The telephone rang once, then twice, before Timmy Love could barely open his bedridden eyes. He glanced at the clock, staring at him in his face as if it was vexed.

He never realized he had promised to give one of his biggest stories to the journalist he had met on the phone.

“Damn it,” he muttered to himself.

He turned up the volume of the song, which he had played more than a hundred times since it was released in May 2023. It is a collaboration with Quino of Big Mountain. The words rang in his ears like a brand new doorbell.

“Wake up everybody, no more sleeping in bed,” he screamed, hoping this would wake up everyone on the block.

Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, who made the song a hit some forty years ago, would have been proud to hear Timmy Love and Quino’s version.

Tim (short for Timmy Love) looked at the CD cover as if he was a desperate gold digger. “This song, ooh my God!, will inspire every living soul,” he said cuddling his freshly bought grey blanket.

“Inspirational! Motivational! They are calling my version hot bread and with all the reggae spice added, it has become a sumptuous meal to wake you up each morning.” Tim sipped a cup of hot tea, still listening to his lines.

“Wake up everybody
no more sleeping in bed.
No more backward thinking
Time for thinking ahead.
The world has changed
So very much from what it used to be
There is so much hatred war and poverty…”

“Why this song?” the journalist asked.

“Good question. This is a song that will allow people to begin a self-examination. We need to look at ourselves to find out where we have gone wrong, because there is work for all of us, to make this world a better place.”

The journalist was impressed. His breath for once came out like a sudden sigh of relief.

“My drummer, having listened to the original song, felt that it was the song I should record. My mind had gone back to the 9/11 tragedy and other dreadful events. The song was sent to Marlon Clarke a musician, singer, and producer, to make a riddim.”

“I wanted a more authentic reggae sound hence the pronounced guitar and bass sounds. We did not disturb the layout of the original song. But found the first verse, which is so powerful at the end of our song.”

“Wake up everybody
No more sleeping in bed
No more backward thinking
Time for thinking ahead…”

“These are lines to elevate and motivate people of all races and nationalities. Quino and I shared the chorus and I led the first half of the verses. The harmony was done by Joann Williams, who has been my backup vocals for several years. And, it was released the second week of last May, on all digital platforms, including Spotify.”

The journalist was impressed with not only the great effort Tim has placed on the song but with the entire production.

Every now and then, Timmy Love would get up and play the song. He didn’t have to let the clock stare at him miserable or the telephone to ring incessantly.

In fact, one could hear him sing “Wake Up Everybody” even in his sleep.

Timmy Love, born Timothy Lovelace, a Jamaican by birth, migrated in his twenties to the United States. His interest in music continued, releasing a number of singles and forming a band called Reflect.

Quino, born Joaquin McWhinney, is best known for being a part of Big Mountain, a group that hit the Billboard charts with a song titled, “Baby I Love Your Way.”

(Photo contributed by Timmy Love)