UB40

Released: September 27, 1982

Songwriter: UB40

Producer: UB40

He wields his flute with an expert hand
And then, all too soon
The dancing stops and the children stand
The piper calls the tune

He holds their future in his palm
An old and powerful man
With missiles poised and bombs at hand

They wait for his command

With songs of fear and bigotry
A cruel, hypnotic sound
He plays his last tune greedily
And strikes the children down

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

UB44

From the album

UB44 (1982)

UB40 popular songs

The Piper Calls the TuneUB40

UB40

UB44