Self Esteem shares dance-inspired cover of Jimmy Cliff’s ‘You Can Get It If You Really Want’ from ‘This Town’ soundtrack
This week saw the release of This Town, the brand-new BBC drama created by Steven Knight. Set within the 2 Tone revolution of the early 1980s in the dreary midlands, the series has its roots firmly in the music of the era. Much like his previous series, Peaky Blinders, the show is backed by a fantastic soundtrack, featuring some of the greatest ska, punk and 2 Tone hits from the time period. However, some of the song choices were distinctly unexpected, including a surprising Self Esteem dance cover of the Jimmy Cliff classic ‘You Can Get It If You Really Want’.
Jimmy Cliff is basically royalty within the world of ska and reggae music, and ‘You Can Get It If You Really Want’ is among his most popular tracks. However, the original version is not actually featured in the soundtrack of This Town at all. Desmond Dekker’s 1970 cover is featured during the show, but Self Esteem’s cover takes centre stage as the credits roll on the first episode of six. You can understand the benefits of getting a contemporary artist to cover a classic song, but unfortunately Self Esteem’s efforts fall a little flat.
The original appeal of Cliff’s track was in its soul and optimism; no matter your situation, once you hear those blaring horns and those joyous vocals, you cannot help but be imbued with a sense of hope.
As anybody who has ever heard Self Esteem can attest to, though, the musician shares little in common with the joyous stylings of ska music, which makes her an odd choice to perform a cover. The bass-heavy dance track pays tribute to jungle and ska, but unfortunately, it loses the pop optimism that made the original so charming.
A cynical person might suggest that this cover only exists because the show was unable to gain the rights to the original. After all, This Town features various covers of Jimmy Cliff, by Desmond Dekker, Self Esteem, Sekou and also Olivia Dean, who covered ‘Harder They Come’ from the iconic film of the same name, which starred Cliff.
The main question raised by Self Esteem’s cover is “If the BBC was able to attain the rights to use the original version of ‘You Can Get It If You Really Want’ then why didn’t they?” It is not that Self Esteem’s cover is that bad; her voice is undeniably great, and the dance angle brings new life to the track. However, it seems in opposition to the mood of the show.
The show pays tribute to an important time in the cultural and social history of the UK, during which ska, 2 Tone and rocksteady were dominating the music scene and giving way to prevailing attitudes of racial harmony. So, to then use a half-hearted cover of such an important song right at the end of the first episode feels like a betrayal of that time.
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