Lloyd Charmers (born Lloyd Tyrell, 1938 – 27 December 2012) (aka Lloyd Chal… Read Full Bio ↴Lloyd Charmers (born Lloyd Tyrell, 1938 – 27 December 2012) (aka Lloyd Chalmers, Lloyd Terell, Lloyd Terrell), was a ska and reggae singer, keyboard player and record producer.

Lloyd Charmers was born in Kingston, Jamaica. His professional career began in 1962, when he performed as The Charmers with Roy Willis on Vere Johns' Talent Hour, starting a recording career soon after. When The Charmers split, he joined Slim Smith and Martin Jimmy Riley in The Uniques. Charmers subsequently moved on to a solo career, releasing two albums in 1970, and also recording x-rated tracks such as "Birth Control", and the album Censored, these more risqué outings appearing under his real name or as 'Lloydie & The Lowbites'.

He was also briefly a member of The Messengers, a short-lived supergroup also featuring Ken Boothe, B. B. Seaton and Busty Brown.

He set up his own 'Splash' record label in the early 1970s, and moved into production. Productions by him were notable for their sophisticated arrangements. With his session band, The Now Generation, he produced artists such as Ken Boothe (including some of Boothe's most successful solo releases of the period, including his cover of David Gates' "Everything I Own", B. B. Seaton, The Gaylads, and Lloyd Parks.

He later relocated to the UK where he continued to record and produce in a variety of styles, from Lovers Rock to Disco.

Charmers died on 27 December 2012 from a myocardial infarction (heart attack) in London while driving.[1][6]

I Can't Get Next to You
The Charmers Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I, my, my, my, my
Oh I,
Can turn the gray sky blue, I
You see I can make it rain, when I want it to, oh I
I can build a castle from a single grain of sand, I
You see I can make a ship sail, on dry land tell 'em yeah
I'm unhappy with all the powers I possess, yeah
Girl you're the key to my happiness and I

(I can't get next to you, babe )
(I can't get next to you)
I've trying a long time
(I can't get next to you, babe)
(I can't get next you)
I don't know what to do

I,
Oh I,
I, oh Lord
I can fly like a bird in the sky, oh I
And I can buy anything that money can buy, oh I
Can turn a river into a raging fire, oh I
And I can live forever if I so desire, yeah
I'm unhappy with all the power I possess, yeah girl
'Cause girl your the key cause
(I can't get next to you babe)
(I can't get next to you)
(I can't get next to you babe)
(I can't get next to you)

Let me tell that
I can turn back the hands of time,
You better believe I can, oh I
You see I can take the season's change just by waving my hand, let me say I
I can change anything from old to new girl, oh I
All the things I want to do the most, you see, I'm unable to do, yeah

Unimportant these things that I'm trying to do here today
'Cause girl, you see, I
(Can't get next to you babe)
I've been trying a long time
(I can't get next to you)
Oh somebody oughta help me
(I can't get next to you, babe)
Let me, let me go
(I can't get next to you)
Let me

I, Lord I've been working on it, baby
I've been thinking about it
Oh I
But you see, I've been trying to call you all day long
But you see I don't have your phone number, honey, I
I've been, I've been, thinking about you baby, something awful

You see, I, oh I, sometimes I feel like I want to moan about it
And I, I don't just know what to say about it

Overall Meaning

In the first verse of “You Are The One,” The Charmers make a bold claim about their abilities. They say “I can turn the gray sky blue” and “I can make it rain when I want it to.” These are figurative expressions that suggest that the singer is capable of doing anything he wants. Furthermore, the singer claims that he can “build a castle from a single grain of sand” and “make a ship sail on dry land.” These are metaphors that suggest that he can create something out of nothing. However, despite all these abilities, the singer is unhappy. He says that he can’t get next to the one he loves, and that she is the only key to his happiness. The overall message of the song is that love is the most powerful and important force in the world.

In the second verse of the song, the singer once again claims to have amazing abilities. He says that he can “fly like a bird in the sky” and “buy anything that money can buy.” He also says that he can “turn a river into a raging fire” and “live forever if [he] so desires.” These are all fantastical expressions that once again suggest that the singer has god-like powers. However, despite all these abilities, he is still unhappy because he can’t be with the one he loves. The final verse of the song is more introspective, as the singer admits that he is unable to do the things he wants to do. He says that these things are unimportant compared to his love for the woman he can’t be with.

Line by Line Meaning

I, my, my, my, my
I am the focus and subject of this song, and I am powerful

Oh I,
It is I who is speaking and expressing my capabilities

Can turn the gray sky blue, I
I have the ability to change my surroundings, even the color of the sky

You see I can make it rain, when I want it to, oh I
I am in control of things that are seemingly out of my control, like the weather

I can build a castle from a single grain of sand, I
I have the power to create something grand out of a small amount of resources

You see I can make a ship sail, on dry land tell 'em yeah
I have the ability to defy the laws of physics and make impossible things happen

I'm unhappy with all the powers I possess, yeah
Despite my great abilities, I am still unhappy and unfulfilled

Girl you're the key to my happiness and I
My true source of joy and fulfillment is not in my powers, but in this girl

(I can't get next to you, babe )
I am struggling to connect with this girl, who is the key to my happiness

(I can't get next to you)
Repeated again, emphasizing the difficulty I am having connecting with her

I've trying a long time
My struggle to connect with her has been ongoing and frustrating

(I can't get next to you, babe)
Repeated again, further emphasizing the struggle I am having connecting with her

(I can't get next you)
Once again, emphasizing my inability to connect with her

I don't know what to do
My inability to connect with this girl has left me feeling lost and unsure of how to proceed

I,
Returning to my own power and capabilities

Oh I,
Once again emphasizing the focus on myself and my power

I, oh Lord
Acknowledging a higher power that could limit my own abilities

I can fly like a bird in the sky, oh I
My power is seemingly limitless and I can even fly like a bird

And I can buy anything that money can buy, oh I
I have immense wealth and purchasing power

Can turn a river into a raging fire, oh I
My power is so great that I can change a river into a dangerous fire

And I can live forever if I so desire, yeah
My power even extends to immortality, if I choose

I'm unhappy with all the power I possess, yeah girl
Despite my vast power, I am still unfulfilled and seeking true happiness

'Cause girl your the key cause
Once again emphasizing that this girl is the key to my happiness

(I can't get next to you babe)
Returning to my difficulty in connecting with her

(I can't get next to you)
Again emphasizing my inability to connect with her

(I can't get next to you babe)
Repeating once again the difficulty I have connecting with her

Let me tell that
Transitioning into a new thought or intention

I can turn back the hands of time,
My power even extends to time travel, where I can change things in the past

You better believe I can, oh I
Asserting that my power to time travel is real and undeniable

You see I can take the season's change just by waving my hand, let me say I
My power extends to changing seasons, which I can control with a simple wave of my hand

I can change anything from old to new girl, oh I
I have the ability to turn anything old and worn into something new and fresh

All the things I want to do the most, you see, I'm unable to do, yeah
Despite my vast power, there are things I truly desire that are beyond even my own abilities

Unimportant these things that I'm trying to do here today
Acknowledging that the things I am attempting to do are ultimately unimportant

'Cause girl, you see, I
Reasserting my focus and dependence on this girl

(Can't get next to you babe)
Returning to my struggle to connect with her

I've been trying a long time
Emphasizing that my struggle to connect with her has been ongoing and difficult

(I can't get next to you)
Repeating again and again the difficulty I have in connecting with her

Oh somebody oughta help me
Expressing frustration and desperation in trying to connect with her

(I can't get next to you, babe)
Continuing to highlight the difficulty in connecting with her

Let me, let me go
Feeling trapped in my struggles to connect with this girl

(I can't get next to you)
Continuing to repeat my struggles to connect with her

I, Lord I've been working on it, baby
Acknowledging that I have been working hard to try and connect with her

I've been thinking about it
My struggles to connect with her have been consuming my thoughts

Oh I
Returning to my own power and abilities

But you see, I've been trying to call you all day long
My efforts to connect with this girl have been ongoing and persistent

But you see I don't have your phone number, honey, I
Despite my best efforts to connect with her, I am missing a crucial piece of information needed to make a connection

I've been, I've been, thinking about you baby, something awful
The intensity of my desire for her is consuming me

You see, I, oh I, sometimes I feel like I want to moan about it
My feelings for her are so intense that they are almost painful and overwhelming

And I, I don't just know what to say about it
Despite my intense feelings for her, I am at a loss for words to truly express them

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BARRETT STRONG, NORMAN WHITFIELD, NORMAN J. WHITFIELD

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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