City High is an American R&B/hip hop trio consisting of rappers/singers Rya… Read Full Bio ↴City High is an American R&B/hip hop trio consisting of rappers/singers Ryan Toby, Robbie Pardlo and Claudette Ortiz. Originally signed to Wyclef Jean's Booga Basement imprint as a duo, the group became a trio when Jean realized that they resembled another group on his roster, The Product G&B, too much. Ortiz was then added to the group after contributing her vocals to the group's first big hit, What Would You Do from the Life soundtrack in 1999. City High drew comparisons to their mentor's supergroup, The Fugees for two main reasons: the first being that the make-up of the band was two male members and a superstar female member, and also the fact that the members both sang and rapped. Unlike The Fugees, however, City High had more of an R&B slant.

In 2001, "What Would You Do?" was released as part of the band's eponymous debut to radio with a new mix that interpolated Dr. Dre's The Next Episode into the bridge. The song, a story seen from different perspectives about a young woman who becomes a stripper to feed her child, became a U.S. Pop #8 and R&B #13 hit. The band's follow-up single, Caramel, found Ortiz singing lead and Pardlo on the bridge. In the original version, there is also a section where Ortiz sings in Spanish. For radio release, the song was remixed to include the rapper Eve. "Caramel" was a U.S. Pop #18 and R&B #9 hit. The remix was done by Trackmasters. The final single from the group's debut was City High Anthem, which failed to make a big impact on urban and top 40 markets. Once again, however, a remix was released, featuring rapper Styles P.

In early 2002, City High shot several mini music video commercials for MTV based on their own songs promoting the 11th season of The Real World set in Chicago.

Their debut self-titled album sold millions and was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2003. City High members Ryan Toby and Claudette Ortiz got married on October 14, 2004.

City High disbanded in 2003.

So Many Things
City High Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[Verse I]
I don't understand why you had to go
I guess I'll never know
Life seems so hard
Since you went your way,
There's still some things I got to say

Even though I'm all alone

I know you want me to be strong
Standing tall admist the rain
Without you life just ain't the same

[Chorus]
There are so many things I'd like to ask you
And there are so many things I still don't know
And there are so many things I'd like to ask you
Still yet so many things I will never know

[Verse II]
If there was anyway I could see your face again
I'd give my own life
Only you can ease my pain
And if I could turn back the hands of time
It would take me just a moment
To tell you what's on my mind

Even though I'm all alone
I know you want me to be strong
Standing tall admist the rain
Without you life just ain't the same

[Chorus]
And there are so many things I'd like to ask you
And there are so many things I still don't know
And there are so many things I'd like to ask you
Still yet so many things I will never know

[Coda]
Sometimes I sit and wonder,
"Will we ever meet again?"

But wherever life may lead
You'll always have a friend in need

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of City High's song "So Many Things" are an expression of deep sorrow and unresolved emotions over the loss of a loved one. The song was released in 2001 and became a hit, peaking at number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100. The lyrics begin by expressing confusion and a sense of loss, with the singer admitting that they will never fully understand why the person they lost had to go. The second verse expresses a desire to turn back time and tell the loved one what is on their mind, while the chorus repeats the phrase "so many things" to emphasize the singer's lingering questions and regrets.

Despite feeling lost without their loved one, the lyrics end on a hopeful note. The final lines express a belief that the person who has passed on will always be a "friend in need," regardless of where life leads. Overall, the lyrics of "So Many Things" offer a poignant reflection on loss and the difficulty of moving on in the face of unanswered questions.

Line by Line Meaning

I don't understand why you had to go
I am struggling to comprehend why you had to leave me

I guess I'll never know
I accept that I may never find out why you left

Life seems so hard
I am finding life difficult without you

Since you went your way,
Ever since you left me

There's still some things I got to say
There are some things left unsaid that I need to express

Even though I'm all alone
Despite being alone

I know you want me to be strong
I understand that you would want me to be strong

Standing tall admist the rain
I will remain resilient in challenging times

Without you life just ain't the same
Life is not the same without you

There are so many things I'd like to ask you
I have many questions I wish I could ask you

And there are so many things I still don't know
I still have many unanswered questions