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.
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UB40 Lyrics
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Intelligent, we chat intelligent
Intelligent, we chat intelligent
Intelligent, we chat intelligent
Intelligent, we chat intelligent
Jackpot is when you win plenty at money
Jail is a place I don't want to go
Jealous is when five women fancy
But John is the proper name fe a English man
Jockey is a professional horse rider
Me sah June is the sixth month of the year
[Chorus]
An jam is when you can't move in a party
Mi say England is a place that covered in snow
Man we drink the ribeana wi don't no like drink beer
But Jelly fish Jahman mi say them swim in a the sea
Unless you born an bread as a Jamaican
The pirate them a gather round the Jolly Roger
Wi wackad as single but wi deadly as a pair
[Chorus]
No fe treatment go a hospital
I man pay de rent every Tuesday I man
You a Student if you a go to college
Dat a nuff argument mi say gunny an Pablo
Cause a two in a one Jah man a two in a one
Two in a one Jah man a two in a one
Two in a one Jah man a two in a one
Two in a one Jah man a two in a one
A say to move from the window
When you come a feh wi dance
But a Babylon pick mi up
And a think to myself
Cause I'm going to jail
Man is what a going to tell
me girl Jah know I man was
So I had to get reckless
Because a two in a one Jah
man a two in a one
Two in a one Jah man a two in a one
Two in a one Jah man a two in a one
Two in a one Jah man a two in a one
Two in a one Jah man a two in a one
Seh daddy Pablo a long with Gunslinger
Seh duw to the Circumstances pirate setah in the area
Listen to the style an when we throw down
Because a murder it name
Intelligent, we chat intelligent
Intelligent, we chat intelligent
The chorus of UB40's song "Two In A One Mk 1" refers to the importance of being knowledgeable and articulate in the ways one communicates with others. The repetition of the phrase "Intelligent, we chat intelligent" reinforces this theme, as the singer emphasizes the importance of being intelligent in how one speaks. The rest of the song's verses appear to be a series of disconnected phrases that all begin with a different letter of the alphabet. Each phrase appears to be a way to demonstrate one's intelligence by demonstrating knowledge of that letter of the alphabet. For example, the singer mentions a range of facts, from January being the first month of the year to Jellyfish swimming in the sea.
The song appears to be a celebration of Jamaican culture and language, with many of the phrases and words used being unique to the Jamaican dialect. The references to "Jahman" and "Babylon" also indicate a connection to Rastafarianism, a religious movement that is closely tied to Jamaican culture. The phrase "Two in a one Jahman" appears to be a reference to the importance of unity and working together, and the song encourages listeners to be smart and articulate in their interactions with others in order to achieve their goals.
Line by Line Meaning
Intelligent, we chat intelligent
We speak in an intelligent manner
Intelligent, we chat intelligent
We communicate intelligently
Intelligent, we chat intelligent
Our conversations are intelligent
Intelligent, we chat intelligent
We engage in intelligent discussions
Jackpot is when you win plenty at money
Winning a large sum of money is considered a jackpot
Jail is a place I don't want to go
I have no desire to end up in jail
January the first month of the year
January is the initial month of the year
Jealous is when five women fancy
One becomes jealous when multiple women express interest in someone
But John is the proper name fe a English man
John is a common name for an English man
Jockey is a professional horse rider
A jockey is a skilled rider of horses
Me sah June is the sixth month of the year
June is the sixth month in the calendar year, according to my dialect
An jam is when you can't move in a party
A jam occurs when there is minimal space to move or dance at a party
Mi say England is a place that covered in snow
I believe England is a country that experiences snowfall
Man we drink the ribeana wi don't no like drink beer
We prefer to drink ribena over beer
But Jelly fish Jahman mi say them swim in a the sea
Jellyfish are a type of sea creature that swim in the ocean, in my opinion
Unless you born an bread as a Jamaican
If you were not born and raised in Jamaica
The pirate them a gather round the Jolly Roger
A group of pirates assemble around the Jolly Roger
Wi wackad as single but wi deadly as a pair
We may not be a threat individually, but together we are powerful
No fe treatment go a hospital
There is no need to go to the hospital for medical attention
I man pay de rent every Tuesday I man
I pay my rent every Tuesday, as a Rastafarian
You a Student if you a go to college
One is considered a student if they attend college
Dat a nuff argument mi say gunny an Pablo
That is a significant disagreement between Gunny and Pablo, in my opinion
Cause a two in a one Jah man a two in a one
This situation involves two things that are combined
Two in a one Jah man a two in a one
Two things are unified into one entity
Two in a one Jah man a two in a one
This situation involves two things that have merged into a singular unit
Two in a one Jah man a two in a one
Two separate entities have become one united front
A say to move from the window
I advise leaving the window area
When you come a feh wi dance
When you attend our dance gathering
But a Babylon pick mi up
Unfortunately, authorities have apprehended me
And a think to myself, cause I'm going to jail
I am contemplating my impending imprisonment
Man is what a going to tell
I must inform my significant other of the situation
me girl Jah know I man was
I want my love interest to know that I am a devout Rastafarian
So I had to get reckless
I had to act recklessly due to the situation
Because a two in a one Jah man a two in a one
This situation involves combining two things into one entity, as a Rastafarian
Seh daddy Pablo a long with Gunslinger
Daddy Pablo accompanies Gunslinger
Seh duw to the Circumstances pirate setah in the area
The presence of a pirate is due to certain circumstances in the surrounding area
Listen to the style an when we throw down
Take note of our unique style when we perform
Because a murder it name
This is a powerful and impactful performance
Intelligent, we chat intelligent
We engage in intelligent conversations, as Rastafarians
Intelligent, we chat intelligent
Our discussions are insightful and intellectual, as Rastafarians
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALI CAMPBELL, BRIAN TRAVERS, EARL FALCONER, JIM BROWN, MICHAEL VIRTUE, NORMAN HASSAN, PATRICK CUNNINGHAM, PAUL FALCONER, ROBIN CAMPBELL, TERRENCE OSWALD WILSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kazamedia655
I can't believe that it's real
The way that you make me feel
A burning deep down inside
A love that I cannot hide
I know it's you and me baby
That makes this world go round
And keeping you in love with me babe
Laying all my troubles down
Here I am baby, come and take me
Here I am baby, come on and take me
Take me by the hand, ooh show me
Here I am baby
It always ends up this way
Me begging you every day
A love that I cannot have
You broke my heart in two halves
I know it's you and me baby
That makes this world go round
And keeping you in love with me babe
Laying all my troubles down
Here I am baby, come and take me
Here I am baby, won't ya come on and take me
Take me by the hand, ooh squeeze me
Here I am baby, ooh
Oh, here I am baby, come and take me
Here I am baby, won't ya come and take me
Take me by the hand, ooh show me
Show me what you can
Here I am baby, ooh won't ya take me
Take me by the hand
Take me by the hand
Ooh show me
Show me what you can
Here I am baby
Won't you take me by the hand
Take me by the hand
Take me while you can
Here I am baby
@resksmith8265
Whos listening in 2024
@Randomstaruni
Me
@hank_hdz
Me I do
@shoryt86
Me
@achmadadriadysyarsitaadi5695
Me....from Indonesia.
@chrisbyars4422
Yessiree! Still listening and loving this band!
@beautifulwatamu445
Damn, UB40, this guys could sing.......their music is timeless....
@FutureTrackZ86
Yuuppp.. ive listened to them since I was a child. I am now 34💪
@JamesNautica
💯
@m.rivers9201
so timeless in fact, that it was even better when I heard this song the first time performed by the original artist AL Green.