Alexander O'Neal (born November 14, 1953, in Natchez, Mississippi), was a m… Read Full Bio ↴Alexander O'Neal (born November 14, 1953, in Natchez, Mississippi), was a member of The Time when the group first formed in 1980. However, he was dropped immediately from the group, supposedly for seeming "too black". Three years later, he was able to get a record deal with Clearance Avant's Tabu Records As his vocals range in the same strength as Otis Redding's, O'Neal sings in the retro-style of soul when it comes to doing it in both the dance-pop numbers and modern, urban ballads. He is considered to be one of the very best artists that former, fellow Time members Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis had ever produced for. He did numerous duets with his labelmate singer Cherrelle, including hits "Saturday Love" and "Never Knew Love Like This". Currently, he resides in Britain where he's been touring and set up a permanent shop there.

FYI: Originally Alexander O'Neal was supposed to be the lead singer for The Time. For whatever reason Morris Day was used instead.

The 1985 self-titled release was filled with streamlined grooves, including the funk jam "Innocent". The song was a funky Jam/Lewis groove, featuring "The Secret"- (Monte Moir, Cherrelle, Jellybean Johnson, Jimmy Jam, and Terry Lewis). The song lasts for nearly 10 minutes, which consists of some exceptional guitar and keyboard solos, which also features the funk intermission of "Alex 9000". Alex's 1987 release, titled "Hearsay", includes the smash hit "Fake". "Fake" is arguably one of the best songs ever made to feature the "Minneapolis Funk" sound, the song was also nominated for a Soul Train Music Award for Single of the Year (Male). In late 1990, he had a minor hit with "All True Man."

His 1988 album "My Gift to You" was a successful holiday release, with the track "Our First Christmas" still popular during the holidays.

He has recently appeared in the celebrity duet show Just the Two of Us with BBC newsreader Fiona Bruce.

Alexander O'Neal's popularity and support in the UK has been immeasurable throughout his Career and still remains so today. Based in Minneapolis, he frequently commutes to Britain, which he sees as his 'Second Home'. All of his six albums have charted both in the UK and the US and he has enjoyed numerous sell-out tours. In 2005, he recorded his first live album "Alexander O'neal Live at Hammersmith Apollo". It's a collection of his Favorites and Biggest Hits from his career. With his personal love of performing on stage and constant tour support from his fans it was a clear progression for him to deliver the live experience in the form of an album. He has handpicked tracks that traverse the success of his career singing alongside a 12 piece band.

Alexander O'Neal releases his first Live DVD, taken from a performance at London's Hammersmith Apollo in March 2006 in January 2007.. It includes a duet with Uk Singer JC Bentley on Saturday Love.

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Secret Lovers
Alexander O'Neal Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Here we are, the two of us together
Taking this crazy chance to be all alone
We both know that we should not be together
'Cause if they found out, it could mess up
Both our happy homes

I hate to think about us all meeting up together
'Cause soon as I looked at you, it would show on my face, yeah

Then they'll know that we've been loving each other
We can never no, no, no, no, we can't leave a trace

Sittin' at home I do nothing all day
But think about you and hope that you're okay
Hoping you'll call before anyone gets home
I'll wait anxiously alone by the phone

How could something so wrong be so right?
I wish we didn't have to keep our love out of sight, yeah
Living two lives, just ain't easy at all
But we gotta hang on and after fall

Secret lovers, yeah that's what we are
Trying so hard to hide the way we feel
'Cause we both belong to someone else
But we can't let it go 'cause what we feel
Is, oh so real, so real, so real

You and me, are we fair?
Is this cruel or do we care?
Can they tell that's in our minds?
Maybe they've had secret love all of the time

In the middle of makin' love, we notice the time
We both get nervous 'cause it's way after nine
Even though we hate it, we know it's time that we go
We gotta be careful so that no one will know

Secret lovers, yeah, that's what we are
We shouldn't be together but we can't let it go

'Cause what we feel is, oh so real
So real, so real, so real, so real

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Secret Lovers" by Alexander O'Neal talk about two people who are in love but cannot be together because they are both in committed relationships with other people. They are taking a crazy chance to be alone, knowing their feelings are wrong but still hoping that their love would continue to be real. The song portrays the challenge of keeping their affair secret and hidden from everyone, the fear of getting caught, the struggle of living two lives, and the difficulty of letting go.

The song's lyrics showcase that love can be complicated, and sometimes people find themselves in situations that are not easy to navigate. The song speaks to the inner struggle of people who find themselves in affairs or love triangles. It portrays the moral dilemma of choosing between two people, each of whom offers different things to the individual, but where neither choice is perfect.

The lyrics of "Secret Lovers" are sensually understated, yet they still manage to convey the passion and intensity of the two people's relationship. The chorus "secret lovers, yeah that's what we are," is a catchy and memorable line that perfectly encapsulates the song's theme. The song shows how two people in love can feel isolated and alone, unable to share their feelings with the world. The secrecy adds to the tension and intensity of the love affair, but it also makes it more challenging to sustain.

Line by Line Meaning

Here we are, the two of us together
We are here, the two of us, united

Taking this crazy chance to be all alone
We are taking a daring risk by being together in isolation

We both know that we should not be together
We acknowledge that we should not be lovers

'Cause if they found out, it could mess up Both our happy homes
If our affair was discovered, it would harm both of our existing relationships

I hate to think about us all meeting up together
I dislike the idea of us all encountering each other in person

'Cause soon as I looked at you, it would show on my face, yeah
I wouldn't be able to hide my feelings for you, as it would be obvious from my facial expressions

Then they'll know that we've been loving each other
Then people will discover that we have been involved romantically

We can never no, no, no, no, we can't leave a trace
We must ensure that there is no evidence of our relationship

Sittin' at home I do nothing all day But think about you and hope that you're okay
I spend my days idle, thinking of you and hoping you are well

Hoping you'll call before anyone gets home I'll wait anxiously alone by the phone
I hope you will call me while no one is at home, and I will wait expectantly for it

How could something so wrong be so right?
How can something that is considered inappropriate feel so good?

I wish we didn't have to keep our love out of sight, yeah
I long for us to be able to express our love openly

Living two lives, just ain't easy at all But we gotta hang on and after fall
It is challenging to lead two separate lives, but we must persevere, even if it means we will eventually fail

Secret lovers, yeah that's what we are Trying so hard to hide the way we feel
We are secret lovers, working hard to conceal our emotions

'Cause we both belong to someone else But we can't let it go 'cause what we feel Is, oh so real, so real, so real
Although we are both committed to others, our love for each other is exceedingly genuine

You and me, are we fair? Is this cruel or do we care?
Is it ethical for us to be having this affair, or should we be more compassionate?

Can they tell that's in our minds? Maybe they've had secret love all of the time
Can others discern our thoughts, or have they themselves had hidden romances?

In the middle of makin' love, we notice the time We both get nervous 'cause it's way after nine
When we are physically intimate, we worry about the time and become anxious if it is too late

Even though we hate it, we know it's time that we go We gotta be careful so that no one will know
Even though we dislike it, we must depart and be cautious so that our affair is not discovered

Secret lovers, yeah, that's what we are We shouldn't be together but we can't let it go 'Cause what we feel is, oh so real So real, so real, so real, so real
We are secret lovers, and although we shouldn't be together, our feelings are incredibly authentic and resonate with reality.

Contributed by Declan I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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