The Harder They Come

I’ve always loved The Harder They Come (1972) starring Jamaican singer Jimmy Cliff. The soundtrack is sweet and influential, a mix of reggae and soul. Its sounds perfect on vinyl, which is probably why I’ve kept the record for so long – with pops and scratches. The movie is now available on DVD, part of the Criterion Collection.

Written by Perry Henzell and Trevor Rhone, The Harder They Come is based on/inspired by the life of Ivanhoe “Rhygin” Martin, a Jamaican hero/anti-hero who was killed in the late 1940s. Henzell directed. I love the way the genres mix: Henzell went on to write two novels, Power Game (1993) and Cane (2003); most recently he resurrected No Place Like Home, a sequel to The Harder The Come. On top of that, he recreated The Harder The Come for the stage: this version opened in London in March 2006.

As for Jimmy Cliff (b. 1948), he has also had a significant impact, especially on other musicians and bands, many of them covering Cliff’s songs and other songs featured on The Harder They Come (example: The Maytals’ “Pressure Drop”). Bob Dylan reportedly names Cliff’s “Vietnam” as one of his favorite social protest songs. Writer John Dufresne’s latest (2005) book is named after The Slickers’ “Johnny Too Bad.”

Jimmy Cliff is still kicking out the jams. Check out, for instance, Fantastic Plastic People (2002) or Black Magic (2004), a move into electronica.


The Harder They Come by Jimmy Cliff

Well, they tell me of a pie up in the sky
Waiting for me when I die
But between the day you're born and when you die
You know, they never seem to hear even your cry

So as sure as the sun will shine
I'm gonna get my share now what is mine
And then the harder they come
The harder they fall
One and all
The harder they come
The harder they fall
One and all

And the oppressors are trying to track me down
They're trying to drive me underground
And they think that they have got the battle won
I say, forgive them Lord, they know not what they've done

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













Today's Rune: Defense.

Babay!