Jimmy Cliff: Many Rivers to Cross

    Good afternoon, good evening, and goodnight, wherever you are my friends. Lunar New Year is upon us, as well as Mardi Gras. I like the holidays that aren't "The Holiday Season" ones. I like that they don't have an end-of-the-year feeling to them. There's something equally sentimental and new about it them. Actually that's very reminiscent of the way I feel when I fall in love with new-to-me music. It's a combination of something that feels familiar, while knowing I've never heard it before. That's about where I am with todays Stay Tuned discovery share. But before we jump into the music, let's find out how we got here...

    Boxes and Beats

    I am a writer, a musician, an artist, and many other things. What you may not know is, I work at a packaging company! Yes... it's a glamorous lifestyle filled with corrugated boxes, kraft paper rolls, custom tape with your companies owners dogs face, rolls of bubble wrap taller than your car, and of course, monthly birthday potlucks. We supply more products than I could ever list. I am happy here. I like my job. We are salt of the earth folk, doing our best to make a living whilst supporting each other through whatever life throws our way. It's a place we go to to support our monetary needs, but also, we have a lot of fun. Our customers can also be very interesting. We supply to companies of all kinds: instrument makers, farmers, makeup professionals, high fashion, cars, restaurants, bakeries, the list is quite literally endless. I was lucky enough to get a call from someone who needed boxes that resemble a produce box you'd get from Costco or Sysco; stable, and just tall enough to sort through Vinyl Records. 

    We chatted for a while, and of course, I needed to go for a visit. The name is Steady Beat. Pre owned vinyl, tapes, CD's and more, tucked away in the raw and charming downtown streets of San Pedro California, where I spent most of my 20's, partying with other artists and musicians to the wee hours of the morning, losing my wallet (more than once), trying to figure out who I was. It's a straight shot down the 110 South; there's something so delicious about seeing a freeway end. 

    I went with my cousin Aimee. Best friend is an understatement. After we had spent the morning in Fullerton, we figured we'd head that way to check it out, since most of our days end near the beach anyway. I was fortunate enough to come across a couple fantastic relics absolutely needed: Barry Manilow Live on vinyl (my first concert), and Robert Miles "Dreamland", a staple in the world of trance. But today, my blog isn't about my find, it's about Aimee's.

They have $1 Wednesday's by the way, where their normally $5 vinyl's are a dollar. Getchu some. 

Midnight Mass

    Some weeks have passed since our trip to Steady Beat, and the weather has changed again from January Summer to February winter. The early dark evenings bring unwanted exhaustion, but we persevere. Most nights of the week, we find ourselves walking, exploring, shopping, and most importantly, getting better at pool. And so, like the pirates we are, we head to the docks for a pint and a schmag, with our hearts open. $1 Pool Table at Naja's? My favorite.

    Something always happens when we're out. We're chatters. There's a shared, deep sense of enjoyment that Aimee and I have for meeting strangers and sparking up conversations. We met a group of guys who happened to be catching up for the first time in a year. Some local, some from other states. I love talking to transplants and finding out what brought them to this place that no one knew when I was a kid. If my family went on vacation and I said I was from Torrance, no one knew what that was. LA sure, but never Torrance. So, it's always made me curious how others end up here, especially from other states. They had one New Yorker and one from Seattle; the 2 states I love most outside of CA. 

    

    We played a few rounds, sank a few shots, missed a few more, and rode the thirsty Thursday buzz into the evening haze of this salty bar we all love. Stories were shared and laughs were had in that cold February air, until it was time to part. On the way home, Aimee gently exclaims, "Ugh I wish I had spicy chips right now," as I reached into my purse and pulled out a gloriously half eaten bag of red dye 40's best: Chester's Hot Fries. 

    

    Following her exhale of relief, she asked me to pull out a CD she grabbed from Steady Beat that I almost literally flipped out over. It's a mixed CD of a bunch of the best of roots reggae, which I've always loved: Black Uhuru, Steel Pulse, Gregory Issacs, Toots and The Maytals, Junior Murvin, and more. Someday I'd like to write a thesis on the history of Reggae, and my personal connection to it, as it is one of my favorite genres. I saw on the back that legendary "Jimmy Cliff" was listed. You know, Jimmy Cliff..."I can see clearly now, the rain has gone...it's gonna be a bright, bright sun shiny day...". I was not prepared for the vibe switch we were about to endure.

    Suddenly I wasn't in a Volkswagen, I was in midnight mass, as Jimmy sang to us, "Many rivers to cross, but, I can't seem to find my way over...". We paused and turned to meet each others eyes and said, "This is beautiful." This was the most gospel track you could get on a mixed CD labeled as "Reggae". No complaints here, just pleasantly surprised. "Many Rivers To Cross" just happened to meet me at a point in my life where the cocktail mixture of lyrics, chords and vocal delivery, hit me right where I could feel it most. The silly thing is, I know Jimmy Cliff well, and yet somehow this song had completely bypassed me until now. Let us pay homage to the great Mr. Cliff, who sadly passed just last November 2025.

James Chambers

    On July 30, 1944, in Somerton, Jamaica, a boy was born, who began singing as a child. By his early teens, he was already chasing music with a drive that felt too big for a small town. From those early roots in church and local sounds, he moved to Kingston and began shaping a path that would influence generations. That boy was James Chambers, who we all know as Jimmy Cliff. 

    Cliff’s catalogue contains classics that have been sung around the world. Songs like “You Can Get It If You Really Want,” and his cherished cover of “I Can See Clearly Now” found their way into soundtracks, stages, and hearts across continents. Cliff is one of reggae's earliest international voices; a pioneer who stood beside the likes of Bob Marley in the story of the genre’s rise. His music wove together the genre's of ska, rocksteady, soul, and painfully honest storytelling: songs of struggle, joy, longing, and spiritual resilience. 

     He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010 and received Jamaica’s Order of Merit;  some of music’s highest honors, and a true testament to how deeply his work resonated both at home and abroad. On November 24, 2025, at the age of 81, Jimmy Cliff passed away from complications related to a seizure and pneumonia. His contribution to the world of music will be cherished by music lovers alike for generations to come.  

We Felt You

Many rivers to cross has been covered many times by notable artist, including the following:

1) UB40 (1983)

2) Joe Cocker (1990s, various recordings)

3) Harry Nilsson (1974)

4) Elvis Costello and The Attractions (1987)

5) Oleta Adams (1994) — my personal favorite cover. 

    Rather than telling what the lyrics mean, I'm going to share some personal reflections with you:

    When I listen to music like Many Rivers to Cross, I feel understood. I feel the weight of life's balancing act, lifted, in a moment of "hallelujah". Those opening lines hit like a sigh of relief. To me, to feel understood is to drink the coolest, most refreshing glass of water, after being stranded in the desert. That's what music does for me.

     This song is not just about obstacles, it’s about the weight of trying. Trying the way pride and survival keep you going despite feeling like you can't. When the loneliness creeps in and the heartbreak is left unexplained, there’s this raw honesty that makes you pause: “Well I guess I have to try”. The so-called "quiet courage" that lives in your heart, the piece of your mind that won't let you quit because you know you can't. It used to be pain in my heart, to hear a line like "some dreadful crime”. Thinking of someone like Jimmy and who he was to this world, it’s a reminder that even the strongest spirits carry their darkest corners.

Tell someone you love them today.

Thanks for reading. If you dug this post, feel free to tip the scribbler and leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you. Venmo: https://venmo.com/u/berlyd

Listen to "Many Rivers to Cross":  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjW5f7i5EwE#ddg-play