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.

The Key
UB40 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Trenchtown Jamaica
Gave the Wailers their soun'
Like a steppin' razor
The Brother Tosh 'im come aroun'
Yellow Man and Eek-A-Mouse
Dem a trod 'pon newer groun
While Scratch and The Scientist
Dem jus' keep on mixin' down

The mighty General and Eastwood
Draw me out of my seat
The Lone Ranger ride in
To rock me 'pon me feet
The dreaded Flabba Holt and Style Scott
Start fe put down a radical beat
Wid Mistra Isaacs
Puttin' melodies so sweet.

Reggae Music is
The key to my heart
Reggae music is
My stop and start

From dusk to dawn
The music's my high.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to UB40's song "The Key" pay homage to the roots of reggae music and the impact it has had on its listeners. The first line, "Trenchtown Jamaica gave the Wailers their sound," is a reference to Bob Marley and the Wailers, who emerged from the impoverished Trenchtown neighborhood in Kingston in the 1960s and helped popularize reggae music worldwide with their spiritual and political messages. The next line mentions Tosh, or Peter Tosh, who was a member of the Wailers before embarking on a solo career, and is considered a reggae pioneer in his own right. The lyrics also name-check other key figures in the genre, including Yellow Man, Eek-A-Mouse, Scratch and The Scientist.

The second verse is a celebration of some of the other greats of reggae music, including General, Eastwood, Lone Ranger, Flabba Holt and Style Scott. These musicians are credited with producing a "radical beat" that can't help but get the listener up on their feet. UB40 goes on to sing about "Mistra Isaacs," whose melodies are "so sweet" and add yet another layer to the rich tapestry of reggae music.

The chorus declares that "Reggae Music is the key to my heart" and "Reggae music is my stop and start," meaning that it is always there as a source of comfort, inspiration, and motivation. The final line, "From dusk to dawn, the music's my high," reinforces the idea that reggae music is a constant companion that can lift one's spirits and provide solace during difficult times.

Line by Line Meaning

Trenchtown Jamaica
The birthplace of reggae music

Gave the Wailers their soun'
Provided the Wailers with their musical inspiration

Like a steppin' razor
A sharp and powerful force in the world of music

The Brother Tosh 'im come aroun'
Peter Tosh, a reggae musician, visited Trenchtown

Yellow Man and Eek-A-Mouse
Two popular reggae musicians

Dem a trod 'pon newer groun
They explore new genres and styles of music

While Scratch and The Scientist
Two reggae music producers

Dem jus' keep on mixin' down
They continue to create new and innovative music

The mighty General and Eastwood
Two influential reggae musicians

Draw me out of me seat
Their music is so powerful that it makes the listener get up and dance

The Lone Ranger ride in
Another popular reggae musician arrives