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.
King
UB40 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Chained and pacified
Tried in vain to show them how
And for that you died
You had a dream of a promised land
People of all nations walking hand in hand
But they're not ready to accept
King, where are your people now ?
Chained and pacified
Tried invain to show them how
And for that you died
The song "King" by UB40 is a tribute to Martin Luther King Jr., a renowned civil rights activist who dedicated his life to securing basic rights for African Americans. The lyrics bring out the despair and hopelessness felt by King as he fought tirelessly to bring about change. The opening line "King, where are your people now?" highlights the disappointment faced by King as African Americans remained chained and pacified despite his efforts to educate and inspire them to fight for their rights. The second line "Tried in vain to show them how" emphasizes the challenges faced by King as he tried to persuade his fellow African Americans to take a stand and fight for their freedom.
The third line in the song "And for that you died" is a direct reference to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4th, 1968. The lyrics suggest that the dream of a promised land, where people of all nations could walk hand in hand, was a vision that King had. Unfortunately, the world was not yet ready to accept this dream situation. It's a powerful and emotional song that reveals the pain and suffering that King felt as he fought for civil rights, only to be met with resistance, hostility, and ultimately, assassination.
Overall, "King" by UB40 is a powerful testimony to the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. It's a tribute to a man who gave his life for the cause of freedom, equality, and justice.
Line by Line Meaning
King, where are your people now ?
The singer questions the whereabouts of the followers of a leader who had a dream.
Chained and pacified
The people are oppressed and subdued, unable to act on their own accord.
Tried in vain to show them how
Despite the leader's efforts to educate and guide, the people remained resistant and uncomprehending.
And for that you died
The leader's idealistic convictions proved fatal, leading to his untimely death.
You had a dream of a promised land
The leader had a vision of an idyllic society free from strife, discrimination and oppression.
People of all nations walking hand in hand
The leader envisioned a peaceful world where everyone lived in harmony, regardless of nationality or ethnicity.
But they're not ready to accept
The people are unwilling to embrace the leader's utopian vision and resist any attempts to enlighten them.
That dream situation, yet
Despite the leader's hopes, the ideal society he foresaw has yet to be realized.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: CHRISTOPHER THORNTON, DIONDRIA THOMAS, KENNETH BARTOLOMEI, KEVIN CROWE, ERIK ORTIZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@karenpaterson8656
Saw UB40 many times. I left school in 1981 to join the unemployment queue and the wrath of Thatcherism. The music touches deep and has defined who I am and what I believe in today. I don't think today's music can do that.
@garrysullivan2531
sooo right karen i left in 1982 , todays music is no match !
@ezetobebad
Yeah, blame Thatcher for everything that is wrong in your life
@harryhopkins790
I've been listening to UB40 and ska since I first took interest in music at the age of about ten,Thatcher shut down the shipyards in my hometown of port Glasgow and with the stroke of a pen and put tens of thousands on the dole,it gave me my musical identity,power to you Karen,keep on listening girl.
@ezetobebad
@@harryhopkins790 Are you sure that it was not the fact that UK shipyards could not compete against Govt funded South Korean shipyards that was actually the cause of the shut down?
@ezetobebad
@@harryhopkins790 Also....Previous Labour govt closed down way more many coal mine than Thatcher ever did during her tenure.
@ashokatw
This is hands down my favorite UB40 song. So chill and so sad all at the same time. Beautiful. I hope we're ready to accept that dream situation now, all of us together.
@colindawson1363
I remember when this album came out, signing off - I was 13. I used to listen to this over and over again. A brilliant album and in my opinion the best album they ever did. It really touched on the lives of the youths in the uk, dealing with all the problems we had. And has it got any better? Still the same problems now as we had back then. Although I wasn’t keen on UB40 when they became a commercialised band and made it big in the charts, at least they got out and made it. A long way from putting 50p bits into the electric meter when they used to rehearse!
@MrRobertFarr
Mm ?
@MrRobertFarr
Signing off at 13. It's a big market. Government shall surely triumph.