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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.
Protect Yuh Head
Tarrus Riley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ready
Protect yuh neck
Protect yuh neck
Protect yuh head don't tek nuh check
Protect yuh neck
Look over yuh shoulder
Yuh a hear mi now
Duh nuh come out afta midnight iyah
All inna broad daylight dem a tek life
So imagine afta dark when di action start
Wat a guh gwaan
Duh nuh come out afta x-30
Dem yah yute yah well blood tirsty
Nuh mek sun down ketch yuh inna town
Tek weh yuh self now
Ova war-rieka hill
War neva stand still
And inna garden
Mi neva see nuh cultivation nor nuh farming-a gwaan
Dem will done yuh inna kirk (dunkirk)
All ova watahouse a drought still dem will wet yuh
Is like yuh life nuh have nuh worth
I look inna callaloo bed
And nuh see nuh mo' vegetarian alone
And get dis straight sah
Chant for a safer jamaica
Who name dem place yah
Dem neva know seh word sound a powah
Yuh got to be care-ful
And protect yuh neck
Protect yuh head back
Careful and protect yuh neck protect yuh head
When yuh come out afta x-30
Nuh trust nuh blue suit nor khaaki
Nuff a pose like police and dem a tief
Worst dan di klan weh wrap up inna white sheet
Freaks come out anytime it touch dark
Watch how yuh walk inside di park
He turn she and she turn he some sight to see
Swap identity and waah come mingle wid we
New kingston
Mi si dem a dust but mi nuh see nothing done
For my people
Still no one knows the reason
And mi guh ask a hope road
Still it was hopeless cause no one would hear ma cry
Di struggle still continue
And inna payneland burn di pain and mek wi hold a joy
Get dis straight sah
Work for a safer jamaica
Sweetest land sweetest watah
Dash weh di pirate cultcha
Yuh got to be care-ful
And protect yuh neck
Protect yuh head back
Careful and protect yuh neck protect yuh head
Yuh betta protect yuh neck
Protect yuh neck
Protect yuh head don't tek nuh check
Protect yuh neck
And look over yuh shoulder
Mi well waah come out afta x-30
Mi nuh waah nuh curfew country
Woman and man tired fi lock up inna house
Well waah come out and sport all bout
When wi come out and start party
Yuh nuh si nuh one hot like we
Nuh mek pagan mash up wi country
In communit twist [?] up in love and inity
Shooters hill
Di war neva stand still
And inna garden
Mi neva si nuh cultivation nor nuh farming
Now dem will done yuh inna kirk
All ova waterhouse a drought still dem will wet yuh
Is like yuh life nuh have nuh worth
And inna callaloo bed mi nuh si nuh mo vegetarian alone
Mek wi get dis straight sah
Chant for a safer jamaica
Who name dem place yah
Dem neva seh word sound a powah
Hey
In Tarrus Riley's song "Protect Yuh Head", the artist highlights the dangers of being out and about in Jamaica, particularly after dark. He urges listeners to protect themselves by being mindful of their surroundings, looking over their shoulders, and avoiding being out after certain hours. The song describes the violence that occurs in various parts of Jamaica, such as War-rieka Hill and Waterhouse, where life is not valued, and individuals can be killed at any moment.
The lyrics also touch on the corruption that exists within the police force, with some officers posing as policemen but acting as thieves. Tarrus Riley calls for a safer Jamaica, where the people's voices are heard and valued. The struggle for a better country continues, and the artist uses this song as a means of spreading awareness about the issues and reminding listeners to protect themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
Protect yuh neck
Take care to protect your neck
Protect yuh head don't tek nuh check
Be cautious about your surroundings and protect your head
Protect yuh neck
Repeat reminder to take care of your neck
Look over yuh shoulder
Be watchful of your surroundings
Duh nuh come out afta midnight iyah
Avoid being out after midnight
All inna broad daylight dem a tek life
People are being killed even during the day
So imagine afta dark when di action start
It's worse after dark when danger surfaces
Wat a guh gwaan
What is going to happen?
Duh nuh come out afta x-30
Do not leave after a certain hour
Dem yah yute yah well blood tirsty
Young people have a thirst for violence
Nuh mek sun down ketch yuh inna town
Don't let the sun go down while you're still in town
Tek weh yuh self now
Leave now to be safe
Ova war-rieka hill
Over the hill of Warrieka
War neva stand still
War never stops
And inna garden
Even in the garden
Mi neva see nuh cultivation nor nuh farming-a gwaan
I do not see any farming or cultivation happening
Dem will done yuh inna kirk (dunkirk)
They will harm you even in places like Dunkirk Church
All ova watahouse a drought still dem will wet yuh
Even during a drought, they will find a way to harm you
Is like yuh life nuh have nuh worth
It's like your life has no value to them
I look inna callaloo bed
I search in the vegetable bed
And nuh see nuh mo' vegetarian alone
I do not see any more vegetarians alone
And get dis straight sah
Listen to this clearly
Chant for a safer jamaica
Pray for a safer Jamaica
Who name dem place yah
Who named this place?
Dem neva know seh word sound a powah
They did not know the power of words
Yuh got to be care-ful
You have to be careful
And protect yuh neck
Protect your neck
Protect yuh head back
Protect the back of your head
When yuh come out afta x-30
When you leave after a certain hour
Nuh trust nuh blue suit nor khaaki
Do not trust anyone in uniform
Nuff a pose like police and dem a tief
Many posing as police are actually thieves
Worst dan di klan weh wrap up inna white sheet
Worse than the Ku Klux Klan who wear white sheets
Freaks come out anytime it touch dark
Dangerous people come out at night
Watch how yuh walk inside di park
Be mindful of how you walk through the park
He turn she and she turn he some sight to see
Cross-dressing is becoming more common
Swap identity and waah come mingle wid we
People are changing their identities to blend in with us
New kingston
New Kingston, Jamaica
Mi si dem a dust but mi nuh see nothing done
I see people pretend to work but nothing is accomplished
For my people
For the people of Jamaica
Still no one knows the reason
No one knows why things are the way they are
And mi guh ask a hope road
And I ask Hope Road (in Kingston, Jamaica)
Still it was hopeless cause no one would hear ma cry
It was hopeless because no one would listen to me
Di struggle still continue
The struggle continues
And inna payneland burn di pain and mek wi hold a joy
In the Paine Land, we experience pain but find joy in holding on
Work for a safer jamaica
Work towards making Jamaica a safer place
Sweetest land sweetest watah
Jamaica is the sweetest land with the sweetest water
Dash weh di pirate cultcha
Get rid of the pirate culture
Yuh betta protect yuh neck
You had better protect your neck
And look over yuh shoulder
And watch your back
Mi well waah come out afta x-30
I want to leave after a certain hour
Mi nuh waah nuh curfew country
I do not want to live in a country with a curfew
Woman and man tired fi lock up inna house
People are tired of being locked up in their homes
Well waah come out and sport all bout
I want to go out and have fun
When wi come out and start party
When we come out and start to party
Yuh nuh si nuh one hot like we
No one is as hot as us
Nuh mek pagan mash up wi country
Don't let non-believers ruin our country
In communit twist [?] up in love and inity
In the community, we are twisted in love and unity
Shooters hill
Shooters Hill, Jamaica
Contributed by Joseph D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@TheJunkenQueen
Maaaaaaaaaaad!!! love this song!!!
@easyb76
More of this type of music needs to be produced in this time 💯🏆
@rosat302
2019 still ah banga!!
@dannykent8946
Sarah Theodore 2020 business 💥😎
@661802
Real good music. ♨♨♨♨♨
@dannykent8946
Do not come out 💥 to the one person that dislike this......ya mad 🔥
@cjkbr
ova war-rieka hill war neva stand still and inna garden mi neva see nuh cultivation nor nuh farming-a gwaan
@MeLoNcoNY427
🔥🔥🔥
@dubbreakahofficial
i will join you good sir
@simsimmabeatzssb1587
2022