In 1964, at the age of 11, Khan formed her first musical group, the Crystalettes. While still in high school, she joined the Afro-Arts Theater, a group which toured with Motown great Mary Wells; a few years later, she adopted the African name Chaka Khan while working on the Black Panthers' breakfast program. After quitting high school in 1969, Khan joined the group Lyfe, soon exiting to join another dance band, the Babysitters — neither was on the fast track to success, but her fortunes changed when she teamed with ex-American Breed member Kevin Murphy and Andre Fisher to form Rufus.
Debuting in 1973 with a self-titled effort on the ABC label, Rufus was among the preeminent funk groups of the decade. Distinguished by Khan's dynamic vocals, the group earned half a dozen gold or platinum albums.
While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career. Her signature hits, both with Rufus and solo, include "Tell Me Something Good", "Sweet Thing", "Ain't Nobody", "I'm Every Woman", "I Feel for You" and "Through the Fire".
Sign
Chaka Khan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In France, skinny man
Died of a big disease with a little name
By chance his girlfriend came across a needle
Soon she did the same
At home there are seventeen year old boys
Is being in a gang called The Disciples
High on crack, totin' a machine gun
Time
Hurricane Annie ripped the ceiling of a church
And killed everyone inside
You turn on the telly and every other story
Tellin' you somebody died
Sister killed her baby 'cause she could afford to feed it
They were sending rockets to the moon
September my cousin tried reefer for the very first time
Now he's doing horse, it's June
Time, time, yeah
It's silly no, when a rocket ship explodes
Everybody still want to fly
Some say a man ain't happy
Unless a man truly dies, oh why?
Time, time, time
Baby make a speech, star wars fly
Neighbors just shine it on
But if the night falls and a bomb falls
Then everybody sees dawn
Time, time
It's silly now, when a rocket ship explodes
Everybody still wants to fly
Some say a man ain't happy, truly, yeah
Until he dies, oh why?
Time, time, time, time
Sign o' the times mess with your mind
Hurry before it's too late
Let's fall in love, get married, have a baby
We'll call him Nate, if it's a boy
Time, time
Everybody, yeah
Sign o' the times
[Incomprehensible]
Time, sign o' the times
Don't you know we can change the world?
Don't you know every boy and every girl
Deserves to live life, deserves a peace of mind?
Sign o' the times
Don't you know we can change the world?
Don't you know every boy and every girl
Deserves to live life, deserves a peace of mind?
Sign o' the times
Don't you know we can change the world?
Don't you know every boy and every girl
Deserves to live life, deserves a peace of mind?
Sign o' the times
Chaka Khan's song "Sign 'O' The Times" is a powerful and thought-provoking commentary on the social issues and political challenges of the late 1980s. The lyrics describe a world where tragedy and suffering are commonplace, where drugs, gangs, and violence are rampant, and where people are seeking escape from the chaos around them.
The song features a series of vignettes that showcase the harsh realities of life in this time period. The first verse describes the death of a man from a drug addiction and his girlfriend's subsequent overdose. The second verse highlights the violence and drug use among teens in gangs, while the third references natural disasters, murder-suicides, and drug abuse. The chorus of the song speaks to the overall message of the track: that the world is a challenging and turbulent place, but that people have the power to create change.
The song's lyrics also suggest that people are often more concerned with their own individual desires than with the larger social issues around them. The lines "when a rocket ship explodes / everybody still want to fly" emphasize this idea, as does the final verse, which encourages people to prioritize love, family, and community above their own selfish desires. Ultimately, the song is a powerful plea for people to come together to address the problems of their time and work towards a better future.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh yeah
Introduction to the song
In France, skinny man
A skinny man in France died of AIDS
Died of a big disease with a little name
Though AIDS is a serious disease, it's just known by a small name
By chance his girlfriend came across a needle
The man's girlfriend also got infected with HIV through a hypodermic needle
Soon she did the same
She also got addicted to drugs and suffered the same fate as her boyfriend
At home there are seventeen year old boys
There are young boys who are only 17 years old
And their idea of fun
These boys think having fun is being in a gang called The Disciples
Is being in a gang called The Disciples
These boys are in a dangerous gang called The Disciples
High on crack, totin' a machine gun
They are heavily intoxicated with crack and carry a machine gun
Time
Time is a recurring theme that is used to emphasize the fleeting nature of life
Hurricane Annie ripped the ceiling of a church
A hurricane named Annie destroyed a church's ceiling
And killed everyone inside
Everyone inside the church died because of the hurricane
You turn on the telly and every other story
When you turn on the television, most of the stories are about people dying
Tellin' you somebody died
All the news you hear is someone dying
Sister killed her baby 'cause she could afford to feed it
A woman killed her baby because she didn't have enough money to feed it
They were sending rockets to the moon
The same time period when NASA Apollo missions were launched to the moon also happened to be a time period where there were a lot of problems in the world
September my cousin tried reefer for the very first time
In September, my cousin tried smoking marijuana for the first time
Now he's doing horse, it's June
He moved on to/heroin by June of that year
Time, time, yeah
Emphasis on time
It's silly no, when a rocket ship explodes
It's foolish when we still want to fly even when rockets explode
Everybody still want to fly
Even after such incidents, people still want to fly
Some say a man ain't happy
Some people believe that a man can only be happy if they die
Unless a man truly dies, oh why?
They believe that death is the only way for them to attain happiness
Baby make a speech, star wars fly
References to popular culture in the 1980s; talks about making speeches and Star Wars movies being released
Neighbors just shine it on
Neighbors don't pay much attention to speeches, movies, or other events
But if the night falls and a bomb falls
But when night falls, and a bomb falls, everyone can see the light of the explosion
Then everybody sees dawn
And the light of the explosion gives way to dawn/light
It's silly now, when a rocket ship explodes
It's foolish when people still want to fly even though rockets explode
Some say a man ain't happy, truly, yeah
Some people believe that a man cannot be happy unless he dies
Until he dies, oh why?
They believe that death is the only way for them to attain happiness
Time, time, time, time
Emphasis on the fleeting nature of time
Sign o' the times mess with your mind
The events of the times can cause mental distress
Hurry before it's too late
Act fast before it's too late
Let's fall in love, get married, have a baby
Let's embrace life, love, and start a family
We'll call him Nate, if it's a boy
If it's a boy, we'll name him Nate
Time, time
Emphasis on time
Everybody, yeah
Everyone should pay attention
Sign o' the times
The sign/event of the times
[Incomprehensible]
Unclear lyrics
Time, sign o' the times
Emphasis on the fleeting nature of time and the importance of the signs of the times
Don't you know we can change the world?
We have the power to make a positive change in the world
Don't you know every boy and every girl
Everyone, regardless of gender, deserves a chance to live a peaceful life
Deserves to live life, deserves a peace of mind?
Doesn't everyone have the right to a happy life without worries?
Sign o' the times
The sign/event of the times
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Prince Rogers Nelson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ben - Moderator
on I'll Never B Another Fool
Corrected - thanks Saulius
Saulius
on I'll Never B Another Fool
https://princevault.com/index.php?title=Eye%E2%80%99ll_Never_B_Another_Fool
Saulius
on I'll Never B Another Fool
"Come 2 My House" album 1998