Early career
He was born Francisco Javier Bautista (a.k.a. Frankie J.) in Tijuana and raised in San Diego from the age of 2. He comes from a musical background with his father being the lead singer of a traditional band. Frankie J grew up listening to both traditional Latin music as well as R&B. He attended Southwest High School (San Diego, CA) for his high school years.
As a teenager, he started listening to freestyle music by Lisa Lisa, Brenda K. Starr and George Lamond. He started writing his own songs and singing in the same falsetto style as Lamond. At 15, he signed a contract with a Canadian independent label working as Frankie Boy and recorded songs which failed to achieve any success. In 1997, he signed with Jellybean Benitez.
In the late 1990s, he joined Kumbia Kings and was a member of that successful Latin group touring throughout Latin America. The group played in front of 100,000 people in a concert in Monterrey, Mexico.
Frankie's ambitions were always directed to the American pop-music markets. In 2002 He approached Los Kumbia Kings mangement in an attempt to secure record deal as a solo-artist. He proposed that they record, promote, and market him to the "MTV" market. A vastly diffent music culture then what Los Kumbia Kings made their name in, but Management declined, citing the risky investment. Frankie then shopped demos to an array of record companies, and garnered a tremendous amount of interest, but his contract with The Kumbia Kings would prove to be a problem.
Frankie asked to be his released from his Kumbia Kings contract, but they declined. Frankie bolted from the group anyway, but soon found himself in court over the matter. Lawsuits were filed from both sides, and eventually settled out of court. Details of the settlement were not disclosed.
Solo Career
Frankie J signed as a solo artist with Columbia Records and released his first album What's A Man To Do in 2003 which failed to chart. His self-titled first Spanish-language album was released later in the same year. The single "Don't Wanna Try" peaked in the top 10 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles Chart, while "Ya No Eres Igual" was top 10 on the World Latin charts.
He collaborated with Baby Bash, a relative, on another pop hit called "Suga Suga" which reached #1 in New Zealand in 2004 and was a top 10 hit in the US and Australia in the same year. Frankie J worked with a number of wellknown producers on The One including Irv Gotti of Murder Inc. on the title track. Mario Winans on a track called "Just Can't Say It's Love". The first single "Obsession (No Es Amor)" featuring Baby Bash has been a big hit on the US pop charts reaching the top 5 in April 2005. The One was released in the US in April 2005 and debuted at #3 on both the Billboard 200 chart. The follow-up singles "How To Deal" and "More Than Words" (released in conjunction with a DualDisc re-release of The One) continued the album's route to platinum sales. However, the fourth and final single, the title track featuring 3LW garnered few spins at radio.
Jermaine Dupri & Mannie Fresh are among two of the big producers for Frankie's next English studio album which will be released in the 4th quarter of 2006. The untitled album's first single will be "That Girl" which was produced by Mannie Fresh and features both Mannie Fresh and rapper Slim Thug. A version which excludes Slim Thug and replaces him with Chamillionaire exists and can be found online and on the official promo cds.
Frankie J's second Spanish-language album "Un Nuevo Dia" has already been released.
Without You
Frankie J Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That you was lying here with me
I still hear you say, ooh yeah
I love the way you say, ooh yeah
But now it's just a memory
Now I'm knowing that it was my fault
By thinking I could brush it off
You always with me saying, ooh yeah
So when it's 5 A.M, I'm checkin' in
When I check in
Baby I was thinking I was so slick
Knowing that I've done you wrong
But you never know what you've got
'Til what you've got is gone
Gotta try to make it through
Without you
And there's nothing I can do
Come on home baby
I remember coming home that night
Knowing something was right
I was saying, ooh yeah
I'm sure that all her things were packed
And it's just too late to get her back
Didn't even have to read the note
Just to know that your heart was broke
I was thinking, ooh yea
You had more than you can stand
I should have been a better man
Baby I was thinking I was so slick
Girl I was doing you so wrong
You never know what you've got
'Til what you've got is gone
Gotta try to make it through
Without you
And there's nothing I can do
Come on home baby
I'm so sorry for the things I've done
Should've put you number one
But I've been playing myself
'Cause I know that you're all I want
But if you give me one more chance
I'll break it down for you lady
No more playing around
Baby I want to be there for you
Gonna make it through
Gotta try to make it through
Without you
And there's nothing I can do
Come on home baby
The song "Without You" by Frankie J is a heartfelt ballad about a man's regret over losing the love of his life. The opening lyrics illustrate the feeling of loss and longing, as the singer reminisces about the time he spent with his lover. He mentions the way she used to say certain things and how he cherished her presence. However, the memory is bittersweet as he realizes that it was his own fault for not valuing her enough.
As the song progresses, the singer admits to his wrongdoing, which led to the end of their relationship. He acknowledges that he was not faithful to her, and he is now left to deal with the consequences of his actions. He mentions checking in at 5 A.M., thinking that he was being slick, but knowing that he had done something wrong. He now sees the error in his ways and understands that he took their love for granted.
The chorus of the song expresses the singer's desperation to make things right with his former lover. He wants her back in his life and knows that he will do everything in his power to make it work. He apologizes for his mistakes, promising to be a better man and put her first. The song is a heartfelt plea for forgiveness, and it is clear that the singer is in a lot of pain over losing the person he loves.
Line by Line Meaning
It feels like only yesterday
I vividly remember the times we spent together, as though it was just yesterday
That you was lying here with me
It reminds me of the times we shared intimate moments together, that seems to have just happened recently
I still hear you say, ooh yeah
I can still remember the way you said 'ooh yeah' which was special and dear to me
I love the way you say, ooh yeah
I really cherish and adore your unique manner of expressing yourself, especially when you say 'ooh yeah'
But now it's just a memory
Sadly, all those moments together are just memories now
Now I'm knowing that it was my fault
I have come to realize that the breakup was my fault and I am responsible for it
By thinking I could brush it off
I thought I could get away with it, but it turned out to be a costly mistake
You always with me saying, ooh yeah
I constantly have your sweet voice in my head, especially when you say 'ooh yeah'
So when it's 5 A.M, I'm checkin' in
No matter the time of the day, I still think about you and how I lost you
When I check in
Whenever I think about you, I always feel a deep sense of loss and sadness
Baby I was thinking I was so slick
I thought I was being smart, but in reality, I was just fooling myself
Knowing that I've done you wrong
I am fully aware that I hurt you and I am sorry for that
But you never know what you've got
I failed to realize the value of what I had when I had it
'Til what you've got is gone
It's only now that you're gone that I realize how much I miss you and how much you meant to me
Gotta try to make it through
I am trying my best to cope without you, but it's not easy
Without you
I am struggling to live without you by my side
And there's nothing I can do
Unfortunately, there is very little I can do to make things right now
Come on home baby
Please come back to me, I need you in my life
I remember coming home that night
I clearly recall the night you left and how empty the house felt without you
Knowing something was right
I had a strong feeling deep down that something was amiss and it turned out to be true
I was saying, ooh yeah
I was probably reminiscing about our happy moments together when I said that
I'm sure that all her things were packed
I knew for a fact that you had left, as all your belongings were gone
And it's just too late to get her back
I realized that I had lost you for good and it was too late to salvage our relationship
Didn't even have to read the note
Your note was just a formality, as I already knew in my heart why you were leaving
Just to know that your heart was broke
It hurt me deeply to know that I had caused you so much pain and heartbreak
You had more than you can stand
I took you for granted and forgot that you had your limits and could only take so much
I should have been a better man
I realize now that I didn't treat you the way you deserved, and I should have been a better partner to you
I'm so sorry for the things I've done
I deeply regret my actions and I want to make amends
Should've put you number one
You were the most important person in my life, and I failed to prioritize you
But I've been playing myself
I was foolish to think that I could disregard your feelings and still keep you in my life
'Cause I know that you're all I want
I have come to realize that you are the only one I truly want in my life and I am willing to do everything to make that happen
But if you give me one more chance
I am begging for another opportunity to make things right with you
I'll break it down for you lady
I will lay it all out for you and show you how much I care for you
No more playing around
I promise to take our relationship seriously and not mess around like I did before
Baby I want to be there for you
I want to be a better partner to you and support you always
Gonna make it through
I am determined to make it work between us and overcome all the obstacles in our way
Lyrics © JELLYBEAN MUSIC GROUP, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: ALEXANDER V. CANTRALL, JOSEPH PRIOLO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind