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.
Rock With You
Brian McKnight Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let that rhythm get into you
Don't try to fight it
There ain't nothing that you can
Relax your mind
Lay back and groove with mine
You gotta feel that heat
And we can ride the boogie
I wanna rock with you (all night)
Dance you into day (sunlight)
I wanna rock with you (all night)
Rock the night away
Out on the floor
There ain't nobody there but us
Girl when you dance
There's a magic that must be love
Just take it slow
Cause we got so far to go
You gotta feel that heat
And we can ride the boogie
Share that beat of love
I wanna rock with you (all night)
Dance you into day (sunlight)
I wanna rock with you (all night)
Rock the night away
And when the groove is dead and gone (yeah)
You know that love survives
So we can rock forever, on
I wanna rock with you
I wanna groove with you
I wanna rock with you
I wanna groove with you
I wanna rock (all night) with you girl (sunlight)
Rock with you, rock with you girl (yeah) (all night)
Dance the night away
I wanna rock with you (yeah) (all night)
Rock you into day (sunlight)
I wanna rock with you (all night)
Rock the night away
The song Rock With You by Brian McKnight is an upbeat dance track that encourages the listener to let themselves go and get lost in the music. McKnight's smooth vocals set the tone for the song and the funky beat is irresistible. The lyrics urge the listener to close their eyes and feel the rhythm, giving in to the music without any resistance. The suggestion is to let go and relax, to let the music take over and guide the movement of the body.
The chorus repeats the phrase "I wanna rock with you (all night), dance you into day (sunlight)" emphasizing the desire to spend the entire night dancing in sync with that special someone. The song implies that there is a magical connection that exists when dancing together, a connection that can be identified as true love. When the groove is gone, the love will still be there to keep the memories alive forever.
The last line of the song, "Rock the night away" is a wonderful way to sum up the overall message of the song: live in the moment and make the most out of every opportunity. The desire to dance with the one you love all night long is something that most listeners can relate to and this song truly captures that feeling.
Interesting Facts:
1) "Rock With You" is a cover of Michael Jackson's original song from the album "Off The Wall".
2) Brian McKnight's cover was released in 1997 as a single from his album "Anytime".
3) The song peaked at #58 on the Billboard Hot 100.
4) Brian McKnight won his first Soul Train Award for Best R&B/Soul Male Single for "Rock With You".
5) The music video for the song was directed by Francis Lawrence, who went on to direct The Hunger Games movies.
6) The song was featured in the film "High Crimes".
7) The single was successful in the UK, peaking at #7 on the UK Singles Chart.
8) The song's lyrics have been translated into Spanish, German, Italian, and French.
9) The song was sampled by R&B group 3LW in their song "No More".
10) Brian McKnight performed the song at the opening ceremony for the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.
Chords: Unfortunately, we do not have the chords for this song at the moment.
Line by Line Meaning
Girl, close your eyes
I want you to relax and focus on the music without any distractions.
Let that rhythm get into you
Let the music take over and make you dance.
Don't try to fight it
Don't resist the music, let it take control.
There ain't nothing that you can
There's no point in resisting, so just enjoy the music.
Relax your mind
Free your mind from all worries and let yourself go.
Lay back and groove with mine
Dance with me and let our bodies move together.
You gotta feel that heat
Let the passion of the music inspire you.
And we can ride the boogie
Let's let the music guide us and dance together.
Share that beat of love
Let's experience the feeling of love that the music brings.
I wanna rock with you (all night)
I want to dance with you and enjoy the music for the entire night.
Dance you into day (sunlight)
I want to dance with you until the sun comes up.
Rock the night away
Let's dance the night away and enjoy the music.
Out on the floor
We're the only two people dancing, so let's enjoy the moment.
There ain't nobody there but us
We have each other, and that's all we need.
Girl when you dance
When you dance, something magical happens.
There's a magic that must be love
The connection we feel when we dance is a beautiful expression of our love.
Just take it slow
We have all night, so there's no rush. Let's enjoy every moment.
Cause we got so far to go
We have a long night ahead of us, so let's pace ourselves.
And when the groove is dead and gone (yeah)
When the music stops, our love will still be strong.
You know that love survives
Our love will endure, even when the music stops playing.
So we can rock forever, on
Our love and passion for music will continue to inspire us.
I wanna groove with you
I want to dance with you and feel the rhythm of the music.
I wanna rock (all night) with you girl (sunlight)
I want to dance with you all night and until the sun comes up.
Rock with you, rock with you girl (yeah) (all night)
I want to dance with you and enjoy the music together all night.
Dance the night away
Let's dance and enjoy the music together all night.
Rock you into day (sunlight)
I want to dance with you until the sun rises.
Rock the night away
Let's dance the night away and enjoy the music together.
Lyrics © JELLYBEAN MUSIC GROUP, Spirit Music Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Anthony Moody, Curtis Richardson, Elan Irizarry, Rosaline Jackson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind