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.

Until My Dying Day
UB40 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Now I know your secret
I promise that I'll keep it
So confidentially
Between just you and me, I'll never leak it

I'm the specialist
I know you can't resist
I'll bypass your alarm

No need to twist my arm, I insist

If you're looking for a war
There's a market for betrayal
Don't ask me what I saw
Ya know my secrets not for sale
Don't ask me what I heard
Ya know I promised not to say
I said I'd never breathe a word
Until my dying day

Well seeing is believing
No use in your deceiving
For now I know it's true
It's you that holds the clue, I'll be leaving

Now I've got to say goodbye
You understand I have to fly
When you get the third degree
And the truth don't set you free, You've got to lie

If you're looking for a war
There's a market for betrayal
Don't ask me what I saw
Ya know my secrets not for sale
Don't ask me what I heard
Ya know I promised not to say

I said I'd never breathe a word
Until my dying day

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of UB40's song "Until My Dying Day" speak of a promise to keep a secret. The singer assures the person they are addressing that they will not reveal the information they possess, as they are a specialist in keeping things confidential. They state that they will not be swayed, even if they are pushed to reveal the information. The person who confided in them is warned against deception, as the truth will come out eventually.

The singer speaks of leaving, as they cannot bear the burden of knowing the secret any longer. They warn the person who confided in them that they will have to lie when the truth doesn't set them free. The song ends with the repetition of the promise to keep the secret until the singer's dying day.

The lyrics of "Until My Dying Day" seem to highlight the importance of keeping promises and the trust that can be built between people when they confide in each other. It also speaks to the difficulties that can arise when someone holds a secret that they can't share, and the toll it can take on them.

Line by Line Meaning

Now I know your secret
I have become aware of something confidential that only you know

I promise that I'll keep it
I am making a commitment to not reveal your secret to anyone

So confidentially
I will keep this information private, even from those closest to me

Between just you and me, I'll never leak it
I will only share this information with you and myself, and I will never reveal it to anyone else

I'm the specialist
I am highly skilled in keeping secrets and maintaining confidentiality

I know you can't resist
I know that you trust me to keep your secret safe and that you won't be able to find anyone better suited to keep it a secret

I'll bypass your alarm
I will find a way to keep your secret secure, even if you have taken precautions to protect it

No need to twist my arm, I insist
I am willing and eager to keep your secret secure without any persuasion necessary

If you're looking for a war
If you are looking for conflict, there are people who are willing to betray your trust

There's a market for betrayal
There are people who will sell out others' secrets for their own gain

Don't ask me what I saw
I cannot answer your questions regarding what I may have witnessed that pertains to your secret

Ya know my secrets not for sale
I have my own secrets and values, and selling/telling someone else's secret for personal gain goes against them

Don't ask me what I heard
I cannot tell you what I may have overheard regarding your secret

Ya know I promised not to say
I have already made a promise to you not to reveal your secret, and I intend to keep that promise

I said I'd never breathe a word
I made a commitment to keeping your secret to myself, and I will not break that commitment

Until my dying day
I will maintain the confidentiality of your secret for as long as I live

Well seeing is believing
I have uncovered evidence that confirms what I previously suspected to be true

No use in your deceiving
There is no point in you continuing to lie or hide the truth regarding your secret

For now I know it's true
I now have concrete evidence that confirms your secret to be true

It's you that holds the clue, I'll be leaving
You are the only one who knows the full details of your secret, and so I will leave you to deal with it accordingly

Now I've got to say goodbye
I need to part ways with you now that I am aware of your secret

You understand I have to fly
You are aware that I cannot stay in your presence now that I know your secret, as it goes against my promise to keep it a secret

When you get the third degree
When you are questioned closely or intensely regarding your secret

And the truth don't set you free, You've got to lie
If the truth does not bring relief or absolve guilt, it may be necessary to continue lying about the secret

Lyrics © 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

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS