The band is one of the most culturally diverse dub Ska bands with musicians of English, Scottish, Irish, Yemeni and Jamaican parentage. The band is named from the paper form issued by the UK government's Department of Health and Social Security at the time of the band's formation for claiming unemployment benefit (UB40 = Unemployment Benefit, Form 40).
UB40 were influenced by the many Blues Parties they attended as teenagers in the multiracial Balsall Heath area of Birmingham, their love of ska and reggae inspired such original tracks as King, Madam Medusa, Food for Thought, Signing Off and One in Ten.
Their early music style was unique, with a heavy influence of analogue synthesizers, psychedelic rock guitar, saxophone and dub producer techniques which were later perfected by the late Pablo Falconer.
Ali and Robin Campbell have a musical heritage, being sons of Ian Campbell, a folk musician.
The band purchased its first instruments with compensation money Ali Campbell received after a bar fight. They have had a number of hits, most commercially and to amusement of the band, "Red Red Wine", a cover version of a Neil Diamond song (in an arrangement similar to that of Tony Tribe's version). Their most successful single release is the cover of the Elvis Presley ballad Can't Help Falling In Love which was intended to be the main title to the 1992 Sharon Stone movie Sliver and was a Number One hit across Europe and in the U.S.
Many of UB40's recordings were inspired by 1960s ska and early lovers rock songs that would have otherwise been forgotten in the public eye. Their new injection of life into so many old Jamaican hits has resulted in many musicians' and producers' renewed popularity and income.
UB40's early music often tackled social issues such as racism and unemployment.
Other artists that UB40 have collaborated with include: Pato Banton, Madness, Bitty McLean, Chrissie Hynde, Robert Palmer, Hunterz, Japanese artist Mikidozan, French artist Nuttea, Lady Saw and Afrika Bambaataa.
Holly Holy
UB40 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dream of only you
Well I am what I am,
what I believe in
Holly holy
Holly holy dreams
Wanting only you
Yes she comes
Holly holy
Sing, sing a song
Sing, sing a song of songs
Sing, sing it out loud
We'll sing a song
Let me hear you say, yeah, yeah - yeah
Call the sun in the dead of the night
And the sun will rise in the sky
Touch a man who can't walk upright
And the lame man, will be alright
And I fly
And I fly
Holly holy eyes
Wanting only you
And I see, will it be for everyone
Holly holy
The lyrics to UB40's song "Holly Holy" revolve around the idea of devotion and love for someone. The use of the phrase "Holly holy" as a repeated refrain serves as a mantra of sorts, representing something pure and divine that the singer is seeking. The opening lines, "Holly holy eyes, dream of only you," convey an intense desire for the person the singer is singing to, and the line "Wanting only you" in the chorus reinforces this idea. The verses, with lines such as "And I run just like the wind will," suggest a sense of urgency and excitement in pursuing this person.
The second half of the song takes a slightly different turn, with the lines "Call the sun in the dead of the night, and the sun will rise in the sky" and "Touch a man who can't walk upright, and the lame man will be alright" implying a sense of hope and optimism. The singer seems to believe in the power of love to heal and transform, and that this love can extend beyond just themselves and their desired partner to affect positive change in others.
Line by Line Meaning
Holly holy eyes
The persona admires someone with pure, innocent and divine eyes.
Dream of only you
The persona imagines being with the individual with the holy eyes in their dreams.
Well I am what I am, what I believe in
The persona is comfortable in their own skin, and true to their beliefs.
Holly holy
The persona emphasizes the pure and divine nature of the subject of the song.
Holly holy dreams
The persona's dreams only revolve around the individual with holy eyes.
Wanting only you
The persona's desire is solely focused on being with the individual with holy eyes.
Yes she comes
The persona anticipates the arrival of their love interest.
And I run just like the wind will
The persona expresses their eagerness to meet their love interest, and compares their excitement to that of the wind.
Sing, sing a song
The persona encourages everyone to sing, and express their happiness and joy together.
Sing, sing a song of songs
The persona suggests singing a song that is very meaningful and special to everyone.
Sing, sing it out loud
The persona urges everyone to sing loudly, and with enthusiasm.
We'll sing a song
The persona suggests singing a song together as a group.
Let me hear you say, yeah, yeah - yeah
The persona requests for everyone to yell out in unison with an excited expression.
Call the sun in the dead of the night
The persona expresses an optimistic attitude, believing that anything is possible, even something as impossible as calling the sun at night.
And the sun will rise in the sky
The persona expresses their belief that anything is possible, and if one has faith, they can accomplish anything they put their minds to.
Touch a man who can't walk upright
The persona suggests that anything is possible with enough faith and determination, and even a man who can't walk can be healed with a touch.
And the lame man, will be alright
The persona evokes biblical references, suggesting that miracles are possible with enough faith
And I fly
The persona is elated and filled with hope, and feels as though they can fly.
And I fly
The persona believes that anything is possible with faith and determination, and this is reinforced with the repetition of 'and I fly'.
Holly holy eyes
The persona again emphasizes the purity and divinity of the individual with holy eyes.
Wanting only you
The persona's sole desire is to be with the individual with holy eyes.
And I see, will it be for everyone
The persona is filled with hope, wanting others to experience the love they have for the individual with holy eyes.
Holly holy
The persona again reinforces the pure and divine nature of the individual with holy eyes.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Neil Diamond
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bull Shit
My favorite Band of all Times!
GhostChipsBs
Holly holy eyes
Dream of only you
Well I am what I am,
what I believe in
Holly holy
Holly holy dreams
Wanting only you
Yes she comes
And I run just like the wind will
Holly holy
Sing, sing a song
Sing, sing a song of songs
Sing, sing it out loud
We'll sing a song
Let me hear you say, yeah, yeah - yeah
Call the sun in the dead of the night
And the sun will rise in the sky
Touch a man who can't walk upright
And the lame man, will be alright
And I fly
And I fly
Holly holy eyes
Wanting only you
And I see, will it be for everyone
Holly holy
Odia Diedericks
I have the song as my ringtone ever since my husband died 7 years ago. I honestly think it is better than the original. I love UB40, my brother who lost his childhood sweetheart wife yesterday, gave me my love for reggae. I'm sending this to him. 💖 💖 💖 💖 💖 💖 💖
Odia Diedericks
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️I always think of my late husband when I hear this favourite song.
Trevor
Red Red Wine and Holly Holy, classics of Neil Diamond.