Here I Come – English Lyrics

• By: Dennis Brown

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a linguistic journey with Dennis Brown's iconic reggae track, "Here I Come." This song is a vibrant example of roots reggae, offering a window into the rich patois and lyrical artistry of Jamaican music. Through its positive and spiritually-infused message about love, goodness, and overcoming negativity, listeners can connect with the deep cultural and philosophical undertones often present in reggae. Its catchy rhythm and clear enunciation make it an excellent choice for learning common reggae phrases and understanding the flow of the language. Discover what makes "Here I Come" not just a classic hit, but a profound expression of peace and resilience in the "Crown Prince of Reggae's" esteemed catalog.

[English]

Love and hate can never be friends

Oh no, oh, oh, oh no

Here I come, with love and not hatred

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow I

All the days of my life

Envy no one, no wish to be with no evil man

For there'll come the day

When you'll be whipped by the Father's hand

Live up roots children, whoa-yeah

Live up Rasta children, yeah

My head is anointed

And my cup runneth over

Surely goodness and mercy

Shall follow I, all the days of my life, yeah

Whoa-yeah, now, oh-yeah-yeah

Oh-oh-oh

Oh-oh-oh

Oh-oh-oh (alright!)

Oh-oh-oh

Here I come, with love and not hatred

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow I

All the days of my life

Envy no one, no wish to be with no evil man

For there'll come the day

When you'll be whipped by the Father's hand

Oh-oh-oh (live up roots children)

Oh-oh-oh (oh yeah)

Oh-oh-oh (live up roots children)

Oh-oh-oh (oh yeah)

...

My head is anointed

And my cup runneth over, yeah

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow I

All the days of my life, yeah

Whoa-yeah, now, oh-yeah-yeah

Oh-oh-oh

Oh-oh-oh

Oh-oh-oh (alright!)

Oh-oh-oh

Here I come, with love and not hatred

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow I

All the days of my life

Envy no one, no wish to be with no evil man

For there'll come the day

When you'll be whipped by the Father's hand

Oh-oh-oh (live up roots children)

Oh-oh-oh (oh yeah)

Oh-oh-oh (live up Rasta children)

Oh-oh-oh (yeah)

My head is anointed

And my cup runneth over, yeah

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow I

All the days of my life

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of affection verb - to feel deep affection for someone
hate /heɪt/ A2	noun - intense dislike or aversion verb - to feel intense dislike or aversion for
friends /frendz/ A1	noun - a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection
come /kʌm/ A1	verb - to move or travel towards a place
hatred /ˈheɪtrɪd/ B2	noun - intense dislike or ill will
goodness /ˈɡʊdnəs/ B2	noun - the quality of being morally good or virtuous
mercy /ˈmɜːrsi/ B2	noun - compassion or forgiveness shown towards someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm
follow /ˈfɒləʊ/ A2	verb - to go or come after (a person or thing proceeding ahead)
days /deɪz/ A1	noun - each of the twenty-four-hour periods, reckoned from one midnight to the next
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death
envy /ˈenvi/ B2	noun - a feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else's possessions, qualities, or luck. verb - to desire to have (a quality, possession, or other desirable thing belonging to (someone else))
wish /wɪʃ/ A2	noun - a feeling of wanting something to happen verb - feel or express a strong desire or hope for something that is not easily attainable; want something that is unlikely to happen.
evil /ˈiːvl/ B1	adjective - profoundly immoral and wicked noun - profound immorality, wickedness, and depravity, especially when regarded as a supernatural force.
whipped /wɪpt/ B2	verb - to strike (a person or animal) repeatedly with a whip or similar object to punish them or urge them on
hand /hænd/ A1	noun - the end part of a person's arm beyond the wrist, including the palm, fingers, and thumb
anointed /əˈnɔɪntɪd/ C1	verb - ceremonially apply oil to someone, typically to consecrate them
cup /kʌp/ A1	noun - a small bowl-shaped container for drinking from, typically having a handle
runneth /ˈrʌnɪθ/ C2	verb - archaic third-person singular present indicative of run

Key Grammar Structures

• Love and hate can never be friends

  ➔ Modal verb "can" for possibility/ability (negated)

  ➔ Uses the modal verb "can" to express the impossibility of love and hate being friends. "Can never be" indicates something is absolutely not possible.

• Here I come, with love and not hatred

  ➔ Simple Present Tense (declaration of intention/arrival)

  ➔ "Here I come" uses the simple present to express a declaration or announcement of arrival. The phrase "with love and not hatred" uses coordination with "and" and negation with "not."

• Surely goodness and mercy shall follow I

  ➔ Future Tense with "shall" (archaic/emphatic), Subject-Verb Inversion

  ➔ "Shall" is an older form of the future auxiliary verb, often used for emphasis here. The standard order would be "goodness and mercy shall follow me." The inversion of "follow I" instead of "follow me" is poetic and emphasizes the subject.

• All the days of my life

  ➔ Prepositional phrase ("of my life") modifying "days"

  ➔ The phrase "of my life" functions as an adjectival phrase modifying "days", indicating which days are being referred to.

• Envy no one, no wish to be with no evil man

  ➔ Double Negative (non-standard, but common in dialects)

  ➔ The phrase "no wish to be with no evil man" contains a double negative, which is non-standard English. In standard English, it would be "no wish to be with any evil man" or "a wish not to be with any evil man." Double negatives are often used in certain dialects for emphasis, but can be confusing to learners.

• For there'll come the day When you'll be whipped by the Father's hand

  ➔ Future Simple with "will" (contracted), Relative Clause with "When"

  ➔ "There'll come the day" is a variation of "The day will come", with "will" contracted. The phrase "When you'll be whipped by the Father's hand" is a relative clause that describes the day. "When" introduces the relative clause.

• My head is anointed And my cup runneth over

  ➔ Passive Voice ("is anointed"), Present Simple (archaic verb form "runneth")

  ➔ "Is anointed" is in the passive voice. "Runneth" is an archaic third-person singular present tense form of "run", similar to what one might find in older English texts. Modern English would use "runs."