The original members of Deee-lite were:
* Supa DJ Dmitry (Dmitri Brill, born 4 June 1964, originally from Kiev, Ukraine)
* Lady Miss Kier (Kierin Magenta Kirby, born 15 August 1963, Youngstown, Ohio)
* Towa Tei (Dong-hwa Chung, born 7 September 1964, originally from Tokyo, Japan)
Brill and Kirby had an ongoing romantic relationship, which ended prior to the release of their third album, Dewdrops In the Garden. Also prior to that release, Tei went in a different musical direction embracing bossa nova as opposed to break beats (appearing only on the remix for "Call Me") while a new member was brought in, DJ On-E. Deee-Lite disbanded in 1994, just before the release of Dewdrops in the Garden.
No Good
Deee-Lite Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On my own and the haze is lifting
Always looking for a dream come true
I just needed time away from you
Do what you want 'cause that's how I'm living
I really thought it would be so scary
After all the shit you put me through
Lights starting to blink
I'm starting to think
You don't know
What it is you want
If I had to guess
It's control
You're bad for me
Just like these cigarettes
You poison me
Just like these drinks
I foolishly ignored the warning
You're no good for me,
You're no good for me
You kill me
It's slow but steady
Relentlessly
Suck the life from me
I finally see what everyone could see
You're no good for me
You're no good for me
In the dark 'cause that's where you left me
My eyes adjust but it happens slowly
Slippery, but I start to climb
I can breathe for the very first time
Promise now, I won't let you own me
I got myself, you won't find me lonely
Wish I could undo the first hello
Finally it's my time to go
Lights starting to blink
I'm starting to think
You don't know
What it is you want
If I had to guess
It's control
You're bad for me
Just like these cigarettes
You poison me
Just like these drinks
I foolishly ignored the warning
You're no good for me
You're no good for me
You kill me
It's slow but steady
Relentlessly
Suck the life from me
I finally see what everyone could see
You're no good for me,
You're no good for me
Deee-Lite's song "No Good" speaks about the vocalist's realization that their toxic partner is no good for them. The song starts with the admission that the singer always used to think they needed their partner, but now that they're on their own, they're starting to see clearly. Freed from their partner's influence, they're able to pursue their own dreams and desires. The chorus explains the metaphor: the partner is as bad for the singer as cigarettes and alcohol, slowly and steadily killing them. The bridge of the song outlines the singer's newfound confidence and refusal to be controlled by their partner anymore. The final chorus repeats the metaphor of cigarettes and drinks, driving home the message once again that the partner is harmful.
This song is a great example of how lyrics are meant to be interpreted and how everyone can see different meanings in them. Some interpret the song as about a break-up, with the singer realizing that their partner is no good for them, while others see the song as about addiction, with the partner symbolizing the struggle with substances. It's also worth noting that the song was released in 1991, when the conversation about toxic relationships and toxicity in general was not as prevalent as it is now. The song's themes could be seen as ahead of its time.
Line by Line Meaning
Thought I would always need you with me
I used to think I couldn't live without you
On my own and the haze is lifting
Being alone is clearing my mind
Always looking for a dream come true
I constantly searched for perfection in our relationship
I just needed time away from you
I needed space to realize how toxic our relationship was
Do what you want 'cause that's how I'm living
I'm doing what I want and not letting you control me anymore
I really thought it would be so scary
I was afraid of what life would be like without you
After all the shit you put me through
After enduring all of your mistreatment
I see what I need to do
I know what I need to do for myself
Lights starting to blink
The signs are becoming clearer
I'm starting to think
I'm starting to realize
You don't know
You're clueless
What it is you want
You don't even know what you want
If I had to guess
If I had to speculate
It's control
It's all about control for you
You're bad for me
Being with you is harmful to me
Just like these cigarettes
You're like an addiction that slowly kills me
You poison me
You damage me from the inside out
I foolishly ignored the warning
I didn't listen to the people who warned me about you
You're no good for me
I know now that I shouldn't be with you
You kill me
You're slowly destroying me
It's slow but steady
Your harm is gradual but constant
Relentlessly
Without mercy or stopping
Suck the life from me
You drain my energy and vitality
I finally see what everyone could see
I now understand what others saw in you that I didn't
In the dark 'cause that's where you left me
You left me in a dark place emotionally
My eyes adjust but it happens slowly
I'm starting to recover but it's a gradual process
Slippery, but I start to climb
It's a difficult journey but I'm moving forward
I can breathe for the very first time
I feel free and liberated without you
Promise now, I won't let you own me
I vow to never let you control me again
I got myself, you won't find me lonely
I'm happy with myself and don't need you to feel complete
Wish I could undo the first hello
I regret ever meeting you
Finally it's my time to go
It's time for me to move on and leave you behind
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Blake Malobabich
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@nicolecandy8833
Depending on you see a thing
The ship is free, or is it sinking?
Depending on how you see it
You cage your mind, or you free it.
Depending on how you see the times
The world divides or it closely binds
But I just wanna hear a good beat
I jus wanna I jus wanna
But I just wanna hear a good beat
I jus wanna hear a good beat.
Oooahh
Depending on you see a thing
The ship is free, or is it sinking?
Depending on how you see it
The song is over or you keep it
Depending on how you see the times
We're wasting time or in a moving line
But I just wanna hear a good beat
Oh oh oh a
I jus wanna hear a good beat
Just piano and bass
Everything will be alright
When you feel it tonight
Zu zu zu wah zu wah
I just wanna hear a good beat
@jsheppard161
This group definitely deserved alot more attention.
@alistaircooke3233
John armada I have a huge collection of Towa Tei. Love his music.
@carmenabate1458
they were ahead of their time
@rkstreeter
True that
@Glickse
Absolutely!, They are extremely talented,
@lingonberriesofwrath1836
Really? They were fucking huge. MTV played Groove Is In the Heart so much it made me hate it. Your comment only shows you weren't there. Ok, zoomer.
@mrblf652
One of the most under rated groups of the 90's.
@user-qs4pw9jg9p
I miss them I like it and want more danceable music similar
@MinekEzQM
No, they were are not. Music TV and radio stations played them over and over.
And "underrated" is an overused word in the last few years, and it's time to retire it.
@MinekEzQM
@@user-qs4pw9jg9pSoundcloud is full of dance music produced by great talents. You won't find them on youtube though.