Brown was a star football quarterback at Mount Vernon High School in New York, but rejected an athletic scholarship to the University of Iowa to pursue a music career. In 1987, Quincy Jones selected Brown as the first winner of the Sony Innovators Talent Search. Subsequently, Brown went on to work with Jones on several projects, most notably the platinum single "Secret Garden" from Jones' double platinum album Back on the Block. On this recording, Brown was one of a quartet with Barry White, El DeBarge, and James Ingram.
His debut album from 1988, In Effect Mode, sold more than two million copies, topping the Billboard R&B chart for seven straight weeks. The album included his memorable single "Nite and Day", which topped the R&B singles chart and reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. He received numerous Grammy and American Music Award (AMA) nominations, and won an AMA for Best New R&B Artist. He also received several Soul Train Award nominations, and won the award for Best New Artist. He also won several New York Music Awards. In addition, Al's 900 phone line was third in generating revenue, following those for New Kids on the Block and Run-DMC.
As a writer and producer, Brown introduced the multi-platinum group Jodeci and teen R&B performer Tevin Campbell (also one of Quincy Jones's former protégés), as well as Faith Evans, Dave Hollister, Case, and Usher to the music scene.
On June 23, 2009, Al released his fourth studio album, Honey I'm Home. It features the hit song, "I Love It (Papi Aye Aye Aye)." The single peaked at #77 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart and at #22 Adult R&B.
Only You
Al B. Sure! Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All our friends are breaking up
Cause they don't never talk things through
All they ever do is making love
Being without you just ain't cool
You're my baby and I'm feeling you
There's no place I'd rather be
Than wrapped up in your arms tonight
[Chorus]
Only you could love me the way you do
Only you would put up with the things I do (yes you would, know you would)
Making love to you changes my gray skies to blue (ah, ha, ha, ha)
Only you can love me the way do (yes you do, I know you do, I know you want it, ooh)
Girl I like it when you're in the mood
So I play like I'm a drink and you're the food
I turn the phone off so no one disturbs our groove (don't you dare disturb our groov-oo-oo-oove)
Call in sick so we can spend the day
If you don't mind I want the needle in the hay
And if I get it lady I will stay around
[Chorus]
(Cause baby I love you) (Only you can love me the way you do)
(Woo, sometimes I'm so out of control)
Making love to you changes my gray skies to blue (ah, ha, ha, ha)
Only you (you) could love me the way do (take it to the bridge now)
Girl there will be no more lonely nights (girl there will be no more lonely nights)
We'll make love instead of always fighting
So (don't you dare disturb our groove)
Girl you're the only, girl you're the only lips (the only lips I want to kiss)
And I will grant your every wish tonight
[Chorus]
(Only you can love me, so girl won't you lay your body down)
(I know you would, I know I could, I'll do your body right)
The lyrics to "Only You" by Al B. Sure! speak to the importance of communication and intimacy in relationships. The song begins by suggesting that many couples break up because they do not communicate effectively. Instead, they "just [make] love" and avoid dealing with their issues. The singer, on the other hand, values communication and being close to his partner. He declares his affection for her, expressing that he feels no place is better than in her arms.
The chorus emphasizes the unique nature of the singer's relationship with his partner. He suggests that only she can love him the way she does, and that she accepts him even with his flaws. Making love to her helps him see the world in a more positive light. The second verse reinforces the idea of the importance of intimacy in this relationship. The singer enjoys being with his partner when she's in the mood, and he goes out of his way to ensure that they are not disturbed.
Overall, "Only You" suggests that a successful relationship requires active communication and emotional intimacy. The singer feels secure and content when he's with his partner, which is a testament to the value of strong relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Listen,
I want you to pay attention to what I'm about to say
All our friends are breaking up
Our friends are ending their relationships
Cause they don't never talk things through
They don't communicate with each other
All they ever do is making love
All they focus on is the physical aspect of their relationship
Being without you just ain't cool
I don't like being without you
You're my baby and I'm feeling you
I have strong romantic feelings for you
There's no place I'd rather be
I don't want to be anywhere else
Than wrapped up in your arms tonight
I want to be physically close to you tonight
Just you and me
We're the only ones that matter in this moment
Only you could love me the way you do
No one else could love me like you do
Only you would put up with the things I do (yes you would, know you would)
You are the only one who can tolerate my shortcomings
Making love to you changes my gray skies to blue (ah, ha, ha, ha)
Being intimate with you makes my life much happier
Only you can love me the way do (yes you do, I know you do, I know you want it, ooh)
I am certain that no one else can love me like you do
Girl I like it when you're in the mood
I enjoy it when you are feeling romantic
So I play like I'm a drink and you're the food
I am metaphorically a drink, and you are my sustenance
I turn the phone off so no one disturbs our groove (don't you dare disturb our groov-oo-oo-oove)
I don't want any interruptions while we are spending time together
Call in sick so we can spend the day
I want to skip work and spend the entire day with you
If you don't mind I want the needle in the hay
I want to have sex with you
And if I get it lady I will stay around
If you agree to have sex with me, I will stick around afterwards
Girl there will be no more lonely nights (girl there will be no more lonely nights)
I want to eliminate the possibility of us experiencing loneliness
We'll make love instead of always fighting
Instead of arguing, we should have sex
So (don't you dare disturb our groove)
I don't want any distractions to come between us
Girl you're the only, girl you're the only lips (the only lips I want to kiss)
I only want to kiss your lips
And I will grant your every wish tonight
I will do anything to make you happy tonight
(Only you can love me, so girl won't you lay your body down)
You are the only one capable of loving me, so please be intimate with me
(I know you would, I know I could, I'll do your body right)
I am confident that we will have a satisfying experience together
Contributed by Oliver E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.