Embracing an effortless eloquence and cocoa butter smooth persona, the music of Brian McKnight has defined the true meaning of an American soul-man since 1991. Like his spiritual Motown godfathers, this upstate New York native has a velvety voice and silky style that captures the vibe of vintage soul without being old fashion. On his latest disc Ten, that blend can be clearly heard.
While Brian’s aspirations might have seemed like a lofty ambition, the longevity of his career is a testament to the purity of his vision. With the release of Ten, McKnight’s first disc for his new label Warner Bros Records, the Grammy-nominated singer could not be more pleased with the outcome. Without a doubt, the landscape of soul music has gotten younger, but that fact did not hinder McKnight’s creative process.
After 16 million albums sold since his self-titled debut, it would have been too easy for McKnight to simply follow the R&B template of rote romanticism. But on Ten, the artist in him felt the need to be more revealing. Though McKnight has been friends with producers Tim & Bob for over ten years, this is the trio’s first collaboration.
Though Brian has never been the kind of singer/songwriter that one would call political that didn’t stop him from penning “Red, White & Blue,” a heart wrenching ode for the men and women currently at war, teaming up with country star Rascal Flatts.
Currently working on a variety of projects including a talk show and soundtracks for two upcoming Tyler Perry projects, the veteran soul singer could not be happier with the outcome of Ten. For fans of real music, Ten is the perfect addition to the soul cannon.
Don't Lie
Brian McKnight Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Haven't seen you in a while
I don't know where to begin
But it's so good to see you smile
We were together for so long
But at that time it wasn't meant to be
I thought our happy days were gone
But now that I have you here with me
Are we making love or not making love?
I can't see it in your eyes
Like I knew it would, it feels twice as good
And girl, I'm not surprised
You can say that you don't miss me
But girl I know your kisses don't lie
No, they don't lie
Can we possibly start brand new?
And can we both forget the past?
Others have tried and failed
But maybe we can make it last
For is it just this once for old time's sake
For tomorrow be just like yesterday
It's funny about the heart
Somethings can't be erased
But maybe we can find a way
Are we making love or not making love?
I used to see it in your eyes
Like I knew it would, it feels twice as good
It comes as no surprise
You can say that you don't miss me
Girl, you know your kisses don't lie
They don't lie
I think we both know
It's easier love to see
That what we have is pure gold
[Incomprehensible]
Are we making love or not making love?
I can't see it in your eyes
Like I knew it would, it feels twice as good
And girl, I'm not surprised
But you can say that you don't miss me
'Cause girl you know your kisses don't lie
The lyrics to Brian McKnight's song "Don't Lie" suggest a rekindling of an old romance, where the singer expresses his uncertainty about the current nature of the relationship but is sure of the honesty behind his partner's physical affection. The opening lines establish their time apart, implying that they were once in a committed relationship that ended. The singer expresses how good it feels to see the other person smiling and wants to start anew. The singer recalls their past troubles and successes and now questions whether they are making love or not making love, admitting that he can't tell from her eyes. The song also acknowledges the possibility of failure, recognizing that others have tried and failed.
The singer acknowledges that some things from the past cannot be erased, but suggests finding a way to work through it, whether it's just for old time's sake or a new start. His partner continues to kiss him, which he interprets as meaning she still has feelings for him. The repetition of "your kisses don't lie" reinforces this idea that physical affection represents the truth of their emotions towards each other. The song ultimately ends with the singer recognizing that their love is pure gold and thanking his partner for not lying.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby, how you been?
It's been a while since we saw each other. How have you been?
Haven't seen you in a while
I haven't seen you for a long time.
I don't know where to begin
I don't know what to say or where to start.
But it's so good to see you smile
Your smile is beautiful and makes me happy.
We were together for so long
We were in a relationship for a long time.
But at that time it wasn't meant to be
However, it didn't work out for us at that time.
I thought our happy days were gone
I believed that our happy times were over.
I thought that I wanted to be free
I thought I wanted to be single and free at that time.
But now that I have you here with me
Now that you're here with me, I feel differently.
Are we making love or not making love?
Are we having sex or not?
I can't see it in your eyes
I can't tell from looking in your eyes.
Like I knew it would, it feels twice as good
It feels twice as good as it used to when we were together.
And girl, I'm not surprised
I'm not surprised that it feels this good.
You can say that you don't miss me
You might say that you don't miss me.
But girl I know your kisses don't lie
But I know that your kisses reveal your true feelings.
No, they don't lie
Your kisses don't lie.
Can we possibly start brand new?
Is it possible for us to begin again?
And can we both forget the past?
Can we forget what happened before?
Others have tried and failed
Other people have tried to start again and failed.
But maybe we can make it last
But perhaps we can make it work this time.
For is it just this once for old time's sake
Is this only happening once as a nod to our past?
For tomorrow be just like yesterday
Will tomorrow be the same as yesterday?
It's funny about the heart
The heart is a curious thing.
Somethings can't be erased
Some things can't be forgotten or removed from memory.
But maybe we can find a way
But perhaps we can find a solution.
I used to see it in your eyes
I used to be able to tell from your eyes.
It comes as no surprise
It doesn't surprise me.
I think we both know
I believe we both know.
It's easier love to see
It's easy to see that we love each other.
That what we have is pure gold
What we have is precious and valuable.
[Incomprehensible]
This line is unclear and can't be reworded to convey its true meaning.
'Cause girl you know your kisses don't lie
Because I know that your kisses show your true feelings.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRIAN KELLY MCKNIGHT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tamekiavann6832
Your music was born to make love I love it mr. Brian McKnight
@actionjaxon517
Hidden gem of a song, thank you for this
@meanmugginj
One of my favs appreciate the wonderful music
@jake11375
Love this! never heard it before... Thanks for sharing...
@JMKSMusic
Thanks for uploading again!! You have good taste in music that's why people steal from you lol :P
@wr513
Classic
@allengarvey1832
I think this an unreleased track either from u-turn or superhero
@remedya.paulin2327
❤💯