Jimmy Cliff
Jimmy Cliff
Jimmy Cliff, OM is a Jamaican ska & reggae musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer and actor. He is the only living musician to hold the Order of Merit, the highest honour that can be granted by the Jamaican government for achievements in the arts and sciences...
NationalityJamaican
ProfessionMusician
Date of Birth1 April 1948
CountryJamaica
fighting men puppets
And I keep on fighting for the things I want. Though I know that when you're dead you can't. But I'd rather be a free man in my grave, than living as a puppet or a slave.
love-is knowing eternal-love
Beyond everything else, that's one of the things that kept us going, that keeps me going, you know, the eternal love, knowing that I am in the love of the all and all love is in me.
ghetto want diplomacy
I would love to see no more ghettos but the things is, there's no diplomacy in the ghetto. They want to tell you something, they tell you straight!
mean together hindsight
In hindsight, I see the great value of family and how it moulded my life and kept me together. So now family means everything to me.
men puppets slave
I'd rather be a free man in my grave than living as a puppet or a slave.
generosity trying one-thing
If I could change one thing about myself... I would try to control my generosity.
years voice stills
I’ve abused myself a lot over the years. But my voice is still intact – really, it’s better.
artist echoes people
Certain artists have a role to echo the echoes of the people and that's what I'll be doing on my next album.
song writing jamaica
I write songs on a universal basis. I was born out of the earth of Jamaica which I consider to be a part of Atlantis, the sunk continent, but that's my thing. But I write songs on a universal basis, not like Jamaican songs.
love-is essence
The love is the part of us that can never go. It's the essence that was always there, so that can never go.
smooth-sailing answers able
Everyone needs to realize why am I here? It comes in everyone's life; you ask why am I here? What am I doing? Once you are able to answer that question for yourself honestly, you have smooth sailing.
artist able way
I am not one of those artists who is cemented in one way. I am able to, you know, make the happy, jovial, lighthearted music too. We need that in life too. So it's like that to me.
artist echoes expression
We need that expression. Whether we want to call it protest or not, we need to express and echo the echoes of the people. Artists need to do that.
artist smell people
I visit studios. Just to get the feel, the smell, and see what other people are doing. Not only listening to the radio, but going to studios, greeting musicians and artists, just getting a vibe.