Once he started a solo career, Brown enjoyed commercial and critical success with his second album Don't Be Cruel (1988) which spawned five Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles, including the number one hit "My Prerogative", and the Grammy Award-winning "Every Little Step". In 1989, Brown contributed two songs to the soundtrack of Ghostbusters II. In 1992, Brown married superstar singer Whitney Houston, with whom he later had a daughter named Bobbi Kristina Brown. The couple's drug issues and domestic disputes made them tabloid fodder.
Brown's next album Bobby (1992) spawned several singles including "Humpin' Around", "Get Away", and "Good Enough", however, sales of Bobby did not reach the level of its predecessor.
Brown also appeared in the films A Thin Line Between Love and Hate and Two Can Play That Game. He returned to New Edition for a reunion album and tour from 1996 to 1997, and returned with all six members for another stint in 2005. Brown and Houston starred in the 2005 reality show Being Bobby Brown; Houston filed for divorce two years later in 2007.
Seventeen
Bobby Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Had it all, only seventeen
Went to school, then to church
Understood, felt no need to search
She left home, just because
Her boyfriend, say how fly she was
She made love, night and day
Had his baby, now he's gone away
Seventeen, oh girl
Seventeen, yeah yeah yeah
Seventeen, made her stronger
Seventeen
Sold her soul, to the streets
So her child, has some food to eat
Running home, she won't go
Cause everyone said, girl I told you so
Sex and drugs, oh
There's more to a life
Friends gonna push you, oh oh
But do what is right
You can walk
And still have fun
Educate your state of mind
While you're young
Seventeen
On her own girl
Seventeen, made her stronger
Seventeen, yeah yeah yeah
Seventeen
Seventeen, sold her soul to the streets
Seventeen, so her child could have some food to eat
Seventeen, just a girl with a dream
Seventeen, had it all, only seventeen
Sex and drugs, sex and drugs
There's more to a life
Friends gonna push you, friends gonna push you
But do what is right
You can walk, you can walk
And still have fun
Educate your state of mind, educate your state of mind
While you're young
Seventeen
Sold her soul to the streets
So her child could have some food to eat
Just a girl with a dream
Had it all, only seventeen
Yeah yeah baby
On her own girl
She's only seventeen
Oh yeah
The girl is only seventeen now
In Bobby Brown's song Seventeen, the lyrics tell the story of a young girl who had it all figured out - she went to school, went to church, and understood her place in the world. However, she ends up leaving home when her boyfriend tells her how fly she is. The girl then becomes pregnant and is abandoned by her boyfriend, leaving her to sell her soul to the streets to provide for her child. Despite the hardships she endures, the lyrics emphasize that being seventeen made her stronger, and that one can still have fun and educate their state of mind while young.
The song is a cautionary tale about the dangers of getting caught up in the wrong crowds and making reckless decisions that can have long-lasting consequences. The lyrics encourage young people to make sound choices and to be mindful of the potential risks that come with living a life that revolves around sex and drugs.
Overall, "Seventeen" is a poignant depiction of the struggles that some young people face when they try to find their place in the world. The lyrics are an important reminder to be mindful of the decisions we make and to take responsibility for our actions.
Line by Line Meaning
Just a girl, with a dream
At seventeen, the girl had dreams and aspirations
Had it all, only seventeen
At just seventeen, she felt complete and had everything she wanted
Went to school, then to church
She went to school and church like any regular teenager
Understood, felt no need to search
She had a firm grasp of life and felt no need to search for anything beyond what she had
She left home, just because
She left home without any particular reason
Her boyfriend, say how fly she was
Her boyfriend praised her beauty and complimented her often
She made love, night and day
She engaged in sexual intercourse regularly with her boyfriend
Had his baby, now he's gone away
She became pregnant and after having the baby, her boyfriend left her
Seventeen, oh girl
The song is about a girl who was only seventeen
Seventeen, yeah yeah yeah
She was only seventeen and the song emphasizes this fact
Seventeen, made her stronger
Despite facing challenges at a young age, she emerged stronger through the experience of being a young mother
Sold her soul, to the streets
She engaged in risky behavior to provide for her child, including resorting to illegal activities
So her child, has some food to eat
She did what she had to do to provide for her child’s basic needs
Running home, she won't go
She is unable to return home because everyone said they told her so
Cause everyone said, girl I told you so
Others have criticized her actions and felt that it was inevitable that she would end up in a difficult situation
Sex and drugs, oh
She has recently begun to engage in risky behavior including sex and drugs
There's more to a life
The song argues that there is more to life than risky behavior and a life of crime
Friends gonna push you, oh oh
Peer pressure can lead people down the wrong path of life, as can be seen with her friends influencing her to engage in risky behavior
But do what is right
The song advocates for doing what is right, even when faced with peer pressure and temptation
You can walk
One can still participate in fun activities and live life without engaging in criminal behavior
And still have fun
The song emphasizes that there are ways to enjoy life without engaging in risky behavior
Educate your state of mind
The song encourages individuals to educate themselves and focus on personal growth and development, rather than engaging in dangerous activities
While you're young
The song stresses the importance of developing a solid foundation for a healthy and fulfilling life while still young
Just a girl with a dream
The song emphasizes that the girl was young and optimistic about her future
Yeah yeah baby
A standard R&B vocal riff
On her own girl
She was forced to navigate life on her own, without the help of her partner or family
She's only seventeen
The song emphasizes that the girl was young and inexperienced
Oh yeah
A standard R&B vocal riff
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: R. BROOKINS, T. HAYNES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind