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.
Overjoyed
Brian McKnight Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just for two, though you never knew you were my reason
I've gone much too far for you now to say
That I've got to throw my castle away
Over dreams, I have picked out a perfect come true
Though you never knew it was of you I've been dreaming
The sandman has come from too far away
And though you don't believe that they do
They do come true
For did my dreams
Come true when I looked at you
And maybe too, if you would believe
You too might be
Overjoyed, over loved, over me
Over hearts, I have painfully turned every stone
Just to find, I had found what I've searched to discover
I've come much too far for me now to find
The love that I've sought can never be mine
And though you don't believe that they do
They do come true
For did my dreams
Come true when I looked at you
And maybe too, if you would believe
You too might be
Overjoyed, over loved, over me
And though the odds say improbable
What do they know for in romance
All true love needs is a chance
And maybe with a chance you will find
You too like I
Overjoyed, over loved, over you, over you
The lyrics of Brian McKnight's song "Overjoyed" speak of a love that has been pursued over time and distance, with the singer building a castle of love for two, but his love never realizing it was her that he was building it for. The singer has dreamt of a perfect love with the woman, but the realities of life, and interfering factors such as the Sandman, have prevented his dreams from becoming a reality. Despite this, the singer still holds on to hope, encouraging his love to also believe in the power of dreams and the possibility of a love that is overjoyed and overwhelming.
The verses of the song express a sense of longing and heartbreak that is palpable, with the singer confessing his deep feelings and desires for his love. The chorus, however, shifts towards a more positive tone, encouraging his love to also believe that dreams can come true and love can be overwhelming in the best way possible. The song ends with the singer acknowledging that love is a gamble, but that it is one worth taking, as it can lead to being overjoyed and over loved.
Overall, "Overjoyed" is a song about the transformative power of love, and how it can change an individual's life in ways that are beyond what they could have ever imagined.
Line by Line Meaning
Over time, I've building my castle of love
I've been investing all my time and effort in building a strong foundation for our love.
Just for two, though you never knew you were my reason
I built this castle of love only for us, even though you never realized how precious you were to me.
I've gone much too far for you now to say that I've got to throw my castle away
I've invested too much in our relationship for you to abandon it suddenly, and expect me to let go of everything I've built for us.
Over dreams, I have picked out a perfect come true
I've envisioned the perfect life together with you, and have always dreamed of fulfilling it.
Though you never knew it was of you I've been dreaming
Even though you never realized it, you were always the one I wanted to spend my life with.
The sandman has come from too far away
Dreams have come so close to reality that they feel almost tangible and present, despite being far away.
For you to say come back some other day
It's not possible to postpone or delay dreams, as they come and go by their own will.
And though you don't believe that they do, they do come true
Even though you don't have faith in the power of dreams, they do manifest into reality for those who dream them.
For did my dreams come true when I looked at you
I knew for sure that my dreams were valid when I saw you and realized that they were all about you.
And maybe too, if you would believe
If you start believing in our dreams, you'll realize that they are not just mine, but ours.
You too might be overjoyed, over loved, over me
Your heart could also be filled with overwhelming emotions of joy and love like mine, if you begin embracing our dreams and accepting the love that I have to offer.
Over hearts, I have painfully turned every stone
I've put in great effort to search for love, and have been willing to go to any extent to find a heart that could resonate with mine.
Just to find, I had found what I've searched to discover
After much searching, I finally found someone special who turned out to be everything I wanted, but unfortunately, they don't feel the same way.
I've come much too far for me now to find
I've invested so much time, energy, and emotions into this relationship that it's impossible to just give up without a fight.
The love that I've sought can never be mine
Despite all my efforts and desires, the love I yearned for from this person can never be mine.
And though the odds say improbable, what do they know for in romance
Despite the chances of our love surviving looking slim, we cannot let the odds dictate our love story, as sometimes, even the most unlikely relationships turn out to be the most successful.
All true love needs is a chance
True love may be difficult to find, but all it needs is a chance to survive and flourish.
And maybe with a chance you will find
If we give our love a chance, we may realize that there's true love waiting for us, which we had never experienced before.
You too like I overjoyed, over loved, over you, over you
Together, we can experience the joy, love, and passion that is shared when two people fall in love, and this feeling can only grow stronger with time.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: STEVIE WONDER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Basty Reyes
That head shaking thing is actually giving honor to Stevie for being such an iconic artist
Jhommark Macasaet
What a great and funny tribute to stevie. Brian was just mimicking stevie and If only stevie could see this, he'd totally laugh so hard and get amazed at the same time. 😂
Jasper Greek Golangco
i think the head movements are more of a tribute. Given Brian McKnight's history in terms of how polite and respectful he behaves in live shows and stuff, i am sure this was done in good faith, and perhaps a bit of good fun as well. No harm done, honestly. Stevie would have probably enjoyed that.
Adalto Mello
SENSACIONAL....UM MONSTRO DA MÚSICA MUNDIAL...SOU FÃ ABSOLUTAMENTE DESSE CANTOR INCRIVEL....
Ceeby
Brilliant! Just like the original
Well done 🎵🎵🎵
Pablo Fergie
He should cover the entire song....that would be EPIC
Drew Scott
Awesome in every single way! What a great tribute, and fun too!
Haniel Carvalho
Pra cantar Stevie Wonder tem que fazer assim no mesmo nível, sabe tudo de Harmonia de interpretação... é simplesmente Brian
Intan Andriana87
He did this one very well!!AMAZING!!
배찌
와 어느 노래건 완벽한 목소리다..