Tag: Opening Lyrics to Songs That I love

Opening Lyrics To Songs That I Love

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Bonus: Anita Baker, I Apologize

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/

Anita Baker, I Apologize via YouTube

This has been one of my favorite segments on my blog in a very long time! Thank you for joining me for Opening Lyrics to Songs That I Love!

“I Apologize” is a song by American recording artist Anita Baker, released in October 1994 as the second single from her fifth album, Rhythm of Love (1994). The song peaked at number eight on the US Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart and number 74 on the Billboard Hot 100. It won her a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.

“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.

Opening Lyrics To Songs That I Love

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#10: Sam Smith & Kim Petras, Unholy

Lucky, Lucky Girl, she got married/
To a boy like you/
She’d kick you out if she ever, ever knew/
‘Bout all the shit you/
Tell me that you do/

Sam Smith & Kim Petras, Unholy. YouTube, via Vevo

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!

See you then!

Opening Lyrics To Songs That I Love

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#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.

Bobby was openly embraced, admired, and loved on by the Black community. The song could be heard at many family functions, cookouts, and was often part of wedding playlists. I’ve even skated to it in various skating rinks over the years. It’s an all-time classic.

He was a man who had a hurdle to get over in the music industry regarding his race and being linked to his record label, TK Records. We live to love Bobby Caldwell and appreciate his creativity and personal spin on several songs that connect human beings in love, falling out of love, and trying to hold onto love.

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.

See you next week!

Opening Lyrics To Songs That I Love

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#8: Marvin Gaye, You Sure Love to Ball

Oh, baby, please turn yourself around/
Oh, baby, so I can love you good/
Oh, baby, I’ll make you feel so good/
Aw, sugar, just like you want me to/

Marvin Gaye: You Sure Love to Ball. 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!

“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.

See you next week!

Opening Lyrics To Songs That I Love

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#7: H.E.R., Process

I’m just tryin’ to process what just happened/
I’m just tryin’ to express what I’m feeling/
When the pressure gets too intense, burn some incense
Stop and take a deep breath… release it/

©2021 H.E.R., Process. 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!

H.E.R.’s song “Process” appears on her album “Back of My Mind” (Apple Music Edition), released in 2021. The lyrics seem to be about navigating a challenging situation or relationship, feeling like someone is “slowing up the progress” and causing a lot of frustration and sleepless nights.

The speaker is going through an emotional “process” of dealing with this, feeling pushed to their limits, and on the verge of “popping” or “blowing up.”

Lines like “Pushin’ all my buttons/Teardrop, hurting/Say I’m off the deep end/Yeah, right, you’re reachin’ reveal the raw vulnerability and emotional turmoil. 

Essentially, “Process” seems to be a raw and honest expression of dealing with the difficulties and emotional strain that come with a challenging personal situation.

By this point, I guess you have made the assessment that I have a thing for love songs: love lost, love gained, seeking love, and learning how to love. Most of my favorite songs center around love and all things encapsulating love. H.E.R. does an incredible job with “Process” as she pens what it feels to move forward while in the throes of breaking down.

It is oftentimes hard to move on from such a loss. Grief, reminiscence, and the constant wondering of “What did I do?” and “What could I have done to make things better?” can eat us alive.

This song will forever be a favorite of mine. The opening lyrics pull you in to hear the deeper story–to sit down at her feet and vibe with her–to feel her pain. I am here for this kind of carrying on day in and day out.

For the next three 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 favorite opening lyrics to songs you love as well. Perhaps you won’t. Either way, we’re going to have a good damn time.

See you next week!

Opening Lyrics To Songs That I Love

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#6: Eric Benét, News For You

You tell me love ain’t been goin’ your way/
Cause you’ve been searching, but good ones are hard to find/
Said you won’t settle for less than your heart is asking/
And life’s too precious just to be wasting time/

Eric Benét, News For You. 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!

In “News for You,” Eric Benét sings about the surprising and transformative power of finding love after having given up on it.

The song’s core message is in the lyrics: “Think your time for love is through. Well I got news for you.” Benét describes falling in love so completely that the thought of the person leaving feels devastating. The song embraces the “beautifully frightening aspect of love” that can be both tragic and deeply resonant.

The song was featured on his album “The One”.

When I listen to this song by Eric, I have to push away all of the negative thoughts that bounce about in my head regarding him and Halle Berry. Their marriage was an embarrassment on public display because of Eric’s constant cheating.

ON HALLE BERRY!!! Dude, like how?! Why?! I remember watching an interview with her, and then watching a separate one with him, and he spoke about being diagnosed as a Sex Addict. It was the first time I had heard the term.

He also spoke about being in the throes of counseling and therapy and trying to come to grips with the pain he had caused Halle, while also not hating himself in the process. Needless to say, they were some heavy interviews.

The song, though?! It’s one of my favorites by him because it pulls at the heartstrings. It makes me think about all of my failed relationships and the ones that were gifts to me because I learned something, and me and those exes are still friends. We know what we had, but we also know why we had to let it go.

The song is beautifully penned with a catchy chorus, and his distinctive vocals make it so much better. It’s an everlasting love song that can be and will be played on repeat for years to come.

For the next four 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 favorite opening lyrics to songs you love as well. Perhaps you won’t. Either way, we’re going to have a good damn time.

See you next week!