You Can Get It If You Really Want by Jimmy Cliff Lyrics Meaning – The Anthem of Perseverance and Triumph
Lyrics
You can get it if you really want
You can get it if you really want
But you must try, try and try, try and try
You’ll succeed at last, mmh, yeah
Persecution you must fear
Win or lose you’re about to get your share
Got your mind set on a dream
You can get it though hard it may seem now
You can get it if you really want
You can get it if you really want
You can get it if you really want
But you must try, try and try, try and try
You’ll succeed at last, I know it
Listen, Rome was not built in a day
Opposition will come your way
But the harder the battle, you see
Is the sweeter the victory now
You can get it if you really want
You can get it if you really want
You can get it if you really want
But you must try, try and try, try and try
You’ll succeed at last
You can get it if you really want
You can get it if you really want
You can get it if you really want
But you must try, try and try, try and try
You’ll succeed at last
(You can get it if you really want) I know it
(You can get it if you really want) don’t I show it
(You can get it if you really want) don’t give up now
(You can get it if you really want) keep on trying
Jimmy Cliff’s ‘You Can Get It If You Really Want’ is not just a song. It’s an anthem that has reverberated through the ages, transcending the era of its release to become a timeless mantra of hope and determination. This reggae hit, more than just a melody and a catchy chorus, encompasses a profound message of resilience that has touched the hearts of listeners worldwide.
The track is an invocation, a call to arms for anyone who’s ever had a dream deferred, a quest challenged, or a path riddled with obstacles. Through Cliff’s soulful voice and buoyant rhythm, the song becomes a beacon of optimism, shining through the murky waters of discouragement.
Dissecting the Mantra of Resilience
The refrain, ‘You can get it if you really want, but you must try, try and try,’ encapsulates the essence of human pursuit. Cliff’s lyrics present the fundamental truth that success is not a gift bestowed but a reward earned through persistent effort. In his repetition of ‘try,’ there is an almost hypnotic incantation, spurring listeners on toward their goals.
The simplicity of the message belies its depth, functioning much like a motivational speech set to an irresistible rhythm; it’s designed to be remembered, repeated, and internalized. This rhythmic repetition becomes a heartbeat-like backdrop against which our own efforts and struggles play out.
The Victory in Defiance: ‘Persecution you must fear’
One of the song’s most compelling lines, ‘Persecution you must fear, win or lose you’re about to get your share,’ speaks to the inevitability of opposition. Cliff doesn’t promise a path devoid of trials but assures that the very act of facing our fears is a precursor to achieving our share of victory.
The association of fear with the caveat of persecution gives a nod to the broader socio-political struggles, particularly resonant in the era of civil rights movements, yet universally applicable. The line is a raw admission that the journey to fulfillment is fraught with challenges both internal and external.
The Hidden Meaning Behind the Struggle
There is a nuanced layer to Cliff’s anthem that often goes unnoticed: the implication that desire alone is insufficient. ‘You can get it if you really want’ doesn’t mean that wanting is enough; it’s the qualifier ‘if you really’ that introduces the hidden meaning. The intensity of one’s desire must be matched by an equal if not greater commitment to action.
Cliff pushes the idea that it’s the ‘really’ wanting that fuels the ‘try and try.’ It is this relentless pursuit, powered by an unquenchable want, that ultimately leads to ‘succeeding at last.’ This is the undercurrent that turns the song into a quiet revolution against complacency.
Drawing Power from Patience and Time
In the wise words of ‘Listen, Rome was not built in a day, Opposition will come your way,’ Jimmy Cliff injects a necessary dose of patience into the discourse of success. The lyric warns of impatience, schooling us that great accomplishments take time and that opposition is not a detour but part of the journey itself.
By invoking one of history’s great empires, Cliff provides a perspective on time and effort that feels both grandiose and relatable. The greater the effort and the longer the time, the sweeter the victory—the ‘sweetness’ stemming from a tale of toil and endurance.
Memorable Lines that Echo Through Generations
Cliff’s chorus has an insidious way of embedding itself into the mind, becoming a mantra for those in the throes of their own battles. The song, throughout its duration, is punctuated with affirmations like ‘I know it,’ ‘don’t I show it,’ ‘don’t give up now,’ and ‘keep on trying,’ serving as a personal champion in moments of doubt.
These lines do more than entertain; they empower. They’ve been chanted by the oppressed, hummed by the dreamers, and whispered by the weary. Each utterance is a link in a chain, a chain that binds generations who’ve found, within the simple lyrics of a reggae song, the strength to keep moving forward.
