Tony Rebel's career began in the 1980's, and was often seen performing with Sugar Minott's Youthman Promotion sound system. Rebel is responsible for introducing a young Garnett Silk (then known as Bimbo or Little Bimbo) to the sound. The two were closely linked until Silk's untimely death in 1994.
Tony Rebel's career was at its peak in the early 1990's, with such hit records as "Fresh Vegetable", "Sweet Jamaica" and the duet with Garnett Silk "Christian Soldiers". He remained prominent in the late 90's with the smash hit "If Jah" on the La La Bella riddim.
Tony Rebel still performs occasionally, but has focused most of his energy into the career of protege Queen Ifrica and his immensely popular, annual reggae festival in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica entitled Rebel Salute.
Success
Tony Rebel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Once more, the guerilla a talk
And you know when me talk me talk from the heart
'Cause a so me a do it from the start
Otherwise I can't, watch this
Chorus:
And every man haffi pay them tax
'Cause that's where success is at
And when you climb on the ladder
And you want reach the top
More time you end up inna stumbling block
A said serious something
A no joke I a crack
This is a chronological fact
Me no only want you dance
Me no only want you rock
Me want you listen what Rebel a chat
Say, a no no if a no no but a the only way out
You haffi work for the food what fi get inna you mouth
Step up up up up up in the right route
Prepare yourself Lord fi deal with the drought
'Cause it come from all angle, come from all 'bout
If a no the east, man a the west
If a no the north or south
But you fi galang galang without doubt
Chorus
'Cause every successful man will tell you say
A no today them a try, neither yesterday
But a the substance of faith make them getaway
And now a honor and glory fi see where them deh
So no give up the race when you inna the middle
Just remember a God a pilot you
'Cause no man mi know weh no go through struggle
But you must remember, good is over evil
Chorus
'Cause struggle it no new, long time it a go on
Long, long, long, long, long, long before I born
You haffi go through burry burry thistle and thorn
But after a storm there must be a calm
Today I see and yesterday me saw
Success is always governed by law
So if you want progress without problems
Just look for the laws and try apply them
Chorus
Nuff want go to heaven yet no want die
Them no want grow feather, yet them want fly
Them no want cut the tree, no want it fi spread
No want bus sweat, but want nyam the most bread
Can't work, can't work, that's why things so red
Unno fi you stop point the finger and do little instead
Chorus
So hold tight, steadfast, God alone can't bear the cross
Progress no cheap you must pay the cost
You haffi go through ticki ticki before the green grass
Chorus
The height that great men reach and kept
It never just come immediate
A true them work hard, a true them sweat
Jah Jah guide them through the valley of
The shadow of death
Is not a quiz you know what it is
Rebel just a talk figurative
Is just the life, weh we a live
We haffi turn 'roun the negs make them turn positive
Chorus
Say, a no no if a no no but a the only way out
You hatfi work for the food what fi get inna you mouth
Step up up up up up in the right route
Prepare yourself Lord fi deal with the drought
'Cause it come from all angle, come from all 'bout
If a no the east, man a the west
If a no the north or south
But you fi galang galang without doubt
Chorus
The lyrics of Tony Rebel's song "Success" is about the importance of hard work, perseverance, and dedication in achieving success in life. The song emphasizes the idea that success comes from paying one's dues and taxes, consistently working hard towards one's goals, and following the laws that govern success. The song also acknowledges the struggles and obstacles that one encounters along the way to success and the need to stay positive and keep pushing forward.
The first verse of the song talks about the importance of speaking truthfully and from the heart, emphasizing that this is how the artist has approached his career from the start. The chorus repeats the idea that everyone must pay their dues and taxes to achieve success and that it does not come without hard work.
The second verse emphasizes the importance of faith and staying strong in the face of adversity. The artist encourages listeners to persevere despite the struggles that come with the pursuit of success. The third verse encourages the listeners to focus on their actions, rather than pointing fingers and making excuses for their lack of progress.
Line by Line Meaning
Once more, the guerilla a talk
Tony Rebel speaks as a revolutionary with a strong and passionate voice.
And you know when me talk me talk from the heart
He speaks with authenticity and sincerity.
'Cause a so me a do it from the start
Tony Rebel has maintained this way of speaking since he started.
Otherwise I can't, watch this
There is no other way Tony can speak, he has to be true to himself.
Said every man haffi pay them dues
Every person has to pay their dues in life to achieve success.
And every man haffi pay them tax
Just as taxes are paid to the government, dues are paid to achieve success.
'Cause that's where success is at
Success is achieved through hard work and paying your dues.
And when you climb on the ladder
When you aim to move up in your career or life.
And you want reach the top
When you aim for the highest level of achievement.
More time you end up inna stumbling block
Difficulties and setbacks often occur when trying to achieve success.
A said serious something
Tony is discussing something important.
A no joke I a crack
This is not a laughing matter, it's a serious topic.
This is a chronological fact
This is proven through history and experience.
Me no only want you dance
Tony doesn't just want his audience to dance to his music.
Me no only want you rock
He doesn't just want them to enjoy his music with no deeper meaning.
Me want you listen what Rebel a chat
Tony wants his listeners to pay attention to his message.
Say, a no no if a no no but a the only way out
There is only one way out, and that is to face the challenge head-on.
You haffi work for the food what fi get inna you mouth
You have to work hard to earn your livelihood.
Step up up up up up in the right route
Take the necessary steps towards achieving your goal.
Prepare yourself Lord fi deal with the drought
Prepare to face hardships and challenges along the way.
'Cause it come from all angle, come from all 'bout
Challenges come from all directions.
If a no the east, man a the west
Difficulties can come from any direction.
If a no the north or south
Challenges can come from any compass point.
But you fi galang galang without doubt
Move forward with confidence and determination.
Every successful man will tell you say
Successful people will attest to this.
A no today them a try, neither yesterday
Success is not achieved overnight or without effort.
But a the substance of faith make them getaway
It's faith that helps a person achieve success.
And now a honor and glory fi see where them deh
They're now honored and respected for their achievements.
So no give up the race when you inna the middle
Don't give up when you're partway through your journey to success.
Just remember a God a pilot you
God is there to guide you on your journey.
'Cause no man mi know weh no go through struggle
Everyone experiences struggle and hardship in their journey to success.
But you must remember, good is over evil
Remain positive and perseverant to succeed.
Struggle it no new, long time it a go on
Struggle and hardship have been present for a long time.
Long, long, long, long, long, long before I born
It's been present for much longer than a single lifetime.
You haffi go through burry burry thistle and thorn
Difficulties and hardships are unavoidable obstacles on the path to success.
But after a storm there must be a calm
After facing difficulties and hardships, there will be peace and success.
Today I see and yesterday me saw
I see the results of hard work and success today that I couldn't see yesterday.
Success is always governed by law
Success is achieved by following certain laws and principles.
So if you want progress without problems
Alleviating problems during your journey to success can be achieved.
Just look for the laws and try apply them
Look for the laws and adopt them in your path to success.
Nuff want go to heaven yet no want die
People want the benefits of heaven, without the price of dying.
Them no want grow feather, yet them want fly
People want to fly without growing feathers.
Them no want cut the tree, no want it fi spread
People don't want to take necessary action, but still want results.
No want bus sweat, but want nyam the most bread
People want the reward without putting in the work.
Can't work, can't work, that's why things so red
The lack of effort is why things don't go well.
Unno fi you stop point the finger and do little instead
Stop placing blame and take action towards achieving success.
So hold tight, steadfast, God alone can't bear the cross
Remain strong and rely on your faith to help you through hardships.
Progress no cheap you must pay the cost
Achieving progress requires putting in effort and facing challenges.
You haffi go through ticki ticki before the green grass
You have to endure hardship before achieving success.
The height that great men reach and kept
Successful people have achieved great heights and maintained their success.
It never just come immediate
Success never comes without putting in hard work and effort.
A true them work hard, a true them sweat
Successful people have put in hard work and effort to achieve their success.
Jah Jah guide them through the valley of the shadow of death
God has guided them through struggles to achieve their success.
Is not a quiz you know what it is
Achieving success is not a question, you know what it is.
Rebel just a talk figurative
Tony Rebel is speaking metaphorically and figuratively.
Is just the life, weh we a live
This is just the life we are living, and the difficulties and struggles we have to face are part of it.
We haffi turn 'roun the negs make them turn positive
We have to turn negative situations into positive ones to achieve success.
Lyrics © Royalty Network Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: PATRICK BARRETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind