Anti-homosexuality is a common viewpoint in the reggae-dancehall community in Jamaica; Shabba Ranks is not the only artist to have referred to such matters in song. Later reggae artists that have come under criticism for their homophobic views include Buju Banton, Beenie Man, Elephant Man, and Sizzla.
Wicked In Bed is featured on the Reggae radio station K-JAH Radio West in popular videogame Grand Theft Auto San Andreas, released in October 2004.
Mr. Loverman
Shabba Ranks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mr. Loverman (Shabba)
Mr. Loverman (Shabba)
Mr. Loverman
Woman if a loving yuh looking for yuh buck upon the right man
Loving yuh looking for yuh buck upon the right one
Woman a loving yuh looking for yuh buck upon the right man
Because a woman tek a trip she coming from England
To satisfy her soul you know seh she want a man
But is Shabba Ranking she buck upon,
A gwain mek she explode just like a bomb
Every hour , every minute ,and every second
Cause,
He hol' her pon her finger and overstand
One look in a she eye mi know seh she want a man
Talking to her and she respond
She tell me seh she handle man like a bomerang
Me tell me seh me a de hooligan
Fi all tyrant yuh buck upon
Mr.loverman yuh buck upon Mr.Lover
Mr.loverman yuh buck upon Mr.Lover
Yuh buck upon Mr.Loverman yuh buck upon Mr.Lover
Mr.loverman yuh buck upon Mr.Lover
The love nah contract yuh know it a expand
And from it a expand it just a galang,galang
A gwain givelove to a woman me seh all night long
Woman if a loving yuh looking for yuh buck upon the right one
Search nuh more yuh buck upon the right one
If a loving yuh looking for yuh buck upon the right one
Search nuh more yuh buck upon the right one
Yuh have it in a yuh mine fi come thrill me wid it
A gwane lay down and mek yuh kill me wid it
Because thrilling that is Shabba favorite habit
And when me lay dung yuh know me nah run from it
Repeat
Cause if a loving yuh wan' a loving yuh a get
Yuh never experience dis ya love yet
Cause dis a love a mek yuh wok up a sweat
And in a dis ya love a mek yuh nah go live and fret
Because me love yuh from yuh toe straight to yuh neck
Loving yuh hunting for yuh buck upon de right one
If a loving yuh looking yuh buck upon de right one
Repeat
A gwa'ne tell yuh why dem call me Mr.Loverman
Cause fi mi love is Jackly depending
Carolyn it so Shabba she belong
Whether sh gone to next Island
Dem call me Mr.Lover dem call mi Mr.Lover cause
Yuh have it in a yuh heart fi thrill me wid it
A gwane lay down and mek yuh kill me wid it
Yuh know that thrilling is my favorite habit
Shabba Ranking naw run from it
Yuh buck upon Mr.Loverman
Yuh buck upon Mr.Lover
Mr.loverman yuh buck upon Mr.Loverman
To the love that yuh get it explode like a bomb
Every hour , every minute , every second
To the one Jacqulyn Shabba love strong
She buck upon Mr.Loverman
She buck upon Mr.Loverman
Mr.loverman she buck upon Mr.Loverman
To the pan coot dem I don't care a ---
Mr.loverman she buck upon Mr.Loverman
To the Hooligan dem I don't care a ---
Mr.loverman she buck upon Mr.Loverman
Woman a loving yuh searching for , yuh buck upon
The right one
Come search nuh more , you buck upon the right one
If a loving yuh looking yuh buck upon the right one
Searching for yuh buck upon the right one
Yuh buck upon Mr.Loverman from in a jam one
Mr.loverman,mr.loverman,mr.loverman Dem call Mr.Loverman
Dis yah loving yuh get a from yuh belly bottom
From the ground to yuh head top
The song "Mr. Loverman" by Shabba Ranks is about a man who is confident in his ability to satisfy a woman's needs. He tells women that if they're looking for love, they should look no further as they've come across the right man. He talks about an English woman who traveled to meet him and how he makes her feel. He states that when he's with a woman, he gives her everything she wants, and he knows how to please her. The song has a catchy tune and is playful in tone.
Throughout the song, Shabba Ranks boasts about his skills as a lover and how he can make any woman feel satisfied. He talks about how he can make a woman's body respond and how he knows what she wants. The song is sung in Jamaican Patois, which is a creole language that combines English and West African languages. The lyrics may be difficult for some people to understand, but the catchy beat and upbeat tone make "Mr. Loverman" a fun song to dance to.
Ultimately, "Mr. Loverman" is a song about a confident man who knows how to please a woman. He tells women that if they're looking for love and someone who can satisfy their needs, they've found the right man in him. The song has a playful tone, catchy melody, and memorable lyrics that have made it a classic in Jamaican music history.
Line by Line Meaning
Mr. Loverman (Shabba)
Introduction and repetition of the song title
Woman if a loving yuh looking for yuh buck upon the right man
If you're looking for love as a woman, you need to find the right man
Loving yuh looking for yuh buck upon the right one
When you're seeking love, you have to find the right person
Because a woman tek a trip she coming from England
A woman has traveled from England for a specific reason
To satisfy her soul you know seh she want a man
She wants a man to feel satisfied and fulfilled
But is Shabba Ranking she buck upon,
She has encountered Shabba Ranking
A gwain mek she explode just like a bomb
He is going to make her explode with pleasure
Every hour, every minute, and every second
He will give her pleasure continuously
He hol' her pon her finger and overstand
He knows how to handle her and understands her wants and needs
One look in a she eye mi know seh she want a man
By looking at her eyes, he can tell that she wants a man
Talking to her and she respond
He's speaking to her, and she is responding positively
She tell me seh she handle man like a bomerang
She boasts that she can handle men and keep them coming back
Me tell me seh me a de hooligan
Shabba brags about being a hooligan
Fi all tyrant yuh buck upon
He's challenging all the other male suitors
Mr.loverman yuh buck upon Mr.Lover
He's reminding her that she's encountered Mr. Loverman
The love nah contract yuh know it a expand
Their love is not limited, it's expanding
And from it a expand it just a galang, galang
Their love is continuing to develop and progress
A gwain givelove to a woman me seh all night long
He's going to give love to her all night long
Woman if a loving yuh looking for yuh buck upon the right one
He reiterates that she needs to find the right man to love
Search nuh more yuh buck upon the right one
She doesn't need to look any further because she has found the right man
Yuh have it in a yuh mine fi come thrill me wid it
She has the power to pleasure him and excite him
Because thrilling that is Shabba favorite habit
Shabba loves experiencing thrilling sensations
And when me lay dung yuh know me nah run from it
He's not afraid to experience pleasure
Cause if a loving yuh wan' a loving yuh a get
If you want love, you will receive it
Yuh never experience dis ya love yet
She hasn't experienced love like this before
Cause dis a love a mek yuh wok up a sweat
This love is so intense that it will make her sweat
And in a dis ya love a mek yuh nah go live and fret
She won't worry or stress while experiencing this kind of love
Because me love yuh from yuh toe straight to yuh neck
He loves everything about her from head to toe
Loving yuh hunting for yuh buck upon de right one
He repeats the idea that she needs to find the right man to love
If a loving yuh looking yuh buck upon de right one
If she is searching for love, she has found the right person
A gwa'ne tell yuh why dem call me Mr.Loverman
He introduces himself with his nickname
Cause fi mi love is Jackly depending
He's saying his love is powerful and dependable
Carolyn it so Shabba she belong
He is so compatible with Carolyn
Whether sh gone to next Island
Even if she has to leave and go to the next island
Dem call me Mr.Lover dem call mi Mr.Lover cause
He repeats the reason why he is called Mr. Loverman
To the pan coot dem I don't care a ---
He doesn't care about other men trying to compete with him
Woman a loving yuh searching for, yuh buck upon
He's reminding her that she has found the right man to love
Come search nuh more, you buck upon the right one
She should stop searching because she has found Mr. Loverman
Yuh buck upon Mr.Loverman from in a jam one
She encountered Mr. Loverman when she was in a difficult situation
Mr.loverman,mr.loverman,mr.loverman Dem call Mr.Loverman
He repeats his nickname and introduces himself again
Dis yah loving yuh get a from yuh belly bottom
She is receiving a deep and passionate love
From the ground to yuh head top
She is experiencing love from the bottom of her being to the top of her head
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: REXTON GORDON, MICHAEL BENNETT, HOPETON LINDO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind