UB40

Released: May 29, 1981

Songwriter: UB40

Producer: UB40 Ray “Pablo” Falconer Bob Lamb

There's no-one coming with that freedom train
There's nowhere you can go where you feel no pain
Take the blinkers off you eye's
The power is in your hand
Stop waiting for your ticket to the promised land
Don't let it pass you by, don't let it pass you by
Don't let it pass you by
There ain't no heaven and there ain't no hell (Don't let it pass you by)
Except the one we're in and you know to well (Don't let it pass you by)
There's no-one waiting on, waiting on a higher high
Don't let the only world you're ever gonna live in pass you by
Don't let it pass you by, don't let it pass you by
Don't let it pass you by

There ain't no heaven and there ain't no hell (Don't let it pass you by)
Except the one we're in and you know to well (Don't let it pass you by)
There's no-one waiting on, waiting on a higher high
Don't let the only world you're ever gonna live in pass you by
Don't let it pass you by, don't let it pass you by
Don't let it pass you by
Don't let it pass you by, don't let it pass you by
Don't let it pass you by

Burn two spliff play ital riddem
Rub two dub burn ital collie
Because the rhythm a the Marshall
And the rhythm a no partial go deh
Seh the rhythm a the Marshall
And the rhythm a no partial
Rub two dub burn ital collie
Burn two spliff play ital riddem
Because you jamming with you brethren
Jam it 'till a morning
Forget ‘bout the warning
You have to jam it 'till a mornin'
Burn two spliff play ital riddem
Burn two spliff play ital riddem
Seh you playing in a concrete style
You playing in an other duck style
You playing in a resident style
And then you jam it all the while
Don't let it pass you by
You gonna wake up and wonder why
Gone in the blues
Go check on the news
Go listen to political views
Rub two dub burn ital collie
Rub two dub burn ital collie

New Cross was no gate-crash bomb
Rightful justice must be done
Burn two spliff and rock to the riddem
Burn two spliff and rock to the riddem
We don't deal with Isim Scisim
We don't deal with Isim Scisim
Deal with folly-dolly
We don't deal with folly-dolly
Burn two spliff play ital riddem
Rub two dub burn ital collie
Because the rhythm a the Marshall
And the rhythm a no partial
Because you jammin' with your brethren
Jam it 'till the morning
Playin' in a concrete style
Dub the dub all the while
Ram it in a resident style
Jam it all the while
Don't let it pass you by
You gonna wake up and wonder why
Burn two spliff play ital riddem
Burn two spliff play ital riddem

UB40 are an English reggae and pop band, formed in December 1978 in Birmingham. The band has had more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart. They have been nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album four times, and in 1984 were nominated for the Brit Award for Best British Group. UB40 have sold over 70 million records. The ethnic make-up of the band’s original line-up was diverse, with musicians of English, Irish, Jamaican, Scottish and Yemeni parentage.

Their hit singles include their debut “Food for Thought”, “Red Red Wine” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love”. Both of these also topped the UK Singles Chart, as did the band’s version of “I Got You Babe”. Their two most successful albums, Labour of Love (1983) and Promises and Lies (1993), reached number one on the UK Albums Chart.

On January 24, 2008, it was announced that Ali Campbell would be leaving the group after 30 years. It was reported by some Birmingham newspapers on 13 March 2008, that Maxi Priest would be the new lead singer of UB40 and had recorded a cover of Bob Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff” with the band.

more tracks from the album

Present Arms

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Present Arms (1981)

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Don’t Let It Pass You ByUB40

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Present Arms