In the early 1980s, Stone (as 'Angie B'), was a member of The Sequence, the first major female hip-hop group. They had a hit in 1980 with "Funk You Up". She then worked with Mantronix, before teaming up and performing vocals and saxophone for Lenny Kravitz.
Angie Stone emerged during the 1990's as part of hip-hop/R&B trio Vertical Hold which released the popular single "Seems You're Much Too Busy" as well as two albums: A Matter Of Time (June 1993) and Head First (1995).
In 1996, she teamed up with Gerry Deveaux (Lenny Kravitz's cousin from The Bahamas) and together with Charlie Mole they formed Devox. One album received a Japanese-only release including Stone-penned or co-written material.
Angie Stone shared song-writing credits on D'Angelo's first two studio album's (1995 - Brown Sugar and 2000 - Voodoo) as well as providing backing vocals on tour with him.
She released her first solo album, Black Diamond, released on 28 September 1999 via Arista Records. She has since also released, via Clive Davis' J Records, Mahogany Soul on October 16, 2001 and Stone Love on July 6, 2004.
Much of Angie Stone's solo material has a significant hip-hop influence and features notable samples. For example, her first solo single, 1999's "No More Rain (In This Cloud)" samples Gladys Knight & the Pips' 1972 "Neither One Of Us (Want To Be The First To Say Goodbye)", and 2002 "Wish I Didn't Miss You" samples The O'Jays' 1972 "Back Stabbers".
Angie Stone sings the theme song for the UPN sitcom Girlfriends.
She has two children, a daughter and a son. The son is the child of neo-soul singer D'Angelo, whom she dated during the 1990's.
Official Website: http://www.angiestoneonline.net
Without You
Angie Stone Lyrics
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Then be surrounded by my enemy with joy to gain
I'd rather be rich in spirit than poor in fame
I'd take a one way ticket to anywhere
Just to regain
To me it would be the hardest thing
To lose out on every single dream
Don't want to ride without you
Don't want to ride without you
I'd rather feel bad inside and cry alone
Then to be placed up high and praised upon a thrown
See I'm only human, by nature I'm free
The wounded shall heal by heaven's hands naturally
To me it would be the hardest thing
To lose out on everything I've dreamed
Cuz I'm without you
Don't want to ride without you
Don't want to ride without you
Don't want to ride without you
Don't want to ride without you
Don't want to ride without you
Don't want to ride without you
Don't want to ride without you
Don't want to ride without you
Don't want to ride without you
Don't want to ride without you
To me it would be the damnedest thing
To lose out on every single dream
Cuz I'm without you
Don't want to ride without you
Don't want to ride without you
Oh, I'm slippin from my goal
But I don't give a damn
'Cause I believe I'm free, yeah
To me it would be the damnedest thing
To lose out on every single dream
Cuz I'm without you
Don't want to ride without you
Don't want to ride without you
To me it would be the hardest thing
To lose out on every single dream
Cuz I'm without you
Don't want to ride without you
Don't want to ride without you
To me it would be the hardest thing
To give up on every single dream
Cuz I'm without you
Don't want to ride without you
Don't want to ride without you
To me it would be the hardest thing
To give up on every single dream
Cuz I'm without you
Don't want to ride without you
Don't want to ride without you
I'd rather feel bad inside and cry alone
Then to be placed up high and praised upon a thrown
See I'm only human, by nature I'm free
The wounded shall heal by heaven's hands naturally
The lyrics of Angie Stone's "Without You" convey the message that the singer would rather suffer from loneliness and pain than to be surrounded by enemies who are joyful. The singer expresses her preference for being poor in fame but rich in spirit, highlighting the importance of internal fulfillment over external validation. She talks about how losing out on dreams is the hardest thing for her and how she doesn't want to ride without the person she is addressing in the song. She would rather feel bad inside and cry alone than to be placed high on a throne with fake admiration. The singer acknowledges her vulnerability but firmly believes in nature's healing powers, indicating that she will overcome her pain.
Line by Line Meaning
I'd rather be lonely and in pain
I prefer to be alone and in pain than to be around people who hurt me but give me joy.
Then be surrounded by my enemy with joy to gain
I'd rather feel the pain of loneliness than be happy around people who do not like me or cause me harm.
I'd rather be rich in spirit than poor in fame
I value having a rich, positive attitude rather than being famous or popular but unhappy.
I'd take a one way ticket to anywhere
I would go anywhere to regain what I have lost, no matter how far or difficult the journey may be.
Just to regain
I am willing to do anything to regain what I have lost.
To me it would be the hardest thing
Losing everything I have dreamed of would be the most difficult thing for me to bear.
To lose out on every single dream
Failing to achieve every dream I have would be a great loss for me.
Cuz I'm without you
I feel incomplete and lost without the person or thing I am missing.
Don't want to ride without you
I do not want to go through life without the person or thing that is missing from me.
I'd rather feel bad inside and cry alone
I would rather feel sad and shed tears alone than pretend to be happy and uplifted by others.
Then to be placed up high and praised upon a throne
I do not want to be praised and uplifted by others if it is not genuine or coming from the right place.
See I'm only human, by nature I'm free
I am a human being and want to be free to express my emotions and live my life the way I see fit.
The wounded shall heal by heaven's hands naturally
My emotional pain and trauma will be healed with time and help from a higher power.
Oh, I'm slippin from my goal
I am failing to achieve my goal or am losing sight of what I want out of life.
But I don't give a damn
Despite my struggle, I am not willing to give up or lose faith in myself.
'Cause I believe I'm free, yeah
I believe in my own freedom and ability to shape my own destiny.
To give up on every single dream
Losing the motivation to achieve everything I have hoped for would be a great loss for me.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind