"The Tide Is High" is a 1967 song written by John Holt and performed by The Paragons with John Holt as lead singer. Although originally released as an A side in Jamaica on the Treasure Isle label it was relegated to the B-side of the "Only a Smile" single for UK release a few months later.

The song features the violin of "White Rum" Raymond and was popular in Jamaica and became popular amongst West Indians and skinheads in the UK when a DJ version by U-Roy was released in 1971. This song went mainly unnoticed in the rest of the world until it was rediscovered in 1980 and 2002.