They recorded for the major Jamaican producers at the time, including Coxsone Dodd of Studio One fame. The Heptones had a number of Jamaican hits for Studio One, including "Pretty Looks Isn't All", "Fattie Fattie" and "I Hold the Handle." They went on to record with Joe Gibbs, Harry J (Harry Johnson), and Rupie Edwards. In 1977, they recorded "Party Time" for Lee Perry, one of Perry's finest productions, which included a version of Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released."
Sibbles left the group in 1977 to start a successful solo career. He was replaced by Naggo Morris. After Sibbles left, the group's popularity waned. The original trio reunited in 1995 and released Pressure! produced by Tappa Zukie
Only Sixteen
The Heptones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The Unfortunate Result Of Spare Time
You're Not The Only One
I was sad and lonely as can be
When an angel appeared in front of me
And she said to me "you're not the only one"
And i said "darlin', darlin' you don't understand
And she said to me "you're not the only one"
Well, we spend our lives in speculation, spend our time in thought
Try to estimate the value of every thing we bought
While the days keep gettin' shorter and the nights keep gettin' colder
And we're gettin' older
So let's not spend our time tryin' to make sense
Of all these things that make no, no difference
Or the consequence, " you're not the only one"
So we'll watch this world from a different point of view
With these angels watching over me and you
We keep them amused; we're not the only ones
The Heptones' song "Only Sixteen" is a captivating love song with deep and reflective lyrics that explore the complex emotions surrounding young love. The song starts with the singer describing his love interest as "just sixteen," and how his feelings for her are blooming despite her being younger than him. The chorus, "only sixteen, but I love her so," sets the tone for the song and highlights the central theme of young love.
The lyrics also delve deeper into the insecurities and doubts that often come with new relationships. The lines, "never thought I'd fall in love with a girl of her kind," suggest that the singer may have had preconceived notions about the type of person he would fall in love with, and perhaps his love interest does not fit this mold. Furthermore, the line, "after I kissed her, my heart was a-thumpin'," showcases the excitement and thrill of falling in love for the first time.
The song's overall message is one of young love triumphing despite societal or cultural expectations. While the pair's relationship may be unconventional due to their age difference or other factors, the singer affirms that they "won't give it up," and expresses a deep desire to continue building their love for years to come.
Line by Line Meaning
I was sad and lonely as can be
I was feeling extremely unhappy and without anyone to share my feelings with.
When an angel appeared in front of me
Someone who brought joy and positivity in my life suddenly appeared.
And she said to me 'you're not the only one'
The angel reassured me that I am not the only person experiencing difficulties and struggles in life.
And I said 'darlin', darlin' you don't understand
I tried to explain to the angel that my life isn't going according to my plans and she couldn't understand my predicament.
My life ain't turnin' out like I had planned'
My life is not progressing as I wished it to be, and I am feeling disheartened.
Well, we spend our lives in speculation, spend our time in thought
We invest most of our lives analyzing and contemplating things that don't help us overcome our problems.
Try to estimate the value of every thing we bought
We attempt to evaluate the worth of all the materialistic things we own, even when they don't contribute to our happiness or well-being.
While the days keep gettin' shorter and the nights keep gettin' colder
Time continues to move forward, and the situation around us keeps on deteriorating.
And we're gettin' older
We are aging every single day, and the clock is ticking for us to make the best of our lives.
So let's not spend our time tryin' to make sense
We should stop wasting our time and energy trying to comprehend things that are beyond our control.
Of all these things that make no, no difference
Things that don't matter to our growth and progress are not worthy of our attention and time.
Or the consequence, 'you're not the only one'
Regardless of the repercussions of our actions, we are not the only ones suffering, and others are also struggling.
So we'll watch this world from a different point of view
We will try to have a fresh perspective on life and perceive the world differently.
With these angels watching over me and you
We will have guardian angels looking out for us and guiding us to do the right thing.
We keep them amused; we're not the only ones
We can entertain our angels and keep them engaged with our actions while realizing that we are not the only people with obligations and responsibility.
Writer(s): SAM COOKE
Contributed by Christian W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Tyrone Osborne
At the peak of Rock steady and Leroy in his element , Coxone of course !
Beta Ray Bill
Famous Heptones cover of Sam Cooke's classic. 1967. πππππ
Stafford Skinhead
Great tune. I defy anyone to tell me of a better bass line.
Ziggy Gong
This isn't a B. Campbell composition; it's an reggae cover of a Sam Cooke song.
Tyrone Osborne
Sure ,it was a cover ,but it was well adapted to the Rock steady beat .
Pete Mantle
Sweet
TerryMarineBMF
Nice. Who's coming on all these rocksteady posts to "Unlike"? Mek me sit and wonder.
Jorge M
Maybe someone with a disastrous musical taste :-)
DealReal12
Jorge M probably some schmuck who thinks bonjerky the most overrated band ever deserves to be in the (now) Rock and Roll Hall of Shame.
In any case this record is ducking great!
Jorge M
DealReal12 so true!