U-Roy (born Ewart Beckford September 21, 1942 - died February 17, 2021) was… Read Full Bio ↴U-Roy (born Ewart Beckford September 21, 1942 - died February 17, 2021) was a Jamaican musician also known as The Originator and Hugh Roy. He was born in Jones Town, Jamaica.

U-Roy's musical career began in 1961 when he began DJing at various sound systems, eventually working with King Tubby. Tubby was then experimenting with his equipment, in the process of inventing dub music. With U-Roy as his most prominent DJ, King Tubby's new sound became extraordinarily popular and U-Roy became a Jamaican celebrity. He recorded Dynamic Fashion Way, his first recording, in 1969 for Keith Hudson and then worked with almost every producer of the island: Lee Perry, Peter Tosh, Bunny Lee, Phil Pratt, Sonia Pottinger, Rupie Edwards, Alvin Ranglin and Lloyd Daley.

In 1970, Jamaican singer John Holt became enamoured of U-Roy's technique. Working with Duke Reid, U-Roy's fame grew through a series of singles, including Wake the Town and "Wear You to the Ball".

U-Roy's success continued throughout the 1970s, most famously with the album Dread in a Babylon with its iconic picture of him disappearing in a cloud of cannabis smoke while holding an enormous pipe, and a song called Chalice in the Palace, fantasising about smoking with Queen Elizabeth II in Buckingham Palace. He had become one of the island's biggest stars by the early 1980s, also garnering significant acclaim in the United Kingdom. His latest album is 2000's Serious Matter.

Drive Her Home
U-Roy Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I give her the number 1 and I drive her home
I give her the number 2 and drive her home
When I give her the number 3
Said, ?Darling, I'm feeling free
Girl is close to mine and drive me home?

Give her the number 2 and drive her home
I give her the number 3 and drive her home

When I give her the number 4
Said, ?Darling, I don't love you no more
Girl is close to mine and drive me home?

Give her the number 2 and drive her home
I give her the number 3 and drive her home
When I give her the number 4
Said, ?Darling, I don't love you no more
Girl is close to mine and drive me home?

Drive me home, drive me home

Drive me home, yeah, drive me home
Girl is close to mine

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Drive Her Home" by U-Roy feature a man who is giving numbers to a woman and driving her home each time. As the numbers increase, his feelings towards her seem to change. When he reaches the number three, he tells her that he is feeling free, implying that their relationship is casual and he is not attached to her. However, by the time he reaches number four, he tells her that he no longer loves her. Despite this, the woman is still close to him and drives him home.

This song speaks to the idea of relationships and how they can evolve or devolve over time. Sometimes, relationships start off as casual and eventually develop into something more serious. However, in other cases, a relationship that starts off well can quickly deteriorate. The man in the song seems to be experiencing the latter, as he goes from expressing his freedom to declaring that he no longer loves the woman.

The lyrics are simple and straightforward, but they convey a poignant message about the ups and downs of relationships. The strong beat of the song adds to its emotional weight, as if the rhythm functions as a heartbeat of the relationship.

Line by Line Meaning

I give her the number 1 and I drive her home
I take a girl home and give her my phone number to contact me later.

When I give her the number 3 Said, ?Darling, I'm feeling free Girl is close to mine and drive me home?
When I give the girl my third phone number, I tell her that I feel liberated and she can now take me home.

Give her the number 2 and drive her home
I take another girl home and give her my second phone number.

When I give her the number 4 Said, ?Darling, I don't love you no more Girl is close to mine and drive me home?
When I give the girl my fourth phone number, I tell her that I no longer have feelings for her and she can now take me home.

Drive me home, drive me home Drive me home, yeah, drive me home Girl is close to mine
I want the girl who takes me home to drive me to my destination.

Contributed by Cole E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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