Atlantic Starr was among the top urban contemporary acts of the '80s and fa… Read Full Bio ↴Atlantic Starr was among the top urban contemporary acts of the '80s and fared well in the adult contemporary market as well, but their roots were '70s soul and funk. The East Coast outfit was formed in White Plains, NY, in 1976 by three brothers: lead singer/guitarist David Lewis, lead singer/keyboardist Wayne Lewis, and trombonist/percussionist Jonathan Lewis. After the Lewis Brothers hired lead singer Sharon Bryant, trumpeter William Sudderth, saxophonist Damon Rentie (who was replaced by Koran Daniels in 1981), bassist Clifford Archer, drummer Porter Carroll, Jr., and percussionist/flutist Joseph Phillips, Atlantic Starr's original nine-person lineup was in place. Influenced by '70s funk/soul bands like Earth, Wind & Fire, the Commodores, New Birth, and L.T.D., Atlantic Starr started playing around the northeastern U.S. They had only been together for about two years when they signed with A&M and started working with Bobby Eli, a well-respected producer/songwriter from Philadelphia. Produced by Eli in 1978, Atlantic Starr's self-titled debut album wasn't a mega-platinum blockbuster but did reasonably well and contained the funk hit "Stand Up" (which made it to number 16 on Billboard's R&B singles chart). Eli went on to produce the band's second album, Straight to the Point; while that 1979 release did OK, A&M knew that Atlantic Starr could be bigger. So in 1981, the band changed producers and enlisted James Carmichael for their third album, Radiance. It was a wise move; Radiance and its hit single "When Love Calls" established Atlantic Starr as a supergroup in the R&B market. It was on Radiance that the charismatic Bryant (who was featured on "When Love Calls") really blossomed as a singer and her lead vocals played a major role in the band's success. Carmichael went on to produce 1982's "Brilliance" (which contained the number two R&B single "Circles") and 1983's Yours Forever; the latter includes "Touch a Four Leaf Clover," another major hit featuring Bryant.

Although Bryant was never Atlantic Starr's only lead singer -- Wayne and David Lewis also provided their share of lead vocals -- she was a major asset. So it came as quite a disappointment when she left Atlantic Starr in 1984 to pursue a solo career. But all was not lost. The talented Barbara Weathers was hired as a replacement and 1985's As the Band Turns -- Atlantic Starr's first post-Bryant album and sixth album overall -- found the outfit unveiling a smaller lineup that consisted of Weathers, the Lewis Brothers, and Phillips. Sudderth, Daniels, Archer, and Carroll were all gone, but despite those personnel changes, Atlantic Starr was still distinctive and recognizable. As the Band Turns, which contained the major hit "Secret Lovers," turned out to be Atlantic Starr's last album for A&M; in 1987, they moved to Warner Bros. and fared well with the album All in the Name of Love and the smash hit "Always." A syrupy adult contemporary ballad, "Always" reflected the Lewis Brothers' desire to have the type of crossover success that Whitney Houston and Lionel Ritchie had been enjoying in the '80s; they got their wish when "Always" soared to number one on both the pop and R&B charts.

After All in the Name of Love, Weathers left the band to pursue a solo career and was replaced by Porscha Martin, who was featured on 1988's We're Movin' Up. Martin was around for a few years before being replaced by Rachel Oliver (Atlantic Starr's fourth female vocalist) in the early '90s. Atlantic Starr's relationship with Warner Bros. ended after 1991's Love Crazy, and in 1994, the band recorded one album for Arista: Time. That album was a commercial disappointment and the single "I'll Remember You" only made it to the fifties on Billboard's R&B and pop singles charts. Time (which was David Lewis' last album with the band) found a fifth female singer, Aisha Tanner, replacing Oliver. And when 1999's Legacy was distributed by the small, independent Street Solid label, Atlantic Starr unveiled yet another lineup -- one that consisted of two Lewis Brothers (Wayne and Jonathan) as well as Oliver (who had returned and replaced Tanner) and a new male singer named DeWayne Woods. Although Legacy received very little attention, Atlantic Starr hung in there and was still performing for die-hard fans when the 21st century arrived.

You Belong With Me
Atlantic Starr Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You're making a real big mistake, baby
Think about what you're doing

I don't care where you wanna go
You belong with me
I'm the only one that loves you so
You belong with me

It's just a phase that you're going through
You wanna dress up the mood
You think there's all these things that you're missing out on
But baby it just ain't true

You don't find the fact that you have your freedom
To do the things you wanna do
But I've got to draw a line somewhere
You can't have your cake and eat it too

You're turned on by the things with other guys
But they only want your body and the real thing would be in disguise

I don't care where you wanna go
You belong with me
I'm the only one that loves you so
You belong with me

I thought that we were happy living together
I thought that our love had a long-term plan
I never would have thought that you would think about other guys
Or living your life with another man
I know that understanding takes a longer mind
But I'm sorry girl I can't understand this time
But take this temporary love away from you
And I know you'd come running back for mine

You're turned on by the things with other guys
But they only want your body and the real thing would be in disguise

I don't care where you wanna go
You belong with me
I'm the only one that loves you so
You belong with me
I don't care where you wanna go
You belong with me
I'm the only one that loves you so
You belong with me

Think about what you're doing baby
You sure you wanna be out there?
Think about it now

I said I love you but
I'll put up with the cut
You gotta do the things you wanna do
Girl, you'll never find a man
Who'll sit there and hold your hand
No one else in the world will come to your rescue
I don't mess around with other girls,
I only wanna share your world
You belong with me
I belong with you

I'm the only one that loves you so
You belong with me
I don't care where you wanna go
You belong with me
I'm the only one that loves you so
You belong with me

They'll be no one to wash your hair
Hold you in despair
No one to call you girl I got news
Take advantage of my time
Or else you're gonna find, he only wants your body
And not your mind

I don't care where you wanna go
You belong with me

I'm the only one that loves you so
You belong with me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Atlantic Starr's "You Belong With Me" describe a man trying to convince his lover not to leave him for someone else. He begs her to think about her actions and reminds her that she belongs with him, as he is the only one who truly loves her.

The singer believes that his lover is going through a phase and wants to explore new things, but he does not want her to sacrifice their relationship for it. He believes that other men only want her for her body, while he wants to share her world and hold her hand.

The song touches on themes of possessiveness and jealousy, as the singer struggles to maintain control over his relationship. He is willing to put up with the hurt in order to show his love for her, but warns her that she may regret leaving him for someone else.

Overall, the lyrics of "You Belong With Me" explore the complexities of relationships and the fear of losing someone we love.

Line by Line Meaning

You're making a real big mistake, baby
Stop and think about what you're doing because you might be making a mistake.

I don't care where you wanna go You belong with me I'm the only one that loves you so You belong with me
No matter where you want to go, you belong with me because I'm the only one that truly loves you.

It's just a phase that you're going through You wanna dress up the mood You think there's all these things that you're missing out on But baby it just ain't true
Don't worry, you're just going through a phase and trying to change things to create a new mood. You think you're missing out on things, but that's not true.

You don't find the fact that you have your freedom To do the things you wanna do But I've got to draw a line somewhere You can't have your cake and eat it too
You seem to enjoy your freedom and doing what you want, but there's a line that can't be crossed. You can't have the benefits of being with me and still have total freedom.

You're turned on by the things with other guys But they only want your body and the real thing would be in disguise
You might be attracted to other guys and their actions, but beware, they only want your body and not your overall well-being.

I thought that we were happy living together I thought that our love had a long-term plan I never would have thought that you would think about other guys Or living your life with another man
I thought we were happy in our relationship and had a bright future together. I never expected that you would start thinking about other guys or even consider being with someone else.

But take this temporary love away from you And I know you'd come running back for mine
If you were to lose this temporary feeling you have, I know you'd come back to me because you'd realize that my love is real and genuine.

Think about what you're doing baby You sure you wanna be out there? Think about it now
I need you to really think about what you're doing because I'm not sure if you truly want to be out there with other guys. Take some time to reflect on this.

I said I love you but I'll put up with the cut You gotta do the things you wanna do Girl, you'll never find a man Who'll sit there and hold your hand No one else in the world will come to your rescue
I love you and I'll tolerate this tough situation. But you need to do what you want. Just remember, you won't find anyone else who will be there for you like me, and no one else will come to your rescue.

They'll be no one to wash your hair Hold you in despair No one to call you girl I got news Take advantage of my time Or else you're gonna find, he only wants your body And not your mind
Don't take for granted the things I do for you like washing your hair and being there for you when you're sad. Remember that other guys will only want your body and not your mind.

Writer(s): Lewis David E, Lewis Wayne I

Contributed by Sebastian W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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