B-side "Many Rivers to Cross" Format 7" vinyl Length 3:05 | Released 1972 Genre Reggae Label Island | |
"The Harder They Come" is a reggae song by the Jamaican singer Jimmy Cliff. It was first recorded for the soundtrack of the 1972 movie of the same name, in which it is supposed to have been written by the film's main character, Ivanhoe Martin.
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"The Harder They Come" has been covered by many artists and was ranked #350 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".
The song is the entrance music for heavyweight boxer Samuel Peter and was played live by Jimmy Cliff on an episode of The Colbert Report.
Joe Jackson version
Joe Jackson recorded "The Harder They Come" with his band and released it as a single in 1980. It did not chart in the UK.
Madness version
"The Harder They Come" was released as a single by the band Madness in 1992 after a successful reunion concert held at London's Finsbury Park. The single was recorded live at the event along with its B-sides. Although in 1992 Madness had success with reissues of "It Must Be Love" and "My Girl", their version of "The Harder They Come" failed to make the top 40 in the UK Singles Chart; it peaked at #44.
Other cover versions
"The Harder They Come" has also been covered by: