Inga DeCarlo Fung Marchand (born September 6, 1978), better known by her st… Read Full Bio ↴Inga DeCarlo Fung Marchand (born September 6, 1978), better known by her stage name Foxy Brown, is an American rapper. She is known for her solo work as well as numerous collaborations and a brief stint as part of hip-hop supergroup The Firm. Brown has faced many obstacles during her rise to fame, including feuds with other rappers, personal tragedy and run-ins with the law, thus being labeled as one of the more controversial female rappers. She has released four solo albums: 1996's Ill Na Na, 1999's Chyna Doll, 2001's Broken Silence, 2003's Ill Na Na 2: The Fever and 2008's Brooklyn's Don Diva. After a bitter split with her record label Def Jam in 2003, Brown ended up in label limbo. In 2004, childhood friend and collaborator Jay-Z resigned Brown to Def Jam and his Rocafella Records label, when he became the President of Def Jam Records. Foxy later split with Def Jam once again to go independent with Black Hand Management.

In 1999, Foxy Brown made history as the first female rapper to have a number 1 album with Chyna Doll selling over 173,000 copies in the first week.

In 2005, while in the midst of recording her studio album Black Roses, Brown faced another hardship when she was diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss. The hearing impairment took 100% of Brown's hearing, but 20% was restored after an operation to repair it. After her fifth surgery Foxy regained 99.9% of her hearing.

Following a relatively quiet career period which coincided with an eight month jail sentence in 2008, Foxy continued to record the long in-progress Black Roses with a projected release date of late 2010. Ultimately, Black Roses was never released.

In 2018, after years of hiatus, Brown was a featured artist on Nicki Minaj's fourth studio album Queen on the track "Coco Chanel".

Baby Can I Hold You Tonight
Foxy Brown Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sorry
Is all that you can't say
Years gone by and still
Words don't come easily
Like sorry like sorry

Forgive me
Is all that you can't say

Years gone by and still
Words don't come easily
Like forgive me forgive me

But you can say baby
Baby can I hold you tonight
Maybe if I told you the right words
At the right time you'd be mine

I love you
Is all that you can't say
Years gone by and still

Words don't come easily
Like I love you I love you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Foxy Brown's song "Baby Can I Hold You Tonight" exude a sense of yearning and remorse. The singer seems unable to express their feelings and apologize for their mistakes adequately. The repetition of "sorry" and "forgive me" highlights their incapacity to form the right words, despite the passage of time. Their vulnerability is palpable, and the repeated use of "baby" conveys affection and a desire for comfort.

The chorus adds another layer to the singer's predicament. They believe that if they could communicate their emotions correctly, they could attain the love they desire. The phrase "maybe if I told you the right words at the right time, you'd be mine" captures the hopefulness amidst the regret. The last stanza brings the theme full circle, with "I love you" being the ultimate expression of emotion that eludes the singer. Foxy Brown's delivery imbues the lyrics with a rawness that resonates with listeners.

Line by Line Meaning

Sorry
Expressing remorse is the only thing you withhold from me

Is all that you can't say
Sorry seems to be the hardest word for you

Years gone by and still
Despite time passing, you still can't find it in you to be apologetic

Words don't come easily
You struggle to verbalize your emotions

Like sorry like sorry
Apologizing is something you wish you could do more effortlessly

Forgive me
Requesting forgiveness is something you find difficult to do

Like forgive me forgive me
Asking for forgiveness is something you struggle with

But you can say baby
However, when it comes to expressing love, you find it less challenging

Baby can I hold you tonight
You crave romantic intimacy and wonder if I'm receptive to it

Maybe if I told you the right words
Perhaps if you found just the right way to articulate your feelings, you could win my heart

At the right time you'd be mine
Timing is everything, and you believe that the perfect combination of words and circumstances could lead to us being together

I love you
The three little words that you find most difficult to say

Is all that you can't say
You wish you could express your feelings more clearly and simply

Like I love you I love you
Saying 'I love you' is something you wish came to you more naturally

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Tracy Chapman

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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