With her classy, refined brand of romantic soul, Anita Baker was one of the definitive quiet storm singers of the '80s. Gifted with a strong, supple alto, Baker was influenced not only by R&B, but jazz, gospel, and traditional pop, which gave her music a distinctly adult sophistication. Smooth and mellow, but hardly lifeless, it made her one of the most popular romantic singers of her time.
Baker was born January 26, 1958, in Toledo, OH, and raised in nearby Detroit, where she grew up listening to female jazz singers like Sarah Vaughan, Nancy Wilson, and Ella Fitzgerald. At age 12, she began singing a gospel choir, and by age 16 she was performing with several local bands. In 1975, she successfully auditioned for Chapter 8, one of Detroit's most popular acts at the time; the group eventually signed with Ariola and released an album in 1979, but were immediately dropped when the label was acquired by Arista (which didn't care for Baker's vocals). Chastened, Baker worked low-paying jobs in Detroit and eventually found steady work as a receptionist at a law firm. In 1982, Otis Smith -- an executive who'd worked with Chapter 8 -- contacted Baker about recording for his new label Beverly Glen. Happy with her employment benefits and skittish over the experience with Arista, Baker was reluctant at first, but eventually flew out to the West Coast to record her debut album, The Songstress, in 1983. Though it didn't gain quite enough exposure to become a hit, it did help Baker build a strong fan base through word-of-mouth and she was signed by Elektra in 1985.
Working with producer Michael J. Powell (an old Chapter 8 cohort), Baker released her major-label debut Rapture in 1986. It was a platinum, Grammy winning smash, appealing to both urban and adult contemporary listeners and producing two all-time quiet storm classics in "Caught Up in the Rapture" and "Sweet Love." Baker toured the world in 1987 and her guest appearance on the Winans track "Ain't No Need to Worry" won a Grammy. Her equally stylish follow-up album, Giving You the Best That I Got, appeared in 1988, spawning more staples in the title track and "Just Because." "Giving You the Best That I Got" also won Baker two more Grammys, for Best Female R&B Vocal and Best R&B Song. For her third Elektra album, Baker decided to handle a greater share of the songwriting, hence the title Compositions, which was released in 1990 and featured even stronger jazz inflections than Baker's previous work (not to mention all live instruments).
Following Compositions, Baker took a break from recording and touring; after having her first son in 1993, she returned to the studio to craft Rhythm of Love, which was released in 1994. In the years that followed, Baker was mostly silent, despite her fans' clamoring for a jazz album; instead, she raised her family and became embroiled in contract disputes with Elektra, which eventually led her to move to Atlantic. She began working on a new album in 2000, but had to start over from scratch due to defective recording equipment that made the original tracks unsalvageable. In 2004 it was announced that she had signed with Blue Note and still working on her new album. In the meantime, the Atlantic imprint Rhino released Night of Rapture: Live, a 1987 concert originally available on video. Baker finally returned to the studio in 2003 and issued My Everything, her first album in 10 years. Two years later she released her first holiday album, Christmas Fantasy.
Lead Me Into Love
Anita Baker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If love just happens or it's planned
We must believe our spirits know somehow
Baby, we can't stop the falling we feel now (ooh)
New emotions overflow
And now this heartbeat wants control (ooh baby)
If the love was meant to be so strong
Something close to magic's coming on
Light the way for me
Without your touch, I cannot see
Lead me into love
I'm deep in the miracle of you (ooh)
When we feel excitement rise
We'll share the secrets found in lovers eyes
You'll speak the words of love
I'll speak them too
Baby, ain't no stopping me when I'm with you (ain't no stopping me when I'm with you)
Honey, take this heart and
Lead me into love
Light the way for me
Without your touch, I cannot see
Lead me into to love
I'm deep in the miracle
I'm deep in the miracle of you (I'm deep in the miracle)
(Light the way so I can see, light the way so I can see)
Baby, yeah
I
I keep telling you (you make the miracle, baby)
I
Bring it to me baby (you make the miracle, baby)
I need you, to bring me the miracle
(Tell me if your heart speaks)
Honey, want you (love me)
Baby, I see
I know that I'm no good, baby (no good)
'Til you show me that your desire is complete and I'm all yours
(la-la-la-lead me into love)
Baby, baby, baby (shine your light on me so I can see)
Show me, teach me the way baby (lead me into love)
Deep in the miracle (deep in the miracle, deep in the miracle)
(Lead me into love)
Come on, show me
Shine, shine your light on me (so I can see)
I can't see without you (lead me into love)
I can't move without you (deep in the miracle, deep in the miracle)
I can't live without you (lead me into love)
Baby
Shine, shine your light on me (so I can see)
Anita Baker’s song Lead Me into Love is a soulful ballad that speaks about the complexity of love and the enchanting feeling of falling in love. The song touches on the idea of destiny when it comes to love and how it is hard to determine if love is unplanned or planned. The lyrics suggest that the love between two individuals is guided by an unexplainable force, and even though we may not understand it, we should trust our hearts and believe that it will take us in the right direction. The song emphasizes the depth of emotions one feels when they fall in love, and how love can be close to magic.
The lyrics in Lead Me into Love evoke excitement and passion that love brings out in people when they meet their significant other. The lines "New emotions overflow, and now this heartbeat wants control," highlight the intensity and overwhelming feeling of falling in love. The phrase "Lead me into love" is repeated multiple times throughout the song, emphasizing the idea of being lost in love and needing someone to show the way.
Overall, the song's message is about surrendering to love and allowing yourself to be consumed by the feeling while being confident in knowing that the person you love will guide you into a wonderful journey of love.
Line by Line Meaning
We may never understand
Love is a complex emotion that cannot be completely comprehended by us.
If love just happens or it's planned
We are unsure whether love is spontaneous or a predetermined event.
We must believe our spirits know somehow
We have to trust that our souls have the ability to sense love.
Baby, we can't stop the falling we feel now (ooh)
We are unable to prevent ourselves from experiencing the intense feelings of love.
New emotions overflow
Powerful and unfamiliar feelings arise from within us.
And now this heartbeat wants control (ooh baby)
Our hearts begin to crave and desire this newfound feeling of love.
If the love was meant to be so strong
We believe that if the love is truly strong, it has a sense of fate surrounding it.
Something close to magic's coming on
A magical and inexplicable force seems to be taking effect.
Take my heart and lead me into love
Guide me in this journey of love and let me experience its wonders.
Light the way for me
Show me the path towards love.
Without your touch, I cannot see
I cannot experience love without your presence and touch.
I'm deep in the miracle of you (ooh)
I am in awe of you and the enchantment of love that surrounds us.
When we feel excitement rise
When we experience euphoria and passion in our relationship.
We'll share the secrets found in lovers eyes
We will express our deepest emotions and desires to each other through our eyes.
You'll speak the words of love
You will communicate your affection for me verbally.
I'll speak them too
I will reciprocate your expressions of love.
Baby, ain't no stopping me when I'm with you (ain't no stopping me when I'm with you)
Nothing can prevent me from pursuing this relationship with you.
Honey, take this heart and
My heart belongs to you.
I keep telling you (you make the miracle, baby)
I express to you that you are the source of the miraculous love we are experiencing.
Bring it to me baby (you make the miracle, baby)
I ask you to bring that love to me.
I need you, to bring me the miracle
I need you to be present and partake in the miracle of love we are experiencing.
Honey, want you (love me)
I desire for you to love me.
Baby, I see
I understand the love we have for each other.
I know that I'm no good, baby (no good)
I recognize that I am incomplete without your love.
Til you show me that your desire is complete and I'm all yours
I will not be satisfied until you fully express your love and commitment to me.
(la-la-la-lead me into love)
Guide me further into this journey of love.
Show me, teach me the way baby (lead me into love)
Let me learn from you and grow in our love for each other.
Come on, show me
I urge you to demonstrate your love for me.
Shine, shine your light on me (so I can see)
I need you to illuminate my path and show me the way towards love.
I can't see without you (lead me into love)
I am lost without you and need you to lead me in this journey of love.
I can't move without you (deep in the miracle, deep in the miracle)
You are an essential part of my life and I cannot function without you.
I can't live without you (lead me into love)
My love for you is so strong that I cannot imagine living without you.
Baby
My affectionate term for you.
Shine, shine your light on me (so I can see)
I need you to show me the way towards our love.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Lawrence Paul Prentiss, Stephen Evans Lane
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind