The son of a preacher, Winston was born in 1957, in the hills of Manchester… Read Full Bio ↴The son of a preacher, Winston was born in 1957, in the hills of Manchester parish, near Christiana, in Jamaica. His parents were very fond of music and it was only natural for him to sing in church. After his father died in 1971, Winston left his native home and moved to Kingston, where his sister was a teacher. In this new city environment, he became friend with Hugh Mundell, Earl Sixteen and Wayne Wade. Because he was sure of their talent, he went with them to their first auditions and even wrote some of their first songs, like Earl Sixteen's "Malcolm X", later taken up by Dennis Brown. From 1975 on, after introducing his friends to famous producers such as Joe Gibbs, Derrick Harriott and Yabby You, Winston recorded several songs for Derrick Harriott, which in 1977 gave birth to his first album: "Pick Hits to Click". Soon after, in 1980, Winston recorded a second album, "What a Man a Deal With", for Top Ranking, label of the group Inner Circle (Ian Lewis and Bernard Touter Harvey). He was very close to Jacob Miller, with whom he shared the same energy and enthusiasm, and was even approached to replace his friend in the band after his tragic death... In 1986, he recorded another album with Inner Circle, "Electric Dread", produced by Keneith Black. The same year, he created his own band, The Black Kush, along with his brother Tony "Makaruffin" McAnuff - now pursuing his career in Japan where he's been living for 15 years - Anthony Wilson and the bassist Peter Kush. They recorded 2 singles for Channel One, featured in the English documentary "Deep Roots Series" and toured in Europe. Since then, Winston has played with his children (the eldest being a drummer, the second a D.J. and the youngest a singer) as well as with other young musicians, like the members of Gumtion Band, a Kingston band with a solid reputation. He has also travelled a lot. He's been to Japan - where he toured several times with his brother and more recently with Derrick Harriot and Junior Murvin -, to the United States in 1987 - where he co-featured with Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas in "Miami Vice" (episode 72, "The Big Thaw", in which Japanese guys freeze an imaginary equivalent of Bob Marley!!!) -, but also to England, France and anywhere Reggae calls him... In 1999, he met the future Makasound crew, a label born in 2001. Since then, Makasound reissued two of his albums, "Diary of the Silent Years" (in its second release between your hands) and "What a Man Deal with". In 2002, he shared the New Morning stage with Derrick Harriot for a unique concert. Since then, Winston also participated in two of Horace Andy and his Home Grown Band national tours, as well as in many isolated concerts and sound-systems. In the meanwhile, Winston recorded a dozen titles for English producer Mad Professor, an album with producer Gussie P ("Bless Up" to be released soon), and another with French dubber Manutension from the Improvisator Dub crew. He also made a featuring on two tracks from Nzela latest album, "Toyé", released in April 2005. In 2002, the live at the New Morning was the occasion of a surprising encounter between Electric Dread and Camille Bazbaz, that would give birth, 3 years later, to the amazing album "A Drop: Winston McAnuff & the Bazbaz Orchestra" (Black Eye / Discograph - 2005), released the 23rd of May 2005. An album recorded between France and Jamaica that now sends Winston McAnuff and the Bazbaz Orchestra on the roads of France.

"NEW ALBUM " PARIS ROCKIN' IS OUT NOW
so Winston McAnuff is ON TOUR promoting his current release.

myspace.com/winstonmcanuff

Punky Rock 1
Winston McAnuff Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Don't let them fight you down.
You're gonna end up.
Like John Brown the clown.
Hanging around town.
Don't let them fight you down.
Don't let them figth you down.
Don't let them fight you down.

Punk if you punkin'.
Skank if you skankin'.
Knoots is you knostin'.
Roots, roots if you rootsin'.

Say let the world see what you're feeling inside.
The true feeling of love that you cant' hide.
Throw all your blues and your troubles behind.
Cause when we're punkin' we're committing no crime.
We're gonna punk it till the feeling allright.

Punky punky punky punky punky.
Punk it ina London town.
Punky punky punky punky punky.
Round and round and round.
Punky punky punky punky punky.
Late at night and early morning too.

Love me if you lovin'.
Kiss me now.
Kiss me if you kissin'.
Knots if you knostin'.
Roots, roots if you rootsin'.

Say let the world see what you're feeling inside.
Show your feeling of love that you can't hide.
Throw all your blues and you troubles behind.

Cause when we're punkin' we committing no crime.
We're gonna punk it till the feeling allright.
Punky punky punky punky punky.
In a morning.
Punky punky punky punky punky.

Punk if you punkin'.
Skank if you skankin'.

Knots is you knostin'.
Roots if you rootsin'.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Winston McAnuff's song Punky Rock 1 tells the listener to not let anyone bring them down or discourage them from being true to themselves. The repeated phrase "Don't let them fight you down" serves as a reminder to stay strong and not let negativity consume one's thoughts. McAnuff references John Brown the clown, a real-life clown who is said to have committed suicide due to depression and feeling like he didn't belong. This line emphasizes the importance of mental health and how damaging it can be when one feels out of place or forced to conform to societal norms.

The chorus encourages dancing and celebrating individuality. "Punk if you punkin'" and "Root if you rootsin'" are invitations to dance and express oneself freely without fearing judgment. The lines "Say let the world see what you're feeling inside" and "Show your feeling of love that you can't hide" remind the listener to be genuine and open with their emotions, expressing themselves truthfully. In essence, the song is a call for authenticity and freedom of self-expression.

Line by Line Meaning

Don't let them fight you down.
Don't allow others to discourage you or bring you down.

You're gonna end up.
You'll get to where you're going if you stay persistent and don't give up.

Like John Brown the clown.
Refers to John Brown who was a clown who hung himself in a circus tent in the late 19th century, indicating that being pushed too far can result in negative consequences.

Hanging around town.
Being idle or not actively pursuing one's goals or ambitions.

Punk if you punkin'.
Be yourself and do what makes you happy, regardless of other people's expectations or opinions.

Skank if you skankin'.
Dance in your own unique way and express yourself freely.

Knoots is you knostin'.
Embrace your individuality and be proud of who you are.

Roots, roots if you rootsin'.
Stay true to your cultural heritage and celebrate your roots and traditions.

Say let the world see what you're feeling inside.
Express your emotions openly and authentically, without fear of judgment or rejection.

The true feeling of love that you can't hide.
Share your love and affection with others and don't keep it bottled up inside.

Throw all your blues and your troubles behind.
Let go of your worries and don't let them define or control you.

Cause when we're punkin' we're committing no crime.
Being yourself and doing what you love isn't wrong, even if it goes against societal norms or expectations.

We're gonna punk it till the feeling allright.
Keep doing what makes you happy until you feel truly fulfilled and satisfied.

Punky punky punky punky punky.
A repetition of the word 'punky' used to express enthusiasm and excitement towards the punk rock culture.

Love me if you lovin'.
Only show affection to those who reciprocate your love and respect.

Kiss me now.
Express your desire for intimacy and connection with others.

Kiss me if you kissin'.
Show love and affection without restraint or hesitation.

Knots if you knostin'.
Embrace your unique quirks and idiosyncrasies, as they make you who you are.

Roots, roots if you rootsin'.
Celebrate your cultural heritage and traditions, even if they go against mainstream culture.

In a morning.
Expressing the joy and excitement felt during a new day, with opportunities to pursue one's dreams and ambitions.

Contributed by Kaylee K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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