Tarrus Riley born Omar Riley in Bronx, New York, is a promising reggae sing… Read Full Bio ↴Tarrus Riley born Omar Riley in Bronx, New York, is a promising reggae singer and songwriter. His early years were spent in music studios and traveling the world with his dad. He picked up something special along the way. He is a songwriter of uncommon intelligence, breadth with a deft touch. His emotional and spiritual IQ matches his heartfelt sincerity. As a singer, his vocal style is reassuring. It conveys his every mood, concern and context eloquently. His songwriting is bold, yet definitive, passionate and authentic, without being strident or overly militant. Except for the same surname, Tarrus, while clearly not possessing his famous father's voice with its sharp edge, is content musically to create his own legacy.
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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.

Pick Up The Pieces
Tarrus Riley Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Dada daa-da da-daa
Dada daa-da da-da-daa

She says her hearts been broken,
Too many times
So now she keeps her guard up
She's got to play tough
I tell her to let me in

She hesitates, she's afraid
She says the last time she's been there
Is soso heartache, yea

And everytime she gives her heart
All she gets back is broken pieces
Everytime she opens up
All she gets back is disappointment
We've got to pick up the pieces, pick up the pieces yea, oh
We've got to pick up the pieces, pick up the pieces yea, mm

Cause every broken heart(oooh)
Can be mended
And every sad situation (oooh-oooh)
We all get hurt in
We've got to pick up the pieces, pick up the pieces yea,
We've got to pick up the pieces, pick up the pieces yea, yea

Dada daa-da da-daa(pick them up)
Dada daa-da da-da-daa(pick them up)

I said my hearts been broken
So i know, how it feels

Its just like a raw deal, where you've been cut short,yea
See there is nothing like real love,
And for that you have to chance
Its above all costs
Its priceless
So priceless

And every time you give your heart,
All you get back is broken pieces
And every time you open up
All you get back is disappointment

We've got to pick up the pieces, pick up the pieces yea,
We've got to pick up the pieces, pick up the pieces yea,mm

Cause every broken heart
Can be mended
And every sad situation
We all get hurt in
We've got to pick up the pieces, pick up the pieces yea,oh
We've got to pick up the pieces, pick up the pieces yea, yea

Cause every broken heart
Can be mended
And every sad situation
We all get hurt in

We've got to pick up the pieces, pick up the pieces yea,
We've got to pick up the pieces, pick up the pieces yea, yea

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Tarrus Riley's "Pick up the Pieces" is about heartbreak and its aftermath. The song presents two different perspectives, that of a woman who has been hurt too many times, and a man who has also experienced heartbreak. The woman, according to the song, has been hurt so many times that she has become guarded and is resistant to any new relationships. The man tries to break through her defenses and tries to convince her to let him in. He emphasizes that every broken heart can be mended and every sad situation can be overcome. The song encourages people to pick up the pieces of their broken hearts and start anew.

The chorus of "Pick up the Pieces" is a call to action, encouraging people to pick up the pieces of their broken hearts and move on. The message is one of hope, that even though people get hurt in relationships, they can always overcome heartbreak and find love again. The repetition of the phrase "pick up the pieces" reinforces the message and motivates people to take action.

Overall, the lyrics of Tarrus Riley's "Pick up the Pieces" are insightful and inspiring. They show that even though heartbreak is painful, people can heal and find love again. The song encourages resilience, perseverance, and hope, qualities that are essential to overcome heartbreak and succeed in relationships.

Line by Line Meaning

She says her hearts been broken, Too many times
The woman in the song has experienced heartbreak many times

So now she keeps her guard up She's got to play tough
To protect herself, the woman keeps her emotions guarded and acts strong

I tell her to let me in She hesitates, she's afraid
The singer wants the woman to open up to him, but she is scared to do so

She says the last time she's been there Is soso heartache, yea
The woman has had a bad experience in the past that left her heartbroken

And everytime she gives her heart All she gets back is broken pieces
The woman has suffered heartbreak every time she has opened up to someone and let her guard down

Everytime she opens up All she gets back is disappointment
The woman has never had a positive experience when sharing her heart, only disappointment follows

We've got to pick up the pieces, pick up the pieces yea, oh We've got to pick up the pieces, pick up the pieces yea, mm
The singer reminds us that we need to pick up the broken pieces and mend our broken hearts

Cause every broken heart(oooh) Can be mended
Even though our heart may be broken, it can be healed with time

And every sad situation (oooh-oooh) We all get hurt in
Everyone experiences sadness and hurt, it's a universal experience

I said my hearts been broken So i know, how it feels
The singer reveals that he has also experienced heartbreak and understands the pain

Its just like a raw deal, where you've been cut short,yea See there is nothing like real love, And for that you have to chance
Heartbreak feels like you've been given a bad deal, but true love is worth the risk

Its above all costs Its priceless So priceless
True love is more valuable than anything else and cannot be bought

We've got to pick up the pieces, pick up the pieces yea,oh We've got to pick up the pieces, pick up the pieces yea, yea
The singer reminds us again that we need to pick up the broken pieces and heal our hearts

Contributed by Muhammad L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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