UB40

Released: July 27, 1993

Songwriter: UB40

Producer: UB40

It's a long long way from here
Don't you worry yourself my dear
It's a long long way from here

Drought and famine in TV land
Read the Sunday papers credit card in your hand
Sing your song of freedom just to ease your troubled mind
And save your guilty pennies for the ones you leave behind

The burden that you carry from the cradle to the grave
Is like a badge of honour that you wear upon your sleeve
You make your contribution and you shed a little tear
And stage your celebration just to show how much you care

You obscure your stolen power with hypocrisy and lies
Your talk of understanding is a wafer thin disguise
You glorify my image but deny me flesh and blood
You radiate with goodness when you here me beg for food

Those rivers of blood will flow again
Someone changed the lyrics but the song remains the same
You can build a wall of protocol to keep the wolves at bay
But history dictates that someone has to pay

It's a long long way from here
Don't you worry yourself my dear
It's a long long way from here

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

Promises and Lies

From the album

Promises and Lies (1993)

UB40 popular songs

It’s a Long Long WayUB40

UB40

Promises and Lies