I'd Rather Be A Free Man In My Grave Than Living As A Puppet Or A Slave

Celebrating James Chambers, better known to you and I as Jimmy Cliff, 30th July 1944 to 24th November 2025.

Hours after I posted a tribute on Monday to Gary 'Mani' Mounfield, news broke that Jimmy Cliff had passed. Life's a real kick in the shins sometimes, to put it mildly.

So many words have been written already about the impact that Jimmy Cliff had, not only on reggae, but music across the world, with an appeal that knew no boundaries or borders.

You can find whatever you need from Jiimmy's song: languid grooves, political commentary, and of course a voice that can provoke all kinds of emotional response. Jimmy has written, sung and produced so many classics that are embedded in our psyche that it's perhaps easy to overlook the blood, sweat and tears poured into every second, every beat, every utterance.

In looking to create a Dubhed selection, I also made the sobering discovery that Jimmy Cliff's music is woefully under represented in my collection. In fact, I don't own a single album of his and today's picks have been drawn from a variety of compilations (mostly Trojan) and blog samples, amassed over the years.

This I intend to rectify sooner, rather than later, starting with the soundtrack to The Harder They Come, proving that Jimmy was a formidable presence on celluloid too. I also need to get hold of Jimmy's 1969 self-titled album which, had I done so before now, would surely have been one of my nominations for The 20 Greatest Eponymous Albums Of All Time.

Today's 45 minute selection is limited by the pool of songs to pick from, but knows no limits as far as an illustration of why Jimmy Cliff was - and remains - such a vital musical force. 

The selection starts and ends with contributions to film soundtracks, and inevitably includes the title song from The Harder They Come, which also provides today's lyrical post title. Three tracks apiece from the Jimmy Cliff album and the 12" single of Treat The Youths Right and (I think) Jimmy's second single in the UK, 1962's delightful Miss Jamaica.

Rest in power, Jimmy.

1) You Don't Have To Cry (Album Version By Arthur Baker)

2) Miss Jamaica (Single Version By Leslie Kong)

3) Roots Radical (12" Version By François Kevorkian)

4) You Can Get It If You Really Want (Album Version By Jimmy Cliff)

5) Many Rivers To Cross (Album Version By Jimmy Cliff & Leslie Kong)

6) Peace Officer (Dub) (Remix By Chris Kimsey)

7) Wonderful World, Beautiful People (Album Version By Jimmy Cliff & Leslie Kong)

8) The Harder They Come (Album Version By Jimmy Cliff)

9) Treat The Youths Right (Special Mix By François Kevorkian) 

10) Vietnam (Album Version By Jimmy Cliff & Leslie Kong)

11) I Can See Clearly Now (Remix By Jimmy Bralower) (Cover of Johnny Nash)

1962: Miss Jamaica EP: 2

1969: Jimmy Cliff: 5, 7, 10

1972: The Harder They Come OST: 4, 8

1982: Treat The Youths Right EP: 3, 6, 9

1988: Something Wild OST: 1

1993: Cool Runnings OST: 11

Free Man (45:30) (GD) (M)