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Riley is the son of veteran singer Jimmy Riley and nurse Lavern Tatham-Riley. He was born in the Bronx and grew up in South Florida. He began his musical career as a deejay working with Busta Rhymes, taking his birth sign as his stage name at his mother's suggestion (the spelling later changed from Taurus to Tarrus), and recorded his first singles for his father's Love & Promotion label. He was guided in his early career by Dean Fraser, who also performs in his band and produces much of Riley's work.
Riley has released three albums, Challenges (2004), Parables (2006), and Contagious (2009). Contagious features guest appearances from Damian Marley, Vybz Kartel, Etana, Konshens, Demarco and Duane Stephenson. His commercial breakthrough came in 2006 with the Parables album and the Jamaican number one single "She's Royal".
Riley was awarded the Reggae Runnins Caribbean Heritage Award at the 2009 HOT 105 FM Caribbean-American Heritage Awards. He was nominated in the Best Reggae category of the 2009 MOBO Awards.
Parables
Tarrus Riley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Open up your third eye
Read between the lines
Open up your eyes!
Mister Babylon, yeah!
Has got the people's eyes blind folded.
Lost inna ...? and fiction.
And it's full of many things that are not right
It's no fairy tale, it's a harsh reality
The lyrics to Tarrus Riley's song "Parables" contain a clear message of the importance of seeing beyond the surface and truly examining what is happening in the world around us. The first two lines, "Read between the lines, Open up your third eye" suggest that the listener needs to look beyond the obvious and the literal and use their intuition or "third eye" to gain a deeper insight into what is happening around them. This is further emphasized in the repetition of the phrase "Open up your eyes!" which encourages the listener to really pay attention and be aware of what they see.
The second half of the song specifically references the "real world" which is full of things that are "not right". The use of the term "Mister Babylon" further emphasizes the idea that there are individuals or groups who are actively trying to control or manipulate the masses, leading them to become blind to what is really happening. The contrast between the "fiction" and "harsh reality" highlights the idea that things are not always as they seem, and it is important to look beyond the surface to understand what is happening in the world.
Overall, the lyrics to "Parables" encourage introspection and critical thinking about the world around us, challenging listeners to question what they see and seek out the truth.
Line by Line Meaning
Read between the lines
Pay attention to the hidden meaning
Open up your third eye
Increase your spiritual awareness
Read between the lines
Pay attention to the hidden meaning
Open up your eyes!
Be alert and aware
Mister Babylon, yeah!
The oppressive system
Has got the people's eyes blind folded.
The system has deceived and manipulated the people
Lost inna ...? and fiction.
The people are distracted by entertainment and false information
Still there's a real world
Despite the distractions, the real world exists
And it's full of many things that are not right
The real world has many problems and injustices
It's no fairy tale, it's a harsh reality
The problems are real and serious, not imaginary
Contributed by Hudson E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.