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.

She Caught The Train
UB40 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Another night of loneliness
My love is gone
She made a fuss and she was wrong
Yet she is gone

I asked her friends if they'd seen her
They said she'd take the train
I run to catch the train

Oh my, the train is gone

Another night of loneliness
My love is gone
She made a fuss and she was wrong
Yet she is gone

I asked her friends if they'd seen her
They said she'd take the train
I run to catch the train
Oh my, the train is gone

Another night of loneliness
My love is gone
She made a fuss and she was wrong
Yet she is gone

I run to catch the train
Oh my, the train is gone

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to UB40's She Caught The Train can be interpreted as a sad tale of a man who has lost his love. He is alone and feels the pain of his loss. He states that she has caused trouble and was wrong, but he still mourns her departure. The man is shown to be desperate to find her and he turns to her friends to inquire about her whereabouts. They tell him that she has taken the train and he rushes to catch it but misses it by mere seconds. The story continues with the man being filled with regret and experiencing another night of loneliness.

The repetition of "another night of loneliness" underscores the man's extreme sadness and emptiness. The imagery of a train leaving without him is particularly impactful in that it is a metaphor for his inability to catch up with his love, a representation of his profound loss. The lyrics could also be interpreted to be symbolic of life where sometimes things don't go as planned and we're left standing alone, regretting the errors of our ways. It also shows that no matter how much we may search for something or someone, sometimes it may not be found.

Line by Line Meaning

Another night of loneliness
The singer is feeling lonely again.

My love is gone
The singer's lover has left them.

She made a fuss and she was wrong
The singer's lover caused a scene and was in the wrong.

Yet she is gone
Despite being wrong, the artist's lover has still left them.

I asked her friends if they'd seen her
The artist is trying to find out where their lover went.

They said she'd take the train
The lover's friends told the singer that they took the train.

I run to catch the train
The singer goes to try and catch the train.

Oh my, the train is gone
The artist was not able to catch the train and their lover has already left them.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: JOE MANSANO

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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