“I’d never would’ve made it this far without you” is a straight-up testimony that resonates with me.
There were many days when I didn’t feel like getting out of bed, but my eyes were open. My limbs were agile. My heart was beating. I had breath in my lungs.
God did it, and why, I may never know, but I’m so glad he keeps doing it.
This dropped in my spirit during my workout on my Gospel workout mix, and maybe it’ll work for you, too.
I feel like I’m not the only one who needs to be reminded — who really needs to know that God hasn’t given up and will not give up on you.
Operator, get my baby on the line/ ‘Cause just the other night we had a horrible fight/ I admit that I, I was out of control/ But I still love my man with my body and soul/
“I Apologize” entered Billboard‘s Hot R&B Airplay chart on November 5, 1994, and rose up to number 5 at the end of February 1995. The song hit number 1 on Billboard‘s Adult R&B Airplay chart on February 4, 1995, spending 38 weeks on the chart. At the same time, the song peaked at number 8 on the R&B chart.[1] In the UK, “I Apologize” broke into the pop singles chart at number 80 on July 2, 1995, and dropped out the next week.[2]
British magazine Music Week gave the song three out of five, writing, “Baker goes jungle? But her strong vocals retain the original feel of these tracks, creating a soulful jungle splice-up.”[3] Chuck Campbell from Knoxville News Sentinel felt that here, the singer “glides into the subtlety of a more refined arrangement”.[4] Jonathan Bernstein from Spin declared it as “a request-line perennial-in-the-making”.[5]—Wikipedia
If you’ve watched the video, I should not have to say much about this song. It’s soft. It’s mellow. It’s beautifully arranged. And Anita’s voice is the Chef’s kiss. Everything it needs to be, it is, and I appreciate its classic and timeless existence. I always will.
Thank you for joining me on this musical journey. It has been fun sharing some of my favorite songs and their captivating opening lyrics.
This will probably be my favorite segment on my blog in a very long time! Welcome to Opening Lyrics to Songs That I Love!
“Unholy” is a song by British singer Sam Smith and German singer Kim Petras. It was released on 22 September 2022 through EMI Records and Capitol Records as the second single from Smith’s fourth studio album Gloria (2023) and as a bonus track on Petras’ debut studio album Feed the Beast (2023). It was teased by Smith on their TikTok account a month before its release and went viral due to its use in thirst trap-style videos. Produced by Ilya, Omer Fedi, Blake Slatkin, Jimmy Napes, and Cirkut and written by them alongside Smith and Petras, “Unholy” is a sexually charged electropop, dance-pop, and synth-pop song with choral and hyperpop influences. It uses the Phrygian dominant scale and its lyrics are about a family man who cheats on his wife at a strip club.
“Unholy” received mostly positive reception from critics, many of whom considered the song a standout from Gloria and praised its sound as catchy yet unusual, while others found the song less transgressive than it was intended to be and criticized Petras’s verse. —Wikipedia
Sam Smith is such a versatile artist. I am taken aback by the range he displays musically, and he never ceases to amaze with his song arrangements and the collaborators he chooses. This song has a banger for a beat; instrumentally, it could stand alone and still get all the accolades it has accumulated.
I blast this baby at wild decibels every time I hear it. I make no apologies for it.
If I can feel the music and the lyrics speak to me, too, you’ve instantly lasso’d me in as a fan.
Thank you for joining me on this musical journey. I said I would share 10 songs and their opening lyrics; however, I feel like a bonus song should be shared. And it will be–next week!
#9: Bobby Caldwell, What You Won’t Do (Do for Love)
I guess you wondered where I’ve been/ I searched to find the love within/ I came back to let you know/ Gotta thing for you, and I can’t let go/
What You Won’t Do for Love, Bobby Caldwell. YouTube
This will probably be my favorite segment on my blog in a very long time! Welcome to Opening Lyrics to Songs That I Love!
“What You Won’t Do for Love” is a hit song by American singer-songwriter Bobby Caldwell.
The song was released in September 1978 as the lead single from his debut album, also titled Bobby Caldwell. Bobby Caldwell co-wrote the song with Alfons Kettner.It’s considered a classic example of smooth soul and “blue-eyed soul”. It incorporates elements of jazz fusion and R&B.
The song was incredibly successful, becoming Caldwell’s signature song.It reached number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100.
It peaked at number six on the Hot Selling Soul Singles chart. It reached number ten on the Easy Listening chart.The song became a long-lasting standard and a career-defining hit for Caldwell.
It’s been covered and sampled many times by other artists, including Tupac Shakur’s posthumous 1998 hit “Do for Love”.-Google Gemini AI Mode via Wikipedia
I was nineteen years old when I found out Bobby was not Black. I am forty-five years old now, and I am forever changed by this man and this song. He had a sound that was incredibly distinctive and overwhelmingly soulful. He was one of those singers I refer to as a crooner.
His melodious riffs and perfect inflections will draw you in. It is my belief that he had a ton more hits inside him. However, he passed away in March 2023 — far too soon.
He will continue to be missed, but his music, especially this song, lives on.
For one more Sunday, I’ll share with you my favorite opening lyrics to songs I truly love. Maybe you’ll enjoy it. Maybe you won’t. Perhaps you’ll share your favorite opening lyrics to songs you love as well. Perhaps you won’t. Either way, we’re going to have a good damn time.
This will probably be my favorite segment on my blog in a very long time! Welcome toOpening Lyrics to Songs That I Love!
“You Sure Love to Ball” is a song released by Marvin Gaye on January 2, 1974. It was the third and final single released from his album “Let’s Get It On”.
The song was issued as a single on January 2, 1974. Initial radio airplay was good enough for the song to peak at 13 on the Hot Soul Singles chart and 50 on the Billboard Hot 100.[4] However, “You Sure Love to Ball” soon peaked out allegedly due to the controversial nature of the track, making the song the least successful of the three tracks released on Let’s Get It On. Its b-side included the solemn ballad closer of the album, “Just to Keep You Satisfied”. –Wikipedia
I find it hard to believe this song couldn’t reach the top ten of any musical chart-topping list. Sure, the lyrics are sensual and overwhelmingly sexy, but this is Marvin Gaye. People were used to his overuse of sexually-charged songs.
Not only that, the melody is catchy and the chorus is unforgettable. If I want to take it further, I’d say even the instrumental is worth listening to repeatedly.
And if I’m willing to listen to an instrumental over and over again, that tells you a lot about the actual song.
Marvin was strategic in developing and crafting his lyrics and took his presentation of them seriously. He played up shows and wooed the panties off women faster than a bullet train. The man was a gift to creating music for baby-making.
Don’t believe me? Listen to this song. The opening lyrics are enough to reel you in. The rest of the song will keep you in its grip.
For the next two Sundays, I’ll share with you my favorite opening lyrics to songs I truly love. Maybe you’ll enjoy it. Maybe you won’t. Perhaps you’ll share your favorite opening lyrics to songs you love as well. Perhaps you won’t. Either way, we’re going to have a good damn time.
AI-Generated Image: A Black woman with locs sitting on her couch, reading a book. She is wearing a beige sweater, khaki pants, and the background is soft and mellow with a hint of sunlight breaking through her window. Created with Canva.
I am in production and continued training mode at work. That being said, my focus is on the grind and perfecting the roles I am transitioning through. I am also searching for a part-time WFH job due to the impending rent hike that’s just around the corner.
Needless to say, I need a break.
I want to enjoy all that I can during this coming week at my job, learn more, and devote my time to our patients. I also want to maintain a sense of self as I come to grips with the reality of going back to working two jobs.
I will return to this creative space with the Sunday features: Opening Lyrics To Songs That I Love and Sunday Microfiction next Sunday, August 10, 2025.
For now, please enjoy this groovy tune and a few posts from the past in my absence.
A Cornered Gurl 
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