Jimmy Cliff, You Can Get It If You Really Want | Throwback Vibez

In the 36^th edition of Throwback Vibez (2026), we recollect and reflect on “You Can Get It If You Really Want” by Jimmy Cliff.

Can you feel those vibes, those surefire Throwback Vibez?! Throwback Vibez is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past. Ah, there is nothing like a good oldie to get you fired up! The records featured in this column feature gems from the 20^th century, with a few exceptions. All genres of music are welcome. In the 36^th edition of Throwback Vibez (2026), we recollect and reflect on “You Can Get It If You Really Want” performed by Jimmy Cliff.

“You Can Get It If You Really Want” begins with a groove that cooks and an exuberant trumpet solo.  From the jump, the song is infectious while the vibe is irresistible. Jimmy Cliff delivers clear and expressive lead vocals. He never sounds as if he forces things.  Towards the end, he digs in even more, but it continues to sound effortless. Cliff is supported by pure, choral background vocals.  Like Jimmy, the background vocalists are cool, calm, and collected. Meanwhile, the musical accompaniment, including that brilliant trumpet, is to die for, embodying the sounds of Jamaica, through and through.  The section to beat is the chorus, excerpted earlier. Still, the verses also pack a punch.  In the first verse, Cliff encourages, singing, “You’ve got your mind set on a dream / You can get it though hard it may seem now.” In the second verse, he asserts, “Rome was not built in a day / Opposition will come your way / But the hotter the battle you see / Is the sweeter the victory now.” There is also an instrumental break, which brings in more horns that are locked in.  Also, the swell of the organ adds spice at the end. Jimmy Cliff brings the heat on the timeless “You Can Get It If You Really Want”.  More than five decades old, this uplifting reggae joint never grows old!