Career
Youakim left home for New York to pursue a career in music. His stay was short-lived, but back home he worked on his music and in 1968 under the stage name Andy Kim, released the single "How'd We Ever Get This Way?" on the Steed label. That record made the U.S. Top Twenty. In 1969, Kim had two hit singles, "Rainbow Ride," which again made it into the U.S. Top Twenty, and "Baby, I Love You," which got to #5 and was popular enough in Canada to earn him a Juno Award as his country's "Top Male Vocalist."
That same year, with Jeff Barry, Kim co-wrote "Sugar, Sugar" which was a hit single for The Archies, reaching No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and ultimately becoming the RIAA Record of the Year. Barry and Kim found fortune as bubblegum pop songwriters. They wrote more songs for the Archies, and also for Changes, by The Monkees in 1970, which Barry produced.
Over the next few years, Kim recorded a few minor hits and toured North America extensively. In the fall of 1974, he released "Rock Me Gently", which went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and rose to #2 on the UK Singles Chart.
By the end of 1976, Kim stopped recording and disappeared from public life. He returned under the stage name 'Baron Longfellow' with a self-titled album in 1980 and, also under the same pseudonym, in 1984 released Prisoner by Design. Both of these albums met with moderate success. In 1991, Kim again went by the name 'Longfellow' and recorded the single "Powerdrive", which received radio airplay on several radio stations across Canada.
In 1995, Kim played at the Kumbaya Festival at which the Barenaked Ladies were also performing. Nearly a decade later, the band's Ed Robertson convinced Kim to come out of retirement.[1][2] Robertson co-wrote the song "I Forgot to Mention" with him and offered to produce the track. The single was released on a 5-track EP in 2004 which included a re-recording of "Powerdrive".
In March 2005, Kim received the annual "Indie Award" for Favorite Solo Artist during Canadian Music Week.[1] The music video for "Love Is...", released in the summer of 2005, reached #1 at Bravo.ca. In 2005, he co-wrote "What Ever Happened To Christmas" with Ron Sexsmith.[1] The same year, he established the Andy Kim Christmas Show - a live concert at the Mod Club in Toronto in which a variety of artists were invited to perform mostly Christmas music. Kim's band acted as house band for the artists, who donated their time for the show. Proceeds were donated to the CHUM/CITY Christmas Wish. The show repeated in 2006, with a similar lineup. Proceeds from the show went to support the Children's Aid Foundation, and the edited show was aired on Mix 99.9 on Christmas Eve and Day.
More recently, Kim's music has again come into the public eye, as his single "Rock Me Gently" was sped up slightly and used by Jeep for their Jeep Liberty commercial - 'Pouring In'. His name can be seen on the radio display near the beginning of the commercial.
[edit] Greatest hits
"Baby, I Love You" 1969 (U.S. #9, West Germany #20)
"So Good Together" 1969 (U.S. #36, West Germany #37)
"Be My Baby" 1970 (U.S. #17, West Germany #24)
"Rock Me Gently" 1974 (U.S. #1, UK #2, West Germany
How'd We Ever Get This Way
Andy Kim Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So in love we used to be
But now it's just a memory
Baby, how'd we ever get this way
Tell me baby, how'd we ever get this way
Well I recall when things were fine
And every day the sun would shine
When I was yours and you were mine
Tell me baby, how'd we ever get this way
Remember how it used to was
Before the rovin' eye of love
Why does it do the way it does
Baby, how'd we ever get this way
Tell me baby, how'd we ever get this way
Time and time and time again
I wonder why it all began
Tell me how's it gonna end
Baby, how'd we ever get this way
Ba-la, la, la, la, la, la
Ba-la, la, la, la, la, la
Ba-la, la, la, la, la, la
Baby, how'd we ever get
Baby, how'd we ever get
Baby, how'd we ever get this way
Ba-la, la, la, la, la, la
Ba-la, la, la, la, la, la
Ba-la, la, la, la, la, la
In the song "How'd We Ever Get This Way" by Andy Kim, the singer reflects on a past relationship that has faded away. The first verse describes the stark contrast between how the couple used to be so in love, versus how things are now. The main theme being, how did we end up this way? The chorus repeats this question, emphasizing the singer's confusion and sadness about the situation.
The second verse highlights the happy memories the singer has of their time together, when everything seemed perfect and the sun always shone. However, things have changed, and the singer is struggling to understand why love can be so fickle and why some people's eyes seem to wander.
The final verse expresses the singer's frustration and despair at not being able to understand why things fell apart or how they will ever be able to heal the relationship. The "ba-la, la, la" refrain at the end provides a wistful, dreamy quality to the song, suggesting that despite the pain, the singer still holds onto some hope for reconciliation.
Overall, the song captures the universal feeling of heartbreak and confusion about why things in a relationship can change so quickly and dramatically. It also showcases Andy Kim's emotive voice and ability to write simple yet powerful lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Look at you baby look at me
Let's take a moment to reflect on how we currently are and compare it to how we used to be
So in love we used to be
Our love was once strong and intense
But now it's just a memory
Unfortunately, our love has faded into the past and is no longer present
Baby, how'd we ever get this way
I'm questioning how our relationship deteriorated to its current state
Tell me baby, how'd we ever get this way
I'm asking for your perspective on how our relationship ended up like this
Well I recall when things were fine
I remember a time when our relationship was going smoothly
And every day the sun would shine
Back then, life seemed bright and full of hope
When I was yours and you were mine
During that period, we were fully committed to each other
Remember how it used to was
Let's reminisce on the time when things were good between us
Before the rovin' eye of love
Before we allowed our attractions to wander elsewhere
Why does it do the way it does
I'm questioning the nature of love and why it can be so fickle
Time and time and time again
Repeatedly, I find myself reflecting on our past relationship
I wonder why it all began
Sometimes, I question why we even got together in the first place
Tell me how's it gonna end
I'm unsure about what the future holds for us and how our story will conclude
Ba-la, la, la, la, la, la
This is a vocalization indicating reflection and introspection
Baby, how'd we ever get
I'm once again questioning how we ended up in this negative state in our relationship
Baby, how'd we ever get
I'm repeating my question out of confusion and a desire for clarity
Baby, how'd we ever get this way
This is my final repetition of my inquiry about how we reached this unfortunate point in our relationship
Ba-la, la, la, la, la, la
This is again a vocalization indicative of introspection and reflection
Ba-la, la, la, la, la, la
This is a continuation of the vocalization, creating a musical outro to the song
Ba-la, la, la, la, la, la
This is the last repetition of the musical vocalization, leading to the end of the song
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANDY KIM, JEFF BARRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
john newson
Andy Kim is a great singer. Loved listening to him when I was in my early teens and still do now. Thanks for the great memories.
Joe Florio
What an amazing body of work. And Canadian. Thank you for your great music ❤️🙏
eightyninechevy
Brings back a lot of good and bad memories. Love this song. The bad was when it ended. The good still lives in my heart after many years.....
Liza Fox
This was played on CBC NXNW this morning. Never heard it before but I love it. Thanks to Margaret Gallagher and Team!
Raymond Malcuit
This Song Went To Number 21 On The Billboard Hot-100 Chart In 1968.
EK
Got to #3 in Chicago
Darlene Jeanson
Have always loved this song & Andy Kim & yes, he is probably one of the most underrated artists of all time. Pity .
Richelle Ann
LOVE this song!!!
I remember it playing when l was a small girl and it brings me back to my happy life when things were carefree..
Patrick Joyce
Wow, I never heard this tune before, but its simply great!
Cathy Berry
I lost the love of my life when this song came out.
The Vietnam War destroyed him mentally, as couldn't grasp the loss of his friends killed before his eyes.
Many tears here!!.