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.
So Here I Am
UB40 Lyrics
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And it's a sunny day.
It's just too hot to be working
But you've got to pay your way.
So here I am sitting at the bus stop
Wishing I was somewhere else
Where I didn't have to work my rocks off
Ten hours a day I'm grafting
Under the bosses eye,
Earn just enough to keep going,
Making cars I'll never buy.
So here I am sitting...
Five days a week I'm giving,
My time is clocking on.
Just two days left for living,
Wondering where my life has gone.
So here I am sitting...
The lyrics of UB40's song "So Here I Am" explore the feelings of a working-class individual who is dissatisfied with their routine and mundane life. The song begins with the singer describing a typical Monday morning, where the sun is shining, but they still find it overwhelmingly hot to be working. The lyrics suggest that the singer feels trapped in their job and that it is a means of paying their way, but not necessarily something they enjoy.
The chorus of the song sees the singer sitting alone at a bus stop, daydreaming about being somewhere else, where they would not have to work as hard and could spend their time as they wish. The second verse of the song highlights the singer's daily routine of working ten-hour shifts, under the boss's watchful eye, just to earn enough money to keep going. The line "Making cars I'll never buy" emphasizes that the singer's work is not fulfilling and does not allow them to acquire the fruits of their labor.
The third verse repeats the themes of time and the monotony of working life. The singer states that their workweek is five days long, and they are left with only two days for any enjoyment. The final line, "Wondering where my life has gone," encapsulates the song's overarching feeling of the singer being stuck in a rut and questioning the path their life has taken.
Overall, "So Here I Am" is a poignant commentary on the struggles of working-class life and the dissatisfaction that can arise from routine, mundane work.
Line by Line Meaning
Seven on a Monday morning.
It's early Monday morning, around 7 AM.
And it's a sunny day.
The weather is bright and sunny.
It's just too hot to be working
The weather is hot, making it uncomfortable to work.
But you've got to pay your way.
Despite the discomfort, work must be done to make money.
So here I am sitting at the bus stop
The artist is currently sitting at a bus stop.
Wishing I was somewhere else
The singer wishes they were in a different location.
Where I didn't have to work my rocks off
The singer wishes they didn't have to work extremely hard.
Wishing I could please myself.
The artist wishes they had more control over their own life.
Ten hours a day I'm grafting
The artist works for ten hours every day.
Under the bosses eye,
The artist's boss is watching them closely.
Earn just enough to keep going,
The singer makes enough money to live, but not much more.
Making cars I'll never buy.
The artist's job involves making things that they will never be able to purchase.
Five days a week I'm giving,
The singer works five days every week.
My time is clocking on.
The singer feels like they are wasting time by working.
Just two days left for living,
The singer only has two days per week to enjoy themselves.
Wondering where my life has gone.
The artist is feeling lost and uncertain about their life.
So here I am sitting...
The artist is still sitting at the bus stop, feeling unhappy with their situation.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, 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
Gabriela Menichini
Seven on a Monday morning.
And it's a sunny day.
It's just too hot to be working
But you've got to pay your way.
So here I am sitting at the bus stop
Wishing I was somewhere else
Where I didn't have to work my rocks off
Wishing I could please myself.
Ten hours a day I'm grafting
Under the bosses eye,
Earn just enough to keep going,
Making cars I'll never buy.
So here I am sitting...
Five days a week I'm giving,
My time is clocking on.
Just two days left for living,
Wondering where my life has gone.
So here I am sitting...
lisamacgen
Used to have this on tape as a kid... luv it
throwabrick
It was the first tape I had that was white. It really stuck out in the collection. :)
Smithy Gamer123
Absolute forgotten gem,before the commercial stuff got going,thanks for uploading.
Gabriela Menichini
Seven on a Monday morning.
And it's a sunny day.
It's just too hot to be working
But you've got to pay your way.
So here I am sitting at the bus stop
Wishing I was somewhere else
Where I didn't have to work my rocks off
Wishing I could please myself.
Ten hours a day I'm grafting
Under the bosses eye,
Earn just enough to keep going,
Making cars I'll never buy.
So here I am sitting...
Five days a week I'm giving,
My time is clocking on.
Just two days left for living,
Wondering where my life has gone.
So here I am sitting...
lee mappley
Beautiful 👍👍
Bull Shit
smooth gangsta shit, Love it
GriefTourist
Late summer of '82 when life was a bit simpler than it is now
Dan Holt
I still have my very stretched cassette of this album
Gary Randall
Is it about Longbridge Car Plant?
Ger'snake Hughes
Gutted it's not available