“The Tide is High” (1930s) is an old Jamaican song that appeared on player pianos in the 1930s. It has since been done in at least five different musical styles, in five different countries, in four different decades, going to number one on the pop charts in six different countries, twice in Britain and New Zealand (1980 and 2002):
- year: artist (country, style), top chart position.
- 1966: The Paragons (Jamaica, rocksteady).
- 1980: Blondie (US, reggae), #1 in Britain, Canada, New Zealand, US.
- 1996: Papa Dee (Sweden, dancehall), #20 in Finland.
- 2002: Atomic Kitten (Britain, dance-pop), #1 in Britain, Ireland, New Zealand.
- 2008: Kardinal Offishal ft Keri Hilson (Canada, hip hop), #1 in Germany.
John Lennon loved the Blondie version and used to dance to it.
Thanks to the magic of YouTube, here is the song over the last 80 years:
1930s: the player piano version:
1966: The Paragons (Jamaica, rocksteady):
1980: Blondie (US, reggae), #1 in Britain, Canada, New Zealand, US:
1996: Papa Dee (Sweden, dancehall), #20 in Finland:
2002: Atomic Kitten (Britain, dance-pop), #1 in Britain, Ireland, New Zealand:
2008: Kardinal Offishal ft Keri Hilson (Canada, hip hop), #1 in Germany:
See also:
- songs – 1960s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s
- Blondie: Dreaming
- Dick Dale: Misirlou – the song at the beginning of “Pulp Fiction” (1994), a song that goes back to Greece in the 1920s.
- Also from Jamaica in the 1960s:
Lyrics (Paragons):
The tide is high but I’m holding on
I’m gonna be your number one
I’m not the kinda man who gives up just like that, no oh oh oh
It’s not the things you do, that really hurts me bad
But it’s the way you do the things, you do to me
I’m not the kinda man who gives up just like that no oh oh oh
The tide is high but I’m holding on
I’m gonna be your number one
Number one, number one
Every man wants you to be his girl
But I’ll wait my dear ’till it’s my turn
I’m not the kinda man who gives up just like that, no oh oh oh
Every man wants you to be his girl
But I’ll wait my dear ’till it’s my turn
I’m not the kinda man who gives up just like that, no oh oh oh
The tide is high but I’m holding on
I’m gonna be your number one
The tide is high but I’m holding on
I’m gonna be your number one
The tide is high but I’m holding on
I’m gonna be your number one
Source: MetroLyrics, Wikipedia, Songfacts.
I never knew about the original song and that honestly makes me sad.
LikeLike
Why so sad T?
Good song
LikeLike
O
M
G
That was the last tune I expected to hear. Scrolling down, I was interested to hear how many other versions there were. I only knew that one weird one from the 80s or 90s.
Feels like something from a B horror movie now. The cursed tune lasting throughout time.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am only familiar with the Debbie Harry one I never cared for this song ever.
LikeLike
@ThatDeborahGirl
The song that wouldn’t die.
Sorta like “Dedicated to the One I Love”.
(https://youtu.be/UnLyypuGG6o)
LikeLike
Don’t know this guy, but hes pretty recent.
(https://youtu.be/uNPITegi5gw)
LikeLike
@nomad
I like this version of ‘Dedicated to the One Love’
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNPITegi5gw)
LikeLiked by 1 person
@Omnipresent
Yeah. I posted that one. Not sure how far this goes back, but in black music there was for a while a popular version of this about every decade or so. Who can forget the Temprees’ version? The song just kept coming back from the dead.
Here’s another oldie.
(https://youtu.be/JC_-v3fG-0o)
LikeLike
@nomad
Not heard that version before but thanks, nice listening. I guess an essentially good song has lots of ability for mileage.
LikeLike
Didn’t know this was done before blondie. Interesting
LikeLike
Omnipresent
I think the 1957 version might be the original.
check out white versions, mamas and the pappas. the lettermen. amusing
LikeLike
chuckle…
every generation thinks their version is the original.
similarly I was shocked to discover that younger folk think “When a Man Loves a Woman” is a Michael Bolton song. or maybe its just white folks.
LikeLike
@nomad
Hah! I was just thinking of “When a Man Loves a Woman” by Percy Sledge this morning. So beautiful.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like this song. I didn’t know it was originally from Jamaica (I would have guessed Blondie wrote it). My favorite is the Atomic Kitten version, which I remember from that cheesy Lizzie McGuire movie where they go to Italy. I like the bouncy beat in that version (here’s a video with crisper sound quality: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cp4zjKmmHEM). However, I also like the player piano one a lot – it’s very pretty.
LikeLike
dammit, abagond, this song is stuck in my head! its like thatdeborahgirl said. “The cursed tune lasting throughout time.”
its like a dam virus infecting my brain! OUT! OUT! DAM VIRUS!
that must be why these singers have to remake it. they hear it. it infects them and they have to replicate it. OUT! OUT DAM VIRUS! OUT I SAY!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love Blondie’s version of it. A 1930s player piano… who’d of thought!
LikeLike
[…] The Tide is High | Abagond […]
LikeLike