In 1982, DeBarge finally found success with their acclaimed second album, All This Love, which gave DeBarge major chart success with singles "Stop! Don't Tease Me," the perennial "I Like It," and the title track. In 1983, DeBarge's third album, In a Special Way garnered yet more success for the group. El and Bunny wrote most of the songs with El most often singing leads. The album produced the hit singles "Time Will Reveal" and "Love Me in a Special Way."
In 1985, the group released their fourth album, Rhythm of the Night which produced hits "The Heart Is Not So Smart," "Who's Holding Donna Now," "You Wear It Well", and the massively successful title track, which was their second single to top the R&B charts, reached #3 in the U.S., and #4 in the U.K. Its music video was featured in the 1985 martial arts film, The Last Dragon as well as in an episode of Miami Vice (Season 2) called "Bought and Paid" for in which "You Wear It Well" was also performed. That year, El appeared as himself in an episode of the television series The Facts of Life and sang "You Wear it Well."
Solo career
After the commercial pop success of "Rhythm of the Night," El left the group in 1986 to begin a solo career. The same year, El released his self-titled debut solo album. "Who's Johnny" was the first single released and was featured in the movie Short Circuit. The single was a major success, peaking at #3 in the U.S. The music video for the song reflected its use in the movie, depicting a mock trial for characters Stephanie Speck and Newton Crosby (Ally Sheedy and Steve Guttenberg, respectively) for the theft of the movie's main character, the robot Johnny 5, with scenes from the movie being shown as evidence.
Other singles from this album were "Someone" and the laid-back ballad "Love Always". A break in El's career, according to some, kept him from the spotlight until 1989 when he returned with a second solo album, Gemini. This marked El's final Motown release to date. "Real Love" was a single, as well as "Broken Dreams." El signed with Warner Brothers and released his third solo album, In The Storm. "You Know What I Like," which featured Chante Moore (Latimore) on co-lead vocals, "My Heart Belongs To You," and a cover of Marvin Gaye's "After The Dance" (recorded with Fourplay and featuring Patti LaBelle) were singles. Two years later, in 1994, El collaborated with hit producer Babyface and released his fourth and most recent to date solo album Heart, Mind and Soul. "Can't Get Enough", "Slide," and a duet with Babyface, "Where Is My Love," were singles.
El teamed up with Quincy Jones to create the successful collaboration, "The Secret Garden," a single from 1990 which also featured Barry White, Al B. Sure!, and James Ingram on vocals. In 1998, El worked with DJ Quik for the single "Hand In Hand."
In 2008, Eldra was featured on RZA's album Digi Snacks on the track "Up Again". "Rhythm of the Night" will be the theme song of Lowes Motor Speedway during the 2008 NASCAR season.
Personal life
According to his mother, Etterlene DeBarge, El is the father of 11 children, the eldest born when El was only fifteen. His children include Adris DeBarge, who is an executive assistant for producer Tracey Edmonds.[3] He is currently separated from Monique DeBarge, having been arrested in 2007 for a conflict stemming from an individual described as "girlfriend."
Legal troubles
El DeBarge was arrested in Los Angeles County, California on August 26, 2007 for possible vandalism, drug possession, and alleged domestic violence.[4] On October 27, 2008 he was sentenced for possession of a controlled substance. Eldra had been arrested earlier in the month after police discovered two warrants for his arrest. [5]. On October 28,2008 he was sentenced to two years in state prison for possession of crack cocaine. He was recently released from prison on October 26, 2009 nearly a year after his sentence.
Someone
El DeBarge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Runnin' into someone just like you
An accidental touch
Turned into a gentle kiss or two
Love has finally come
Somehow found my someone
Close to you, that's how I feel
Solitude, almost gave up
Trying to find someone else in love
Long walk, soft talk
Still can't believe it, what were the odds of
Someone just like me
Runnin' into someone just like you
An accidental touch
Turned into a gentle kiss or two
Love has finally come
Somehow found my someone
Was that me? Not long ago
No one here to care
No one's dreams to share
You agree, nights can be rough
When you can't find someone else in love
Long walk, soft talk
Hard to believe it, what were the odds of
Someone just like me
Runnin' into someone just like you
An accidental touch
Turned into a gentle kiss or two
Love has finally come
Somehow found my someone
You and me, all alone
That's my favorite time of night
Nothing for us to do
But finding ways to hold each other tight
Imagine
Someone just like me
Runnin' into someone just like you
An accidental touch
Turned into a gentle kiss or two
Love has finally come
Somehow found my someone
The lyrics to El DeBarge's song "Someone" are about the joy of finding a romantic partner who seems like they were made just for you. The singer describes the serendipitous nature of their meeting, an accidental touch which led to a gentle kiss or two, and being overwhelmed with gratitude that they've finally found someone to share their life with. This is particularly meaningful to the singer as they had almost given up hope of finding someone else in love, and they contrast this with the present joyful situation of sharing sweet solitude with their special someone. The song celebrates the feeling of connection and intimacy that can arise when two people who are right for each other come together, and the sense of relief and wonder that comes with finding that special someone.
The lyrics to "Someone" are emblematic of a classic romantic narrative of two people coming together in unexpected circumstances, but the song also has a particular resonance with El DeBarge's life story. El DeBarge was part of the successful Motown group DeBarge, who were known for their infectious pop hits in the 1980s. El was the lead singer of the group and became known for his angelic falsetto and romantic ballads. However, behind the scenes, El struggled with drug addiction and personal demons, and his career was derailed several times as a result. The song "Someone" was released in 1986, during one of El's lowest points, and it became a hit despite his personal struggles. The song's heartfelt lyrics and El's soaring vocals resonated with listeners and became one of his signature hits.
Line by Line Meaning
Someone just like me
Finding someone who shares the same qualities and interests as me
Runnin' into someone just like you
Meeting you unexpectedly in a coincidence
An accidental touch
A small gesture that led to something bigger
Turned into a gentle kiss or two
The accidental touch turned into something more romantic
Love has finally come
Finally found love and happiness
Somehow found my someone
Found the person who completes me
Close to you, that's how I feel
Feeling close and connected to you
When the world's asleep and we're sharin' sweet Solitude
When everything is quiet and peaceful and we're enjoying each other's company
Almost gave up Trying to find someone else in love
I was close to giving up on finding love when I met you
Long walk, soft talk
Taking a romantic stroll and having a conversation
Still can't believe it, what were the odds of
It's hard to believe that we found each other
Was that me? Not long ago
Reflecting on how much has changed in my life since meeting you
No one here to care
Feeling lonely and like no one cares about me
No one's dreams to share
Not having anyone to share my hopes and aspirations with
You agree, nights can be rough When you can't find someone else in love
Sharing the experience of feeling alone and longing for love
Hard to believe it, what were the odds of
It's still unbelievable that we found each other
You and me, all alone
Just the two of us enjoying each other's company
That's my favorite time of night
Enjoying the peacefulness and intimacy of being alone together
Nothing for us to do But finding ways to hold each other tight
Just focusing on being close and affectionate with each other
Imagine Someone just like me Runnin' into someone just like you
Thinking about how lucky we are to have found each other
An accidental touch Turned into a gentle kiss or two Love has finally come Somehow found my someone
Summing up the journey to finding love and happiness with each other
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, O/B/O DistroKid, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, GARDEN RAKE MUSIC, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Mark Clifford Mueller, Robert S. Nevil, Jay Graydon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind