Jimmy Cliff wrote “Human Touch” in 2017, long before the pandemic made that phrase feel like a desperate wish. But when it came time to pick the lead single for his next album Bridges, it was obvious. “We said, wow—this is appropriate for the time,” he told me. He wasn’t kidding.
The reggae icon has always had a knack for writing songs that manage to feel like an arm around your shoulder during the worst of it. And he’s not here to play cynic. “I’ve had hardships, but I chose the positive way out,” Cliff says. “The way the world is—politically, financially, socially—we need bridges. But people seem to be burning them. I want to build them, with love as the cement.”
Cliff’s new record arrives amid two major milestones: Jamaica’s 60th anniversary of independence and the 50th anniversary of The Harder They Come, the seminal reggae film and soundtrack that helped introduce roots reggae to America and beyond. “That was the first time people could really see where the music was coming from,” he says. “The rhythms, the lives—they were real.”
And while he’s proud of that moment, the work continues. Bridges sees Cliff collaborating with Tarrus Riley and Dean Fraser to shape a record rooted in uplift. “I want to soothe people,” he says, “especially those who’ve lost loved ones.”
Not that he’s all work and no play. Ask him about Muhammad Ali, and he lights up. “He invited me to his home in Chicago for dinner,” Cliff recalls. “Gold plate, gold knife and fork. First time I’d seen that. He had such great humor—so natural, unforgettable.” When I mention that Ali is from Louisville, Cliff doesn’t miss a beat. “Louisville, man. I’m so happy to be talking to someone from where that great human being came from.”
Cliff has stories for days—like the time he recorded a version of “Wild World” with Cat Stevens. “It was a big hit everywhere except America,” he says. “Same label. They shelved mine to push his. But we had fun.”
Even in recounting the industry politics that held him back, he shrugs it off with charm and grace. “I agreed with the label—releasing the album now, during Jamaica’s anniversary and The Harder They Come’s anniversary, it feels right.”
These days, we could use a little of that Jimmy Cliff energy—songs that speak to unity without sounding like homework. He’s not interested in screaming at the storm. He’s busy building something better.
Listen to the interview above and then check out Human Touch below.
