"Gypsy Woman" became a worldwide hit thanks to its la da dee la dee da refrain. The track reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became even more successful in Europe, reaching #2 in the UK. Her debut album didn't spawn any other big hits. The singer made an unexpected comeback in 1994 when "100% Pure Love" hit #11 in North America and became one of the longest charting singles on the Hot 100 (45 weeks). Her 1997 self-titled album included another Top 40 hit, "Say...If You Feel Alright," but since then mainstream success has eluded her. Waters still continues to release tracks that are successful on the Hot Dance Music/Club Songs chart, such as "Come On Down" and "My Time", "Lies", "Nights In Egypt", "Dancefloor" and "Never Enough." Her output has continued to be limited to singles however the hits continued into the next decade. Some of these songs include "Masquerade" , "Le Bump" (with Yolanda Be Cool) and "Say Yeah" (credited as Crystal Waters vs. Fred Pellichero).
Uptown
Crystal Waters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where everyone's his boss and he's lost in an angry land
He's a little man
But then he comes uptown each ev'nin' to my tenement
Uptown where folks don't have to pay much rent
And when he's there with me he can see that he's everything
Then he's tall, he don't crawl, he's a king
Downtown he's just one of a million guys
He don't get no breaks and he takes all they got to give
'cause he's got to live
But then he comes uptown where he can hold his head up high
Uptown he knows that I am standing by
And when I take his hand there's no man who could put him down
The world is sweet, it's at his feet when he's uptown
Whoa-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Yeah-yeah, yeah-yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh, oh-yeah
Let me tell ya now
Uptown where he can hold his head up high
Uptown he knows that I am standing by
And when I take his hand there's no man who could put him down
The world is sweet, it's at his feet, when he's uptown
Whoa-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Yeah-yeah, yeah-yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah
Let me tell ya now, uptown
Whoa-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
The lyrics of Crystal Waters’s song “Uptown” describe a man’s struggle with his everyday life in the city. He wakes up in the morning and goes downtown where he is just another person in the crowd. He is treated poorly by his employers and struggles to make a living. He feels helpless in this angry land where everyone seems to be his boss. However, at night he goes uptown to be with the woman he loves. In this part of the city, people do not have to pay as much rent and he can hold his head up high. He feels like a king when he is with her and knows that she will always stand by him. She makes him feel like he is everything, and he is no longer just a little man. The world is sweet and at his feet when he is uptown.
The song speaks about the struggles of everyday life and the importance of having someone by your side who supports you. The contrast between downtown and uptown illustrates the harsh reality of city life and the small moments of joy and relief that can be found in love. The lyrics are simple but powerful and the upbeat melody creates a feeling of hopefulness.
Line by Line Meaning
He gets up each morning and he goes downtown
Every morning, he wakes up and goes to the city center.
Where everyone's his boss and he's lost in an angry land
He feels like he is trapped in a place where everyone is higher in power than him and the environment is full of negative emotions.
He's a little man
He feels inferior and powerless among others in the city.
But then he comes uptown each ev'nin' to my tenement
However, he comes to my neighborhood in the evening.
Uptown where folks don't have to pay much rent
The people in this area don't have to pay a lot of money to live here.
And when he's there with me he can see that he's everything
Being with me in this area makes him feel like he is important and appreciated.
Then he's tall, he don't crawl, he's a king
This newfound confidence makes him feel tall and empowered, like a king.
Downtown he's just one of a million guys
In the city center, he feels like he's just another ordinary person among millions.
He don't get no breaks and he takes all they got to give
He doesn't receive any special treatment and has to work hard for everything he receives.
'cause he's got to live
He has to work and survive in order to live.
But then he comes uptown where he can hold his head up high
When he is here, he feels confident and can hold his head up high.
Uptown he knows that I am standing by
In this area, he knows that I am there to support him.
And when I take his hand there's no man who could put him down
With my support, he feels like nobody can bring him down or make him feel inferior.
The world is sweet, it's at his feet when he's uptown
He feels like the world is his and everything is sweet and within his reach when he is in this area.
Whoa-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Yeah-yeah, yeah-yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh, oh-yeah
This part does not have a specific meaning and is more of the song's chorus.
Let me tell ya now
Uptown where he can hold his head up high
Uptown he knows that I am standing by
And when I take his hand there's no man who could put him down
The world is sweet, it's at his feet, when he's uptown
This part is a repetition of the previous verses to emphasize the contrast between the city center and the uptown area where he feels empowered and appreciated.
Whoa-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Yeah-yeah, yeah-yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah
Let me tell ya now, uptown
Whoa-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
This part is also a repetition of the chorus with additional emphasis.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BARRY MANN, CYNTHIA WEIL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind