For nearly three decades, songwriter/producer Desmond Child has reigned as one of music's most successful creative forces. His list of accolades includes Grammy awards, 70 Top 40 singles, and songs that have sold over 300 million albums worldwide. His collaborations include Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Ricky Martin, KISS, Kelly Clarkson, Dream Theater, Cher, Rosie Johnson and Alice Cooper. "Desmond's a chameleon," Aerosmith's Steven Tyler told Rolling Stone. "The first time we met, we wrote "Angel" in about an hour and 45 minutes - and I'm not bullshitting. The guy's a fucking genius."
Desmond Child was born in Gainesville, FL, and raised in Miami where his Cuban songwriter mother, Elena Casals taught him to play the piano at an early age. In high school, Child formed his first band. It was an acoustic collaboration with a high school friend. Child went on to attend Miami-Dade College. It was in Miami that he formed the group Desmond Child & Rouge in 1973. Soon after, he moved the group to New York City to pursue their musical dreams. "My band Desmond Child & Rouge recorded two albums for Capitol in 1979 and we had a dance hit, "Our Love Is Insane", recalls Child. "But ultimately, we were doing something very different and urban. We weren't really understood by our label."
Child’s experience as a recording artist would soon play a role in his songwriting future. His songs caught the ear of KISS guitarist Paul Stanley, who asked Desmond to co-write a track for the band's 1979 Dynasty album. The result was "I Was Made for Loving You", which is still one of the biggest hits in the KISS catalogue. Paul Stanley then passed Child's phone number to New Jersey rockers Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora. Jon called Desmond and the three ended up in the basement of Sambora's parents' house, where they penned Bon Jovi's first number-one single, "You Give Love a Bad Name". The collaborations continued and they followed with two more chart-toppers, "Livin' on a Prayer" from the band's breakthrough album Slippery When Wet and "Bad Medicine" from the follow-up, New Jersey.
Child soon began duplicating the feat with other major artists. He hooked up with Aerosmith and wrote "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" & "Angel" (from the their 1987 comeback album, Permanent Vacation), "What it Takes" (Pump, 1989), and "Crazy" (Get a Grip, 1993). During the same period, he co-wrote Joan Jett's "I Hate Myself for Loving You" and also co-wrote all of the tracks on Alice Cooper's Trash LP (including the hit single "Poison"). At this point, Child began branching out from his rock base, co-penning Michael Bolton’s "How Can We Be Lovers", as well as co-writing and producing "Just Like Jesse James" and "We All Sleep Alone" for Cher. In the midst of all of his success, he also found time to record the solo album Discipline (Elektra, 1991), which contained his own Top 40 hit, "Love on a Rooftop". In 1993, Desmond wrote the song in Spanish titled Tú Serás la Historia de Mi Vida for Colombian singer Shakira's second studio album Peligro. But the song and the whole album itself lacked the production cohesion and it lead the album as a commercial failure. In the late 1990s, Child returned to his Latin heritage via collaborations with Ricky Martin. Their efforts resulted in the number-one worldwide smash "Livin' La Vida Loca". The two also scored big with the 1998 World Cup Theme "The Cup of Life", which was a #1 hit in 25 countries.
Despite having worked for nearly thirty years as a writer, producer, and artist, Child remains energized and enthusiastic…ready to create hits indefinitely. "I was born with a certain drive and sense of destiny that keeps me going," says Child. "Maybe it was because I was born poor; I wanted to win for the family. I still put a lot of energy in what I do. I try to really live life, so I have new experiences that I can write about." More than twenty years after the number-one beginning in that New Jersey basement, Desmond Child remains as in-demand as ever. His latest projects include: The Rasmus, Joss Stone, David Archuleta, Kelly Clarkson, Scorpions, Hilary Duff, Meat Loaf, Ace Young, and his old pals in Bon Jovi. "The Desmond you don't know about," says Jon Bon Jovi, "is the one who not only taught me the next level of songwriting, but so many of the true aspects of friendship: truth, honor and loyalty. We've been through a lot together - the ups and the downs…and the ups again."
Obsession
Desmond Child Lyrics
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Still seem to turn the screw
Inside
I think I'm coming up for air
Look up and you're still there
Inside
Every other thought you burned in my mind
And it's you
Every other word I say is your name
And it's you here in the night
Even in my dreams, can't leave you behind
Obsession, Running through my blood
Obsession, I can't get enough
Obsession, Running through my blood
Time, don't wipe your memory off my lips
Still thirsty for your kiss
Tonight
I think I'm trying to break away
But something just makes me stay
By your side
And it's you
Every other thought you burned in my mind
And it's you
Every other word I say is your name
And it's you here in the night
Even in my dreams, can't leave you behind
Obsession, Running through my blood
Obsession, I can't get enough
Obsession, Running through my blood
And it's you
Every other thought you burned in my mind
And it's you
Every other word I say is your name
And it's you here in the night
Even in my dreams, can't leave you behind
Obsession, Running through my blood
Obsession, I can't get enough of your love, of your love, of your love
Obsession, Running through my blood
Obsession, I can't get enough of your love
Obsession, Running through my blood
Obsession, I can't get enough of your love, of your love, of your love
Obsession, Running through my blood
Obsession, I can't get enough
Obsession, I can't get enough
Obsession, I can't get enough (fade)
The lyrics of Desmond Child's song Obsession delve into the deep longing for someone who cannot be forgotten, even after quite some time has passed. The singer's heart still aches for this person, and each thought and word is consumed by the memory of them. Despite trying to move on and break away, they cannot resist their urge to stay by their side. The lyrics suggest that time has not been beneficial in getting over this person, and instead, their obsession with them is running through their blood.
The chorus repeats the word "obsession" several times, emphasizing the grip that this person has on the singer's heart. This word choice shows that they are consumed by their feelings and cannot break away from their fixation with this individual. The lyrics further suggest the singer's desire and thirst to be with this person. They even mention that this obsession is a part of their blood, implying that they cannot change their feelings even if they tried.
This song explores the complexity of love and human emotions, emphasizing the hold that certain people can have on our hearts. It showcases how difficult it can be to shake off certain memories and feelings, even when we know that it may not be in our best interest to hold onto them.
Line by Line Meaning
Time don't seem to cure my heart from you
The passage of time has not healed my feelings for you
Still seem to turn the screw Inside
My thoughts and emotions regarding you are still intense and painful
I think I'm coming up for air
I feel like I'm having a moment of clarity
Look up and you're still there Inside
However, my obsessive thoughts of you are still present and overwhelming
And it's you
My obsession and infatuation is focused solely on you
Every other thought you burned in my mind
You occupy my every waking thought and it's painful
Every other word I say is your name
You are the only thing I talk about or express any interest in
And it's you here in the night
You haunt my dreams and are present even in my subconscious
Even in my dreams, can't leave you behind
I cannot escape you even in my dream world
Obsession, Running through my blood
My love for you is passionate but has become an unhealthy fixation
I can't get enough
I will never feel like I've had enough of you
Time, don't wipe your memory off my lips
I don't want to forget the taste of you or the way you make me feel
Still thirsty for your kiss Tonight
I am longing for your touch and affection even now
I think I'm trying to break away
I know that I should move on from you but I'm struggling to let go
But something just makes me stay By your side
There is something about you that keeps me coming back even though I know it's not healthy
Obsession, I can't get enough of your love, of your love, of your love
My desire for you is overwhelming and all-encompassing
Obsession, I can't get enough
No matter what I do, I know I will never be able to get enough of you
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BURT BACHARACH, DESMOND CHILD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind