Prior to her appearance on The Wiz, Cheryl taped an episode of the Gong Show in the early part of 1976. She went on to win the competition while singing Joe Cocker's "You Are So Beautiful." Lynn later told Dick Clark during her appearance on American Bandstand that after the episode aired, in the fall of 1976, record industry executives were calling about her soon after the win.
Success and later career
After signing with Columbia Records, Lynn released her first and biggest hit, "Got to Be Real," which was penned by Toto's keyboardist David Paich, David Foster and Lynn. The song peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #1 on the R&B chart. The success of the single prompted a full scale debut album. Titled, Cheryl Lynn, it was produced by Paich. The album sold over a million copies and peaked at #5 on Billboard's R&B albums chart and #23 on Billboard's top 200 album charts. The follow-up single, "Star Love," also became a hit —reaching the top twenty on both the R&B and Dance charts.
During Cheryl's debut album's run, members of the rock group Toto were putting together their debut album. During the production Lynn was asked to provided the female backing vocal on the single, "Georgy Porgy." The single peaked at #48 on Billboard's Pop charts. Although Toto would go on to chart more than a dozen pop hits throughout the years, it was Lynn's vocal on "Georgy Porgy" that aided the group in charting their one and only R&B (#18) and Dance (#80) hit on the Billboard charts.
In 1981, Ray Parker, Jr. produced "Shake It Up Tonight," a major club R&B hit from Lynn's third album, In The Night. The following year, Luther Vandross was called on to produced Cheryl's fourth album, Instant Love. The second single off the album, "If This World Were Mine" —a 1982 duet with Luther Vandross that covered a Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell song, has become an urban contemporary classic. For her fifth album, Preppie, Cheryl took it upon herself to produce most of the tracks with the exception of the single "Encore" (#1 R&B hit) —written and produced by the Minneapolis funk duo, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. It became Lynn's second #1 single on the U.S. Billboard R&B Charts. Her final top ten hit in the 80s was released in 1989: "Every Time I Try To Say Goodbye," from her eighth album, Whatever It Takes.
The 1990's
Cheryl began the 90's without a record contract. During this period she did session work on Richard Marx albums Rush Street and Paid Vacation. She also worked with Luther Vandross on his album Your Secret Love . In 1995, after a six year hiatus from recording her own material, Lynn teamed up with producer/songwriter Teddy Riley, (formally of the New Jack Swing group Guy), to record her ninth album, Good Time. It was released in Japan, the UK and later in the United States as an imported CD and featured the club favorite single "Guarantee For My Heart."
2000 to present
During the new millennium Lynn toured Japan and did the occasional gig in the U.S., performing at charity events in her hometown of Los Angeles. She performed on ABC's The Disco Ball... A 30-Year Celebration, which aired in January 2003. In 2004 she recorded the song, "Sweet Kind Of Life," which was also written and produced by Jam & Lewis, for the animated film and soundtrack to Shark Tale.
On September 19, 2005, Lynn's signature song "Got to Be Real" was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame. She is considered an influence on some of today's R&B female singers, including Mary J. Blige, who, along with Will Smith, covered Lynn's signature song, "Got to Be Real", also for the soundtrack of the animated film Shark Tale.
This Time
Cheryl Lynn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You never want it to end
Instead of calling this the final scene
Let's start it all over again
I know it hasn't, been easy
It's been hard for me too
But please believe, I want to spend
My whole life loving you ...
And this time
We won't make the mistakes
We made, in the past
We'll get it right, this time
We've got just what it takes, to make it last
Gonna make it work, this time.
Don't keep saying, it's over
When you know just how much, I care
No matter what, your reason
I'm not letting you go anywhere
It would be easier, (would be) to change (easier to change)
The direction of the wind
Cause there's no changing, my mind
You are, staying ...
Oh, and this time
We won't make the mistakes
We made in the past
We'll get it right, this time
We've got just what it takes, to make it last
Gonna make it work, this time.
Oh, oh, oh, this time, Oh ay
Oh this time
We won't make the mistakes
We made in the past
We'll get it right, this time
We've got just what it takes, to make it last
Gonna make it work, this time.
Oh oh oh oh
Mmmmm mmmm mmmmm
This time
The song "This Time" by Cheryl Lynn is a love ballad about a couple who have experienced difficulties in their relationship in the past but are willing to try again. The first verse uses a movie metaphor, comparing love to a good film that one never wants to end. The singer suggests that rather than ending their relationship on a negative note, they restart it and work through their issues. The second verse is a plea by the singer to their partner, asking them not to give up on the relationship despite the challenges they have faced. The chorus vows to not repeat the mistakes of the past and to put in the effort necessary to make the relationship last.
Line by Line Meaning
Love is like a good movie
Love is something that feels very enjoyable.
You never want it to end
The feeling of love is something that people never want to go away.
Instead of calling this the final scene
Rather than ending this relationship, let's continue it for a longer time.
Let's start it all over again
Let's begin this relationship again from where we left it.
I know it hasn't been easy
I am aware that this relationship has been difficult for both of us.
It's been hard for me too
I have also faced struggles during this relationship.
But please believe, I want to spend
I want to spend my life with you.
My whole life loving you ...
I want to express my love for you throughout the entirety of our lives.
And this time
In this current state of the relationship,
We won't make the mistakes
We will avoid the mistakes
We made, in the past
that we made in the past.
We'll get it right, this time
We will make it work this time.
We've got just what it takes, to make it last
We have the necessary qualities required to nurture this relationship further.
Gonna make it work, this time.
We will make this relationship work this time.
Don't keep saying, it's over
Please stop saying that our relationship is coming to an end.
When you know just how much, I care
I care about you a lot and you know that.
No matter what, your reason
No matter what your reason is for wanting to end things,
I'm not letting you go anywhere
I will not let you leave me or this relationship.
It would be easier, to change
It may appear that it is easier to alter
(would be) the direction of the wind
the course of something as uncontrollable as the wind
Cause there's no changing, my mind
But I cannot change my mind regarding this relationship.
You are, staying ...
You are meant to stay in this relationship with me.
Oh, oh, oh, this time, Oh ay
This time, things will be different and better.
Oh this time
In the present moment
We've got just what it takes, to make it last
We have the tools and abilities that we need to make this last.
Gonna make it work, this time.
We will commit to making this relationship work this time around.
Mmmmm mmmm mmmmm
musical interlude
This time
In this moment of the relationship.
Writer(s): Chips Moman
Contributed by Savannah D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.