Summer's career began in 1983 when she was cast as the voice of niece Penny on the original cartoon version of Inspector Gadget. Her unique, throaty voice was instantly recognizable to casting agents (as well as viewers even today), who began frequently casting her in animated programs. Many of these were part of cult franchises, like The Care Bears Movie and Ewoks. Audiences finally had a chance to put Summer's voice to a face when she was cast as the afrocentric Winifred "Freddie" Brooks in the Cosby Show spin-off A Different World. She remained a regular cast member of the show from 1988 through its end in 1993.
In all, Summer has voiced over 70 animated characters between 1983 and 2006, many of them African-American girls. Summer has also ventured into the realm of music. In 1990, she sang background vocals on two tracks for fellow A Different World cast member Jasmine Guy's self titled LP. In 1993 she released an album (as lead singer) with her band Subject to Change. The album was not officially released by Capitol Records because of creative differences; the records that were produced were distributed promotionally and are considered a rarity. The band, with an aggressive political message and rock-soul fusion sound, remained popular as a co-headlining act with other performers.
In 1999 Summer released the solo album Street Faërie produced by and featuring guest artist (and friend) Lenny Kravitz; The album was not hugely successful. Summer toured as Kravitz's opening act, but her label dropped her and a planned spot with Lilith Fair was cancelled. The label continued to promote it, however, sending out a four-track sampler to radio and issuing remix singles of the track "Revelation Sunshine" in Europe, with a special single specifically for Austria.
Sweet Pain
Cree Summer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I lie real close and cling
I'd get small I'd even crawl
For the madness you would bring
Find comfort in your tangled words
I'd be sharper than your grief
I'd gather up into the dust of all your fears
I'd conjure up a second heart
To house your sweet pain
I'd love you so hard other folks
Won't have to strain to hear
I'd become your shadow
And haunt for just a taste of your want
This sickness is a mutant bliss
It's a slow steady shrinking into thinking
I'd evaporate without your hate
To remind me I'm still here
I'd conjure up a second heart
To house your sweet pain
I'd love you so hard other folks
Won't have to strain to hear
I'd become your shadow
And haunt for just a taste of your want
More than any other could
I would love you
The lyrics to Cree Summer's song Sweet Pain explore the complex and often contradictory nature of love and attachment. The singer seems willing to endure almost any form of suffering or sacrifice for the object of their affection, even as they acknowledge the unhealthy and painful nature of their relationship. The first verse describes the singer's willingness to compromise their own sense of self and dignity for the sake of pleasing their lover, even saying that they would "get small" and "crawl" to be with them. The second verse seems to suggest that the singer is willing to take on their lover's emotional burden and carry it for them, becoming a kind of emotional caretaker. They describe their dedication to this role in almost poetic terms, saying that they would "gather up into the dust of all your fears / And live in the corners of what you believe." The chorus repeats the idea of the singer offering themselves as a vessel for their partner's pain, saying that they would "conjurer up a second heart / To house your sweet pain." The song seems to be grappling with the idea that love can be both beautiful and destructive, and that it is often difficult to find the line between the two.
One of the most striking aspects of the lyrics to Sweet Pain is the vivid imagery that Cree Summer uses to describe the emotions and experiences she is singing about. From the very first line, the language is poetic and evocative, using images like "stuff myself into your reason" and "shrink into thinking" to describe the singer's mental and emotional state. The repeated refrain of "I'd conjure up a second heart / To house your sweet pain" is particularly striking, both in its use of metaphor and in the way it conveys the depth of the singer's devotion. Overall, the song is a powerful exploration of love, pain, and the complex ways in which the two are intertwined.
Line by Line Meaning
Stuff myself into your reason
I will try to understand your point of view and make myself fit in it
I lie real close and cling
I want to be physically close to you and feel your presence around me
I'd get small I'd even crawl
I will lower myself and make small sacrifices for you, even if it means losing my self-respect
For the madness you would bring
I am willing to put up with your crazy behavior and unpredictable mood swings
Find comfort in your tangled words
I can take solace in the complexity of your language and find meaning in what you say
I'd be sharper than your grief
I will be more aware of your pain and try to ease it with my empathy and emotional intelligence
I'd gather up into the dust of all your fears
I am willing to bear witness to your deepest fears and anxieties, and help you overcome them
And live in the corners of what you believe
I will respect your beliefs and try to work within their parameters without clashing with them
I'd conjure up a second heart
I will try to have a double capacity for love, so that I can help carry your burdens
To house your sweet pain
I will try to ease your pain and not allow you to bear it alone
I'd love you so hard other folks
I will love you to the best of my capacity, surpassing what others are capable of
Won't have to strain to hear
Others will see the depth and intensity of our love and will not have to work hard to understand it.
I'd become your shadow
I will try to follow you and be there for you even when you are unaware of my presence
And haunt for just a taste of your want
I want to be near you and feel your need for me as strongly as I feel mine for you
This sickness is a mutant bliss
The unconventional nature of our relationship brings me pleasure despite its challenges
It's a slow steady shrinking into thinking
We may be growing apart but I will still try to think positively of you and our relationship
I'd evaporate without your hate
Without the negative parts of our relationship, I don't know if I could carry on
To remind me I'm still here
Your hate for me reminds me of my existence and that I can make a difference in your life
More than any other could
I will love you more than anyone else ever could
I would love you
I will continue to care for you and love you, regardless of circumstances
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: VAN HUNT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind