Sly & Robbie may well be the most prolific recording artists ever. One stag… Read Full Bio ↴Sly & Robbie may well be the most prolific recording artists ever. One staggering estimate is that they have played on or produced some 200,000 songs. Sly & Robbie are reggae's longest lasting production team. The rhythm section of drummer Lowell Dunbar (nicknamed Sly after Sly Stone, one of his favorite musicians) and bass guitarist Robert Shakespeare started working together in the mid 1970s, after having established themselves separately on the Jamaican music scene.

Before joining forces, Sly was drumming for the Skin Flesh and Bones band and Robbie was the bass player for the Aggrovators. They also used to play in clubs (Sly at Tit for Tat and Robbie at Evil People), and used to check each other out. They found out that they had the same ideas about music in general (both are huge fans of Motown, Philly Sound and Country & Western, in addition to Jamaican legendary labels Studio One and Treasure Isle), and Reggae production in particular. They first worked together for the newly created Channel One label and studio, operated by the Hoo Kim brothers.

They changed the face of Reggae several times: in 1976, they introduced a harder beat called "Rockers", which quickly replaced the then prevalent "One drop" style, then introduced the "rub a dub" sound in the early 1980s. Sly and Robbie were important in developing the trend towards computer assisted music and programmming in the mid 1980s.

Also in the early 1990s they introduced a novel sound with the hits "Bam Bam" and "Murder She Wrote" by Chaka Demus & Pliers. Chaka Demus' rough DJ vocals were matched with Pliers' sweet, melodic, soul-influenced singing; this unusal vocal pairing was championed by Sly and Robbie. This formula has since been used with great success by the likes of Shaggy (who teamed up with singers Rayvon or Rik Rok), Shabba Ranks, Maxi Priest and others. This predates and may have influenced the recent trend in some rap music where a song's "hook" or chorus is sung by a guest, while the verses are rapped.

Sly & Robbie continued to innovate during the 1990s and early 2000s, fusing Dancehall and Latin music sounds (La Trenggae) or Dancehall and hip hop/R&B (their 2004 Big Up riddim). In 2001, their "Strip to the Bone" album paired them with electro producer Howie B, and together they explored new dub territories.

Far from restricting themselves to the Jamaican scene, (in which they have played for virtually every prominent Jamaican musical artist from Beenie Man to Sean Paul to Peter Tosh, Black Uhuru, Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown and others), they have been one of pop music's most sought after rhythm sections, playing for and producing superstars such as Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, the Rolling Stones, Grace Jones, Joan Armatrading, Gilberto Gil, Joe Cocker, Serge Gainsbourg, Simply Red, Michael Franti, Sting, Khaled, Tricky, Doug E. Fresh, Carlos Santana, Sinéad O'Connor, and many more.

They have produced No Doubt's hits 'Hey Baby' and 'Underneath it All'. They also produced some tracks off Suggs first album 'The Lone Ranger' including the hit version of Cecilia featuring Louchie Lou and Michie One which sold over 500,000 copies in the UK alone.

After 30 years together, they still tour and record relentlessly. Their last US tour was with Tony Rebel and Half Pint, during the Spring of 2005. During the Summer of 2005, they toured Europe and the UK with Bunny Rugs, lead singer for Third World. During the Fall of 2005 they were on the road with Sinéad O'Connor and in August 2006, they appeared with Don Carlos at the Reggae on the River Festival, while they backed Cherine and Queen Ifrica in 2007 and early 2008.

They have produced several new Jamaican artists for their TAXI label, including Kibaki, Mynimoo and Zennlocc, as well as confirmed superstars such as Elephant Man. They have also recorded with their original group, the Revolutionaries, to produce Horace Andy's new album "Livin' it up" (2007). They recently signed the lovers rock sensation Bitty McLean to their TAXI label and are planning to release "MOVIN' ON", Bitty's new album, during 2008.

http://www.myspace.com/slyandrobbie
Sly & Robbie on iTunes

Yes We Can Can
Sly & Robbie Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Now's the time for all good men
to get together with one another.
We got to iron out our problems
and iron out our quarrels
and try to live as brothers.
And try to find a piece of land
without stepping on one another.
And do respect the women of the world.

Remember you all have mothers.
We got to make this land a better land
than the world in which we live.
And we got to help each man be a better man
with the kindness that we give.
I know we can make it.
I know darn well we can work it out.
Oh yes we can, I know we can can
Yes we can can, why can't we?
If we wanna get together we can work it out.

And we gotta take care of all the children,
the little children of the world.
'cause they're our strongest hope for the future,
the little bitty boys and girls.

We got to make this land a better land
than the world in which we live.
And we got to help each man be a better man
with the kindness that we give.
I know we can make it.
I know darn well we can work it out.
Oh yes we can, I know we can can

yes we can can, why can't we?
If we wanna, yes we can can.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Sly & Robbie's "Yes We Can Can" reflect a message of unity, respect, and kindness towards fellow human beings. The song encourages men to come together to resolve their issues rather than fight amongst each other. The call for peace is emphasized as they sing about finding a piece of land where they can coexist without infringing on each other's rights. The importance of respecting women is also highlighted, as the song reminds listeners that everyone has a mother and we need to show kindness and respect towards the women of the world.

The second verse reminds us that children are the future and they hold the key to a better tomorrow. We need to take care of them and protect them because they are our strongest hope for a brighter future. The lyrics also stress the importance of being kind and generous to one another as it can help each individual become a better person.

In conclusion, "Yes We Can Can" is a song about coming together and helping each other to be better. The lyrics remind us that we can make the world a better place if we treat each other with kindness and respect.

Line by Line Meaning

Now's the time for all good men
It is the right moment for all virtuous human beings

to get together with one another.
To gather and unite as one

We got to iron out our problems
We must resolve our conflicts

and iron out our quarrels
And reconcile our disagreements

and try to live as brothers.
And strive to live as siblings

And try to find a piece of land
And endeavor to find a territory

without stepping on one another.
Without oppressing one another

And do respect the women of the world.
And show reverence towards the females of the Earth

Remember you all have mothers.
Remember that every person has a mother

We got to make this land a better land
We must enhance the quality of our territory

than the world in which we live.
Than the environment we currently inhabit