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.
Look at Me
UB40 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was running free but it took so long
So long in fact that I
Can't remember why
I couldn't say goodbye
If you ask yourself, did I think of you
Oh so many times if you only knew
In dreams your kiss I'd steal
When nothing else was real
Far away from home everything's so clear
[Chorus:]
I'll tell you something if only I had known
The end of every day
No matter what you say
Some how you always pay
Look at me, don't give up yet
When you're all alone; no one else can hear
The loudest loneliness
Therefore I must confess
I'm full of emptiness
Full up on nothing I can call my own
[Chorus:]
What you see is what you get
Things just like they used to be
I've been missing you and me
In UB40's song "Look at Me", the lyrics convey a sense of regret and introspection as the singer reflects on their past actions and their impact on their relationship. The first verse begins with the singer acknowledging their mistakes and accepting blame for the end of their relationship. They admit that they were "running free", but it took a long time before they realized that they were in the wrong, and by that point, it was too late to save the relationship. The singer then reflects on the times they had thought of their ex-partner, realizing that they had been too focused on themselves to realize the value of the relationship they had lost.
The second verse sees the singer exploring their own loneliness and emptiness since their relationship ended. They recognize that, even when surrounded by others, they still feel alone, and they confess that they have nothing to call their own. This sense of isolation is matched with a yearning for the past as the singer misses the way things used to be, and longs for the connection they once shared with their partner.
Overall, "Look at Me" is a poignant exploration of regret, loneliness, and loss. It highlights the importance of valuing the relationships we have while we have them, and not realizing their worth only when they're gone.
Line by Line Meaning
Blame it all on me, you did nothing wrong
I take responsibility for the way things turned out. You didn't do anything wrong.
I was running free but it took so long
I was living life to the fullest, but it took me a while to realize the impact of my actions.
So long in fact that I
It took me so long to recognize the harm I was causing.
Can't remember why
I lost sight of why I was doing what I was doing.
I couldn't say goodbye
I wasn't able to bring myself to say goodbye to you.
If you ask yourself, did I think of you
If you ever wondered if I thought about you, the answer is yes.
Oh so many times if you only knew
I thought of you often, more than you could imagine.
Knew how you made me feel
I remembered the way you made me feel when we were together.
In dreams your kiss I'd steal
I would dream about your kisses and hold onto them in my mind.
When nothing else was real
In my dreams, the only real thing was the love between us.
Far away from home everything's so clear
When I was away from home, I gained perspective on what was important to me.
I'll tell you something if only I had known
If I had known what I know now, I would have done things differently.
The end of every day
At the end of each day, I regretted my actions.
No matter what you say
No matter what you told me, it didn't change my behavior.
Some how you always pay
You always suffered the consequences of my actions.
Look at me, don't give up yet
Don't give up on us, please look at me and see my regret.
When you're all alone; no one else can hear
When you're alone, you feel the loneliness more than anyone else can understand.
The loudest loneliness
The pain of loneliness can be deafening.
Therefore I must confess
I have to admit that I was wrong and caused you pain.
I'm full of emptiness
I feel empty inside, even with all the things going on around me.
Full up on nothing I can call my own
I have everything but nothing that really belongs to me.
What you see is what you get
I am who I am, for better or for worse.
Things just like they used to be
I miss the way things were between us in the past.
I've been missing you and me
I've been longing for the relationship we used to have.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: JIM BROWN, ALI CAMPBELL, ROBIN CAMPBELL, EARL FALCONER, NORMAN HASSAN, BRIAN TRAVERS, MICHAEL VIRTUE, TERRENCE OSWALD WILSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Carlos Sérgio
Uma das melhores bandas de todos os tempos.
Música Top demais....
Good Life
An exceptional song, very underrated. It's a shame the original posse couldn't have stayed together.
Rebeca SP
When I was 11 my grandma died, it was horrible for me, and nowadays I can remeber how much this song helped me to overcome her absence....
I didn't even know the meaning of the lyrics, but....
This year are 10 years without her and every time I listen this I remeber her ♥
Eric Coates
I love this song so much. UB-40 brings out very good music. Keep up the good work UB-40
Kwestion01
I must agree that this is one of their best songs!!! Y wasn't this ever released?
Kwestion01
One of the best songs ever!!!
sabbus chitambo
Ali's voice made me love myself when I did the imitation. I felt I had the whole world in my heart. You.made me over come alot of obstacles I'm my life
Jesse Page
I LOVE this song
Kwestion01
Ali should sing this song live, man has a great voice
rene lim
ub 40 still great reggae band .