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.
It's My Life
UB40 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I kiss you like I need you
Every night
I'll draw you close to me
I'll tell you words of comfort
It's my delight
Darling I've grown to love you
More every day
Each lonely night, oh yeah, oh yeah
Stronger than the north winds
Higher than the mountains
That's my love for you
And I will never hurt you
Nor will I forsake you
Darling be true
It's only a matter of time, oh yeah
Then all of my dreams will come true
In every way, oh yeah oh yeah
Stronger than the north winds
Higher than the mountains
That's my love for you
And I will never hurt you
Nor will I forsake you
Darling be true
It's only a matter of time, oh yeah
Then all of my dreams will come true
In every way, oh yeah oh yeah
The lyrics to UB40's song It's My Delight are about the love and devotion the singer has for their partner. They express their love by saying they love them and kiss them the way they want to, and draw them close to make them feel comfortable. The singer's love is strong and never-ending, which is emphasized by the line "stronger than the north winds, higher than the mountains." They promise not to hurt or leave their partner and ask them to be true to them. The singer believes that all their dreams will come true in time, as long as their love for each other remains strong.
The lyrics are straightforward and refreshing, emphasizing the importance of love and fidelity in a relationship. The simple melody and the catchy phrases make the song a delight to listen to and easy to sing along with. The depth of emotion and passion that can be felt in the lyrics add to the charm of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
I love you like I want you
I am expressing my feelings for you with passion and desire
And I kiss you like I need you
I show you how important you are to me through my affectionate actions
Every night
Consistently, without fail, as a way to express my love for you
I'll draw you close to me
I want to be physically close to you as a way to show my affection and love
I'll tell you words of comfort
I offer you words of encouragement, love, and support to ease any worries or fears you may have
It's my delight
Expressing my love and devotion to you brings me great joy and happiness
Darling I've grown to love you
My love for you has grown stronger and deeper over time
More every day
My love continues to grow and strengthen with each passing day
And I've got a song to sing
I have a deep and intense feeling of love that I want to express and share with the world
Each lonely night, oh yeah, oh yeah
My love for you is so strong that even in moments of loneliness, it brings me comfort and joy
Stronger than the north winds
My love for you is powerful and unwavering, like the strong winds that come from the north
Higher than the mountains
My love for you reaches great heights, like the peaks of mountains
That's my love for you
I am expressing the depth and extent of my love and devotion for you
And I will never hurt you
I am committed to treating you with love and respect, and will never intentionally cause you pain or harm
Nor will I forsake you
I will always be there for you, through thick and thin, and will never abandon you
Darling be true
I am expressing my trust and faith in your love and devotion to me
It's only a matter of time, oh yeah
Our love will continue to grow and strengthen with time
Then all of my dreams will come true
Through our love and devotion to each other, all of our hopes and dreams will be fulfilled
In every way, oh yeah oh yeah
Our love will touch and bless all aspects of our lives, bringing us joy and happiness
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRENT DOWE, RENFORD COGLE, TREVOR MCNAUGHTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jo Brick
I loved this song, ub40 are great
Niua Rtm
It's the green not ub40
Chamika Mendis
Love this ❣️
Donna Beattie
❣️
Ilimacu Matalau
Sounds even better after 6 bottles Fiji Gold ...bula UB 40
Chigwe Sibanyama
Gorgeous song this...
Cheikh Tidiane NDAO
Chigwe Sibanyama Thx:)
Chigwe Sibanyama
Welcome, Cheikh...
Roger got Stoned
Under rated.
Nena Gonzalez
Very very good (chile)