Soul II Soul is a two-time Grammy winning act that emerged at the end of th… Read Full Bio ↴Soul II Soul is a two-time Grammy winning act that emerged at the end of the 1980s from London. The group initially attracted attention as a sound system, playing records at house and street parties (where their clothing style - dubbed "Funki Dred" - quickly made a splash, inspiring them to start a line of clothing). Founded by Jazzie B and featuring a changing roster of other musicians - notably Nellee Hooper, Simon Law, Phillip 'Daddae' Harvey and Caron Wheeler - Soul II Soul's experiments in music-making of their own resulted in the dub plate "Fairplay," which secured them a deal with Virgin Records. They had huge hits in 1989 with the singles "Keep on Movin'" and "Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)," both from their debut album Club Classics Vol. I. These songs (both featuring Wheeler on vocals) set the tone for early 90s mainstream dance music in the UK.

Their follow-up album, Vol. II: 1990 - A New Decade, yielded the hits "Get a Life" and "A Dream's a Dream," the latter featuring operatic vocals by Victoria Wilson-James. While their U.S. following declined somewhat following its release, Soul II Soul continued to have hits in the UK, including 1992's #4 single, "Joy."

Soul II Soul reached Volume 5 of their series for Virgin in 1995, then released 2 more albums for Island Records.

People
Soul II Soul Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

People go by, go by and go by
People go by, go by and go by
People go by, go by and go by
People go by, go by and go by
People go by, go by and go by

Walking down the street watching people go by
(Watching you, watching you)

Watching you
(Watching you, watching you)

Walking down the street watching people go by
(Watching you, watching you)
Watching you
(Watching you, watching you)

I can make you happy
Sometimes blue, yeah
Feel the need this time
Feel the things that I feel for you
True, true

Life has no rules
It's a face in a changing world
If you win there's a price
That you must pay

Walking down the street watching people go by
(Watching you, watching you)
Watching you
(Watching you, watching you)

Walking down the street watching people go by
(Watching you, watching you)
Watching you
(Watching you, watching you)

People, from far and ride
Brought together as a nation to ride
We've all got to analyze
Situations that need no disguise

Lend your hand to understand
Spreading joy and love throughout the land
Lend a hand, Mister
Won't you, won't you understand?

Gotta make it right, Mister
Together and hold it very tight now
Gotta make it right
Together, make it tight

Walking down the street watching people go by
(Watching you, watching you)
Watching you
(Watching you, watching you)

Walking down the street watching people go by
(Watching you, watching you)
Watching you
(Watching you, watching you)

Walking down the street watching people go by
(Watching you, watching you)
Watching you
(Watching you, watching you)

Walking down the street watching people go by
(Watching you, watching you)
Watching you
(Watching you, watching you)

This time we make a stand
To be happy to live on this land
When only seems a few

Have the people on the street
Watchin' me, watchin' you
Watchin' me, watchin' you
Watchin' me, watchin' you, Mister

In most everything we do
Feel the need to do the things
That make life for you

Walking down the street watching people go by

Walking down the street watching people go by
(Watching you, watching you)
Watching you
(Watching you, watching you)

Walking down the street watching people go by
(Watching you, watching you)
Watching you
(Watching you, watching you)

Gonna make it right
Hold together tight

Walking down the street watching people go by
Watching you

Walking down the street watching people go by
Watching you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Soul II Soul's song People speak to the experience of watching people go by on the street and feeling a connection, as well as the importance of coming together as a nation to analyze situations and spread joy and love throughout the land. The repetition of "watching you, watching you" creates a sense of awareness and attentiveness to the people around us. The line "life has no rules" speaks to the unpredictability of life and the need to adapt to change. The lyrics also touch on the idea that there may be a price to pay for success, and that holding together tightly and making things right together is important.

There are several possible interpretations of the lyrics, but overall the message seems to be one of unity and the power of coming together to create positive change. The repetition of "people go by" may also speak to the fleeting nature of our interactions with others and the importance of cherishing the moments we have.

Line by Line Meaning

People go by, go by and go by
Constantly observing people pass by in life

Walking down the street watching people go by
Continuously observing people on the streets

I can make you happy, Sometimes blue, yeah
I have the potential to bring joy or sadness to your life

Feel the need this time, Feel the things that I feel for you, True, true
Feeling a deep connection and desire for another person

Life has no rules, It's a face in a changing world
Life is unpredictable and constantly changing

If you win there's a price, That you must pay
Success often comes at a cost

People, from far and wide, Brought together as a nation to ride
People from all over coming together for a common goal

We've all got to analyze, Situations that need no disguise
Being aware of the true nature of issues that require attention

Lend your hand to understand, Spreading joy and love throughout the land, Lend a hand, Mister, Won't you, won't you understand?
Encouraging unity and cooperation towards common causes

Gotta make it right, Mister, Together and hold it very tight now, Gotta make it right, Together, make it tight
Working together to make things right and better for everyone

This time we make a stand, To be happy to live on this land
Taking positive action to create a more fulfilling life

When only seems a few, Have the people on the street, Watchin' me, watchin' you
Feeling alone when being observed by others

In most everything we do, Feel the need to do the things, That make life for you
The motivation to do things that will improve one's own life

Gonna make it right, Hold together tight
Committing to making things better and being united in that goal

Watching you
Continuing to observe the actions and behaviors of others

Contributed by Nathan H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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