Earlan Bartley (born December 19, 1993), better known as Alkaline, is a Jam… Read Full Bio ↴Earlan Bartley (born December 19, 1993), better known as Alkaline, is a Jamaican Dancehall and Reggae musician from Kingston, Jamaica.
Alkaline is an artist with high influence among the youth in the Dancehall realm.
He is known for his elusive character and aggressive hip-hop influenced style in his music which artistically captures the core of the genres past whilst embodying the diversity of Modern Dancehall.

Bartley began recording at the age of 16, and using the stage name Alkaline. He became popular in Jamaica in 2013 with a series of singles like "123", "High Suh", "Bruk Out", "Things Mi Love" and "Live Life". His live shows have sometimes been controversial, in February 2016 an object was thrown at him with a bottle while on stage in St. Lucia, responding by throwing the bottle back at the offender.

Burning Up
alkaline Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Wi burn, wi burning up
Wi burn, wi burning up
Burn, wi burning up
And all dem a pree we wi no give a f
Dem grudge wi caw wi burn, wi burning up
Wi hot and wi full up a style so much

Burn, wi burning up

And all dem a pree we wi no give a f
Mi God what a calamity Jordan
Dutty people no waan wi fi live long
A mussi true wi boasty and hype
Caw wi don′t beg nothing not even pardon
Weh yuh a watch mi fa mi no love man
If is a man yuh a look this a the wrong station
Wa yuh a do and try fi even up
No join fast yo must stop
Know yo place man
Wi a shot a mussi that a mad dem
Wi no regular a wi own a money wi spend
Dem a watch every thing weh wi do
But member wa haffi we cyaa be fi dem
When mi seh floss a no fi mi teeth dem
Cause anyweh wi go wi pocket give dem problem
When mi piss answer fi draw near
More time mi haffi wonder a wa so sweet dem
It burn the fer dem true wi no broke again
Pray fi we mash up but it nah happen
True wi a shot, true wi a shot and it a show
Anything weh wi touch wi full it up a bullet hole
Look pon the tire if yuh waan si how wi roll
Every body a wonder how wi hot so

All mi deh yah a wonder mi self to
To how mi hot mi could a catch the fever and no know

Overall Meaning

In Alkaline's song Burning Up, the Jamaican dancehall artist talks about the jealousy and envy he encounters because of his success. He uses the metaphor of burning up to describe his hotness, his fullness of style, and his shooting skills. The chorus repeats two lines – "Wi burn, wi burning up / Burn, wi burning up" – which highlight the song's theme of being too hot to handle. Alkaline emphasizes that he and his crew won't give a f*ck about the haters who grudge them. He accuses the dirty-minded people of wishing bad on them and explains that their flashy and arrogant behavior doesn't come from a place of weakness or need. Alkaline dismisses those who try to even up with him and warns them to know their place before they get shot.

The verses of Burning Up clarify some of the reasons why Alkaline's enemies fear him. He says that he and his crew only spend their own money, regardless of what others might watch or judge. He doesn't floss for show, but his mere presence and aura create problems wherever he goes. Alkaline suggests that it's sweet to be him because he's hot, he rolls with a bullet-proof tire, and he's wondered by everyone. However, he's also wary of catching a fever, which could imply a loss of control or a vulnerability. Burning Up, therefore, is a song that expresses both confidence and caution, both pride and humility, both defiance and respect.

Line by Line Meaning

Wi burn, wi burning up
We are on fire

Wi hot and wi full up a style so much
We are confident and full of style

And all dem a pree we wi no give a f
We don't care about people who are envious of us

Dem grudge wi caw wi burn, wi burning up
They are jealous of us and that's why we are successful

Mi God what a calamity Jordan
Oh my God, there is a big problem here

Dutty people no waan wi fi live long
Dirty people don't want us to live long

A mussi true wi boasty and hype
It must be true that we are confident and boastful

Caw wi don’t beg nothing not even pardon
We don't ask for anything, not even forgiveness

Weh yuh a watch mi fa mi no love man
Why are you watching me? I am not interested in men

If is a man yuh a look this a the wrong station
If you are looking for a man, you are in the wrong place

Wa yuh a do and try fi even up
What are you trying to do? You can't compete with us

No join fast yo must stop
Don't try to be like us, you have to stop

Know yo place man
Understand your position in life

Wi a shot a mussi that a mad dem
We are successful and that's why they are crazy

Wi no regular a wi own a money wi spend
We are not ordinary, we spend our own money

Dem a watch every thing weh wi do
They are observing everything we do

But member wa haffi we cyaa be fi dem
But remember we don't have to be anything for them

When mi seh floss a no fi mi teeth dem
When I say I am flossing, it's not about my teeth

Cause anyweh wi go wi pocket give dem problem
Our success bothers them wherever we go

When mi piss answer fi draw near
When I am angry, be careful

More time mi haffi wonder a wa so sweet dem
Sometimes I wonder why people are so sweet to me

It burn the fer dem true wi no broke again
Our success upsets them because we are not poor anymore

Pray fi we mash up but it nah happen
They are praying for our downfall, but it won't happen

True wi a shot, true wi a shot and it a show
It's true we are successful, and it shows

Anything weh wi touch wi full it up a bullet hole
Everything we touch turns to gold

Look pon the tire if yuh waan si how wi roll
Look at our cars, if you want to see how we roll

Every body a wonder how wi hot so
Everyone is wondering how we became so successful

All mi deh yah a wonder mi self to
I am also wondering how I became so successful

To how mi hot mi could a catch the fever and no know
I am so hot that I might have caught the fever and not even realize it

Writer(s): Moses Davis, Mario Dunwell, Jordan Gregory Mcclure, Linton White, David Spencer Hayle

Contributed by Isaac N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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