Labi Siffre revisited

On June 29, 2016, I presented Claudius Afolabi Siffre (born in London, 1945), the fourth of five children to a Nigerian father and a British mother of Barbadian-Belgian descent. The introduction went like this: "Labi Siffre neither had huge international hits nor broke sensational chart records. He caused no drug or sex scandals - in fact, he was with the same man for 49 years. He isn't a superstar, he is a thinking artist, an openly gay singer who has built a small cult following with works that deal squarely with homophobia and racism. In addition to his nine albums, the multi-talented Siffre has written three books of poetry and has also written for the stage. He isn't a diva, he is a regular guy. As much as I enjoy writing about flamboyant, larger-than-life personalities like Bowie, Elton, Little Richard or Cole Porter, sometimes I feel like honoring the less flashy artist, who happens to be talented and does his job well. Hello Mr. Siffre!"

A few days ago, however, I started listening to one of his albums, giving it the attention it deserved. Long story short: I ended up listening to all of his albums - and I did so more than once. I had an epiphany: the man is a true genius! And, even though his story is one of the most visited (the sixth of all-time), I feel that I owe him more. This will be all about the songs. I urge you to listen.

I will begin with his later entries: although less known that his early songs, they display a maturity and depth rarely found. The album The Last Songs (1998) was recorded in front of a small live audience. Every single song is great. Lose Myself In You is a beautiful love song for real people:

Cling To The Ledge is a song of existential angst:

The Song To Sing is an acapella protest against Section 28 or Clause 28, which affected England, Wales and Scotland. The amendment was enacted on 24 May 1988, and stated that a local authority "shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality" or "promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship". It was repealed on 21 June 2000 in Scotland by the Ethical Standards in Public Life etc. (Scotland) Act 2000, one of the first pieces of legislation enacted by the new Scottish Parliament, and on 18 November 2003 in the rest of the United Kingdom by section 122 of the Local Government Act 2003.

Why Isn't Love Enough is another protest song against homophobia. In it he says:

"Love is something everybody needs
How dare they deny my humanity
Love is love is love
Love is love is love
So why isn't love enough

For 30 years
we been lovers
ain't that enough
to prove our love
yet still they say
it's pretending
they rule the land
head in the sand
with all the world
against us
one thing's for sure
I just love you more"

Little Boy Baby Blue is a heartbreaking account of the effects of his parents' divorce on a 5-year-old boy:

Sparrow In The Storm is a spiritual song of delicate beauty:

Everything is about surrendering yourself to love:

"Tonight you made me choose
You made this unbeliever believe that love is real
You made me see the power of love to heal
You conquered my defenses
You washed my fears away
You taught me how to win
by losing everything"

Samaritans is about society's indifference towards the poor:

Another great love song is Rainbow Moon:

... also from the same album, This Is It:

Finally, from this great album, Face To Face (A Paper Regret) is about separation:

Man of Reason was released in 1991. My favorite song from this album is School Days, a scathing condemnation of racism with some of the rawest vocal ever delivered by Siffre:

This is an excellent live version:

Sensible Betrayal in the City is about the eternal argument, love or sex?:

Most People Sleep Alone is about loneliness:

"Sad is easy
But we've been shattered
Separate sorrows
In separate rooms
Understanding to the marrow
Understood the love we lost
Now we're fading into shadows
The world is full of strangers
In this heartbreak hotel
If this is self-indulgence
It hurts like hell, most

Most people sleep alone
No matter what the papers say
Loneliness is here to stay"

This is A Matter of Love:

This is When Lights Are On:

This is Wash Away Your Troubles in Love:

... and this is Lovers in Arms:

In 1987 he released the single (Something Inside) So Strong which was surprisingly a notable chart success, peaking at #4 in the UK. The following year, it was included in the album So Strong. The song has remained enduringly popular and is an example of the political and sociological thread running through much of Siffre’s lyrics and poetry. It won the Ivor Novello Award for "Best Song Musically and Lyrically", and has been used in Amnesty International campaigns, a television advertisement and Alice Walker's film against female genital mutilation, Warrior Marks. This is the original video:

This has better audio:

From the same album, this is And The Wind Blows, also a song against social, racial, and political injustice:

Listen To The Voices is a song in the same vein:

Hard Road is a song of hope:

I Will Always Love You is a beautiful love song:

Lovers is a proud declaration of love:

Finally, from this album, I'm Alright:

My favorite Labi Siffre album from the 1970s is Crying Laughing Loving Lying (1972). It includes many great songs, my favorite among them is My Song:

For The Lovin' was another fantastic song:

It Must Be Love is a happy and catchy tune, a #14 UK hit for Siffre. It was later covered by Madness became a #4 UK hit:

This is the reflective Cannock Chase:

Till Forever is short 'n' sweet:

Come On Michael is a lively little tune:

Saved, on the other hand, is an acapella statement on religion:

Good Old Days is a wistful look at the past:

In the 70s, Siffre sounds like a love-child of Sam Cooke and Paul Simon, with an earnestness in his voice reminiscent of early Don McLean. Love Oh Love Oh Love is one such song:

On the subject of Pristine Verses, let's hear what Siffre has to say:

Of all my songs, this is one of my favourites and unique insofar as I wrote the song in a dream while asleep. I woke up, got out of bed, went downstairs, wrote the lyric and the melody down on paper and went back to bed. In the morning I was pleased to find that the song was as moving as it had been in the dream

You'll Let Me Know is about a 17-year-old asking for a chance at pop stardom:

Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying (the album's title track) was a #11 hit in the UK:

Labi's debut album was released in 1970 and was simply titled, Labi Siffre. Maybe When We Dance was one of the bonus tracks when the album was re-issued as a CD:

Maybe was one of the album's better tracks:

Make My Day is another one:

... so is Here We Are:

Ask Me To Stay is another good one:

... so is the Donovan-esque You And I Should Be Together:

This is I Don't Know What's Happened To The Kids Today:

This is I Just Couldn't Live Without Her:

... and this is Something On My Mind:

In 1975, Labi Siffre released the album, Remember My Song. This is the title track:

This is Down:

I Got The has the "honor" to have been sampled by Eminem for his hit My Name Is. For Labi's thoughts on this, check the original story: here.

This is Old Time Song:

This is Another Year:

This is The Vulture:

This is Dreamer:

This is Hot And Dirty In The City:

Finally, from this album, this is You've Got A Hold On Me:

Labi's second album was called The Singer And The Song (1971). It begins with There's Nothing In The World Like Love:

This is A Shadow Of Our Love:

This is Fallin' For You:

This is Till Nightime Comes Along:

This is Thank Your Lucky Star:

This is Bless The Telephone:

Finally, from this album, this is Summer Is Coming:

From the album For The Children (1973), here's Let's Pretend:

This is Prayer:

This is Entertainment Value:

... and this is If You Have Faith:

Finally for today, from the album Happy (1975), this is Staride To Nowhere:

That's all for today. I hope that you enjoyed the songs as much as I did. Take care!