Upon release, The Boy Is Mine received generally positive reviews from contemporary music critics. The album debuted at number eight on the Billboard 200 and at number two on the Top R&B Albums in August 1998. It was eventually certified triple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting shipments of over three million copies throughout the country, with estimated sales of 2 million copies in the United States as of November 2014. Her biggest international seller to date, it became a moderate success outside the United States, peaking within the top twenty in France, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Switzerland.
Five commercial singles were released from the album. Lead single "The Boy Is Mine", a duet with singer Brandy, became the best-selling song of the year in the United States, spending 13 weeks on top of the US Billboard Hot 100, while peaking at number one in Canada, the Netherlands and New Zealand. "The First Night" and "Angel of Mine", released as the album's second and third single respectively, also became chart toppers on Billboard Hot 100. The Boy Is Mine also spawned "Street Symphony" and the international singles "Inside" and "Right Here Waiting", while also containing the hit single, "For You I Will", from the Space Jam soundtrack.
Street Symphony
Monica Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I feel a little out of place
But I need you to make that change
You promised, to keep me out of the rain
I love the cars and everything
The diamond rings but I loved you much more, baby
You said, that you were gonna stop when you
Had enough, you'd do what you had to do
Now you, like the profession you've made it for yourself
You said, you cared about me and you
Now all, you wanna do is hustle you
Gotta choose, whatcha gonna do and am I worth it to you baby
Never thought I'd be afraid to trust (to trust)
Somebody that I love so much
If I can get him out of the streets
Then he could come back to me
Now I see that there ain't no "us"
Baby to me that's a definite plus
If I can't get you out of the streets
Then you don't need to be with me
Do you love me like you say
Maybe you could get away
From the life of doin' the wrong things
You promised
Don't make me read about it babe
Think of me before I'm gone
Cause when I'm gone, it will be to late (oh yeah babe)
You said, that you were gonna stop when you
Had enough, you'd do what you had to do
Now you, like the profession you've made it for yourself (made it for yourself)
You said, you cared about me and you
Now all, you wanna do is hustle you (you you)
Gotta choose, whatcha gonna do when I'm not worth it to you baby
Never thought I'd be afraid to trust
Somebody that I love so much
If I can get him out of the streets
Then he could come back to me
Now I see that there ain't no "us"
Baby to me that's a definite plus
If I can't get you out of the streets
Then you don't need to be with me
Never thought I'd be afraid to trust (Never, never, never)
Somebody that I love so much
If I can get him out of the streets
Then he could come back to me (come back, to me)
Now I see that there ain't no "us" (there ain't no us baby)
Baby to me that's a definite plus
If I can't get you out of the streets (If I Can Get You Outta the streets)
Then you don't need to be with me (Then you don't need to be with me)
Oh, oh, mmm yeah yeah........yeah
Oh yeah yeah...
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Oooooooooooooo ohhh
Never thought I'd be afraid to trust (Never thought I)
Somebody that I love so much (Somebody I love, somebody I love)
If I can get him out of the streets
Then he could come back to me
Now I see that there ain't no "us" (baby, baby, baby, yeah)
Baby to me that's a definite plus
If I can't get you out of the streets (oh oh, if I can get you outta the
streets)
Charge it to the game, baby
Visit the streets or me (Visit the streets)
The job has taken over pain (The job's taken over)
I know I've gotta leave (I know I know)
Cause you weren't there for me (You weren't there for me he he he)
The lyrics to Monica's song Street Symphony tell a story of a woman who's in love with a man who is living a life in the streets. The woman is torn between her love for the man and her desire for him to leave the dangerous lifestyle behind. She feels out of place in the world of hustlers and wants her lover to keep his promise of keeping her out of the rain. She yearns for him to choose her over the street life and wonders if she's worth it to him. She fears trusting him and losing him to the streets forever. In the end, she realizes that there can't be an "us" if he can't leave the streets.
The song's lyrics speak to many themes, including the struggle of trusting someone when they're living a dangerous life, the desire for a loved one to leave the streets, and the importance of choosing love over a dangerous lifestyle. Monica's powerful vocals and emotional delivery add depth to the lyrics, making this song an emotional and captivating piece of music.
Line by Line Meaning
There's something that I wanna say
The singer has something important to communicate
I feel a little out of place
The singer feels uncomfortable or disconnected
But I need you to make that change
The singer is requesting that the person they're addressing take action to improve the situation
You promised, to keep me out of the rain
The person being addressed had made a promise to protect the singer from harm
I love the cars and everything
The singer enjoys the material things in life
The diamond rings but I loved you much more, baby
Despite liking other things, the singer loves the person they're addressing the most
You said, that you were gonna stop when you
The person being addressed had made a promise to stop doing something
Had enough, you'd do what you had to do
The person being addressed said they would make changes when they reached a breaking point
Now you, like the profession you've made it for yourself
The person being addressed has become too invested in their current occupation or lifestyle
You said, you cared about me and you
The person being addressed had professed their feelings for the singer
Now all, you wanna do is hustle you
Now the person being addressed is focused solely on making money
Gotta choose, whatcha gonna do and am I worth it to you baby
The person being addressed needs to decide what they want and if the singer is important enough to make sacrifices for
Never thought I'd be afraid to trust (to trust)
The singer is surprised that they're hesitant to trust someone they love
Somebody that I love so much
The singer loves the person they're addressing immensely
If I can get him out of the streets
The singer wants the person being addressed to leave a dangerous or risky lifestyle
Then he could come back to me
The singer wants the person being addressed to return to a safer situation
Now I see that there ain't no "us"
The singer no longer sees a future for the relationship
Baby to me that's a definite plus
The singer sees the end of the relationship as a good thing
If I can't get you out of the streets
The singer cannot continue the relationship if the person being addressed does not leave their dangerous lifestyle
Then you don't need to be with me
The singer cannot be with someone who doesn't prioritize their safety and wellbeing
Do you love me like you say
The singer needs confirmation that the person being addressed truly loves them
Maybe you could get away
The singer suggests that the person being addressed can and should leave their dangerous lifestyle
From the life of doin' the wrong things
The singer views the person being addressed's lifestyle as harmful or illegal
Don't make me read about it babe
The singer doesn't want to see or hear about the person being addressed getting hurt
Think of me before I'm gone
The singer wants the person being addressed to appreciate and prioritize the relationship while they still can
Cause when I'm gone, it will be to late (oh yeah babe)
If the person being addressed doesn't act soon, they will lose the singer and regret it
Oh, oh, mmm yeah yeah........yeah
A vocalization expressing emotion, not conveying meaning
Charge it to the game, baby
Accept the reality and consequences of the situation and move on
Visit the streets or me (Visit the streets)
The person being addressed has to choose between their current lifestyle or the singer
The job has taken over pain (The job's taken over)
The person being addressed is preoccupied with their occupation
I know I've gotta leave (I know I know)
The singer recognizes that the relationship is no longer viable
Cause you weren't there for me (You weren't there for me he he he)
The singer feels abandoned or neglected by the person being addressed
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Dallas Austin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind