A reggae band formed 1978 in Birmingham, UK. The music grasps from roots re… Read Full Bio ↴A reggae band formed 1978 in Birmingham, UK. The music grasps from roots reggae and dub to lovers rock and pop. It is the second most commercial successful reggae band with +70 million sold albums. Many of their hits have been stylishly covers of early reggae and rocksteady hits from Jamaica. After success in UK, UB40's won USA with Labour of Love (1983), their first album of covers. UB40 was 1986 the first Western band to play behind the Iron Curtain, live in Moscow, Soviet Union. UB40 is known for hits as 'Food For Thought', (1980) 'Red Red Wine' (1983), 'Please Don't Make Me Cry' (1983), 'I Got You Babe' (1985) with frontman Ali Campbell in duet with Chrissie Hynde just like in 'Breakfast in Bed' (1988). Their most successful worldwide single release is their reggae/pop version of 'I Can't Help) Falling in Love With You' (1993).

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.

Just Be Good
UB40 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Just be good to each other...yeah
Donate some peace of mind
Invest in one another...yeah
A love of all mankind

Just be good to each other...yeah
You know we don't get long
It takes so much to recover...yeah

And we can't get it wrong

I'm the meanest, toughest, baddest boy in town
I'm a thief, a liar, one who hunts you down
The final word in justice, and i'll fill you full of hate
So down upon my knees, I am about
To seal you fate

If we're good to each other...yeah
If we just take the time
Treat all men as your brother...yeah
Everything will be fine

When we're good to each other...yeah
You can feel in your heart
The love that all lovers...yeah
When they're apart

I'm the biggest, richest, righteous and strong
Devil plays the tune, i'll make you sing my song
Finger on the button and my eyes are on the prize
In case you had forgotten, I'm a master of disguise

So be good to each other...yeah
And I trust you will find
On the road to discover...yeah
That true love is blind

A reformer coke addict, puppet on a string
My papa gives me credit, so I'm living like a king
Vengence will be mine, I will collect my dues
I'm a walking Armageddon so the world can
Sing the blues

Just be good to each other...yeah
Donate some peace of mind
Invest in one another...yeah
A love of all mankind

So be good to each other...yeah
And I trust you will find
On the road to discover...yeah
That true love is blind

yeah

Overall Meaning

UB40's song "Just Be Good" is essentially a call for harmony and kindness among humanity. The chorus of the song, which is repeated several times throughout the verses, simply states: "Just be good to each other, yeah / Donate some peace of mind / Invest in one another, yeah / A love of all mankind." The songwriters are saying that society would be a much better place if people could extend themselves to one another in positive ways, rather than indulging in hatred, greed, and other negative behaviors that lead to conflict and division.

But who are the two characters that appear in the verse sections of the song, and what is their relevance to the overall message? The characters are both exaggerated caricatures of "tough guys," one who labels himself the "meanest, toughest, baddest boy in town" and the other who believes himself to be "the biggest, richest, righteous and strong." These characters are used to draw a contrast between the type of behavior that society often values and the type of behavior that the song is advocating for. Instead of dominating others through fear and intimidation or trying to amass power and wealth at the expense of others, the song suggests that true strength and happiness come from treating others with kindness and respect.

The final lines of the song reiterate this message: "So be good to each other, yeah / And I trust you will find / On the road to discover, yeah / That true love is blind." The idea is that if we can all find it in ourselves to be good to one another, we will discover that the things that divide us -- things like race, nationality, religion, and politics -- are less significant than the things that unite us, namely our shared humanity and capacity for love.

Line by Line Meaning

Just be good to each other, yeah
Encourages people to treat each other well

Donate some peace of mind
Contributes to a peaceful and harmonious environment

Invest in one another, yeah
Values the relationships between individuals

A love of all mankind
Expresses universal love towards all people

You know we don't get long
Emphasizes the importance of time and making the most out of it

It takes so much to recover, yeah
Acknowledges the effort needed to heal from negative experiences

And we can't get it wrong
Stresses the significance of getting things right

If we're good to each other, yeah
Reiterates the importance of treating others well

If we just take the time
Encourages people to be patient and understanding

Treat all men as your brother, yeah
Calls for treating everyone with equal kindness and respect

Everything will be fine
Suggests that harmony will prevail if people are good to each other

You can feel in your heart
Emphasizes that treating others well can lead to emotional fulfillment

The love that all lovers, yeah
Refers to the genuine warmth and affection that is felt in good relationships

When they're apart
Highlights the importance of maintaining close connections with others

So be good to each other, yeah
Reiterates the need to treat others well

And I trust you will find
Believes that good deeds will be rewarded

On the road to discover, yeah
Encourages people to explore and find meaning in their lives

That true love is blind
Suggests that love is not dictated by physical appearance or superficial attributes

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JIM BROWN, ALI CAMPBELL, ROBIN CAMPBELL, EARL FALCONER, NORMAN HASSAN, BRIAN TRAVERS, MICHAEL VIRTUE, TERRENCE OSWALD WILSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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