During the 1980s and early 1990s, Levert scored big hits with "Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop (Goes My Mind)", "Casanova", and "ABC-123" (not to be confused with the Jackson Five hit of the same name). As a solo artist, Gerald's hits included "I'd Give Anything (to Fall in Love)", "You Got That Love", and "Mr. Too Damn Good to You".
Gerald and Eddie collaborated together on many different occasions, and they recorded an album called Father and Son together.
Gerald Levert also sang the chorus on the Chris Rock spoken-word comedy piece, "No Sex (In the Champagne Room)".
In 2005, Levert's daughter Carlysia was featured on an episode of MTV's My Super Sweet Sixteen.
Levert passed away due to an apparent heart attack on November 10, 2006. Sister 2 Sister magazine reported that Gerald and his father had just returned from a 10-day trip to South Africa where they had met with Nelson Mandela and were treated like royalty. Upon Gerald's return, he was excited about his upcoming album, which is due early in 2007. Gerald died in his sleep.
Misery
Gerald Levert Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He'd say "Son, watch your back 'cause misery loves company"
I never understood what it meant
'Till this happened
She put you out with no place to go
You call me up, and I came right on over
Said you had a few problems
Wanted to get yourself right
So I let you stay at my home
When I started peepin' you makin' eyes at my boo
Goin' out your way to be all up in her face
Me and her would be in bed doin' what we do
Then I dunno where, she'd ask me things I only told you
1 - Misery loves company
I thought you were a friend to me
But right is right
And wrong is wrong
So pack your bags
Brother, you on your own
(Step on step on step on)
Get to steppin' brotha'
You're on your own
(Step on step on step on)
My man, my man, my brother, my homey yeah
(Step on step on step on)
A lesson learned, but told long ago
Keep enemies close, but friends even closer
(Tell the truth)
See happiness breeds envy
Don't ever say the words
"It'll never, never, never, never happen to me"
Oh 'cause
One day you'll close your eyes
And then to your surprise
You open them and see
Somebody been all up in your cherry tree
Then that'll be the day
That you'll lose your mind
Just spending time writing letters
In a cell doing twenty to life
Repeat 1
Get to movin' homey
Get to goin', boy
You act like you don't know me
Get your move on
Oh no, no, no
It's a low down dirty shame
When your so-called friends start playin' games
They know how to get to you
All inside, all up in your business
Start breakin' up your family too
Your family took him in as one of them
And as time gone by they don't even care
No respect, they moved on
And here comes jealousy
But they had the same, the same opportunities as you do
So you got to tell him, get to steppin' brother
'Cause you ain't nothing, you ain't no good
You ain't no good, you ain't no friend of mine
Testify now, this evening
Raise your hands this evening
Said you was the one, you was my best friend
You was my best friend
You was my
Brother, friend, homey through thick and thin
Misery, misery, misery
Brother, a friend, my homey through thick and thin
Misery, misery, misery
The song "Misery" by Gerald Levert talks about betrayal, jealousy, and the importance of keeping true friends close. The first verse starts with a quote from the singer's father, who warned him that "misery loves company." It means that unhappy people tend to bring others down with them. The singer then tells a story of how he offered shelter to a friend who had no place to go, only to find out he was making advances towards the singer's girlfriend while he was unaware. The chorus then repeats the phrase "misery loves company," emphasizing how the friend's jealousy and envy led him to betray the singer's trust.
The second verse gives a warning to the listener that envy can happen to anyone and that it's important to keep true friends close. The singer sings, "Don't ever say the words 'It'll never, never, never, never happen to me.'" The final verse talks about how the betrayed person will eventually find out about the betrayal, and it will drive them crazy. The singer then tells his friend to leave and never come back.
Overall, the song's message is one of cautionary wisdom towards friendship and trust, reminding people to be careful who they let into their lives and to always watch their backs.
Line by Line Meaning
I remember the old saying daddy used to say
I recall my father's words
He'd say "Son, watch your back 'cause misery loves company"
He always warned me to be careful around people who would bring negativity in my life
I never understood what it meant
I didn't grasp the true meaning of his advice
'Till this happened
Until this situation occurred
She put you out with no place to go
She left you homeless
You call me up, and I came right on over
You reached out to me for help, and I responded immediately
Said you had a few problems
You claimed to have some issues
You knew you were wrong
You recognized that you were at fault
Wanted to get yourself right
You desired to straighten things out
So I let you stay at my home
I allowed you to stay in my house
When I started peepin' you makin' eyes at my boo
I caught you flirting with my girlfriend
Goin' out your way to be all up in her face
You were making efforts to spend time with her
Me and her would be in bed doin' what we do
She and I would get intimate
Then I dunno where, she'd ask me things I only told you
I was surprised when she started bringing up topics that I only discussed with you
Misery loves company
Negative people attract negative situations
I thought you were a friend to me
I believed that you were my ally
But right is right
There are certain actions that are correct and should be followed
And wrong is wrong
Certain actions are wrong and should be avoided
So pack your bags
Start preparing to leave
Brother, you on your own
You are now responsible for yourself
(Step on step on step on)
Move on quickly
Get to steppin' brotha'
Leave as soon as possible
My man, my man, my brother, my homey yeah
I used to consider you to be like a brother to me
A lesson learned, but told long ago
I learned a valuable lesson that was taught to me a long time ago
Keep enemies close, but friends even closer
Pay close attention to those who may harm you, but also remain vigilant around your close allies to ensure their loyalty
(Tell the truth)
Be honest
See happiness breeds envy
People can become jealous of those who are content in their lives
Don't ever say the words
Avoid expressing
"It'll never, never, never, never happen to me"
I will never experience negative situations
Oh 'cause
This is because
One day you'll close your eyes
At some point in the future, you will die
And then to your surprise
You will be shocked
You open them and see
You will realize
Somebody been all up in your cherry tree
Someone has been interfering in your private matters
Then that'll be the day
This will signal
That you'll lose your mind
You will go crazy
Just spending time writing letters
You will waste your life writing letters
In a cell doing twenty to life
You will spend the rest of your life in prison
Get to movin' homey
You need to leave quickly
Get to goin', boy
Start moving right now
You act like you don't know me
You are pretending not to recognize me
Oh no, no, no
This is unacceptable
It's a low down dirty shame
It is very disgraceful
When your so-called friends start playin' games
When your closest allies start messing with you
They know how to get to you
They know how to target your weaknesses
All inside, all up in your business
They will interfere in your personal affairs
Start breakin' up your family too
Their actions can also cause rifts in your family relationships
Your family took him in as one of them
Your relatives accepted him as one of their own
And as time gone by they don't even care
However, over time they also lost concern for him
No respect, they moved on
They lost all respect for him and moved on
And here comes jealousy
Now he is envious
But they had the same, the same opportunities as you do
They could have pursued similar opportunities to succeed
So you got to tell him, get to steppin' brother
You have to ask him to leave immediately
'Cause you ain't nothing, you ain't no good
You are worthless and unreliable
You ain't no friend of mine
I do not consider you a friend anymore
Testify now, this evening
Speak the truth now
Raise your hands this evening
An invitation to be honest
Said you was the one, you was my best friend
You once claimed to be my closest ally
You was my best friend
You were the most loyal to me
Brother, friend, homey through thick and thin
You were my brother, friend, and closest ally, no matter what
Misery, misery, misery
The negative things and people that accompany difficult times
Brother, a friend, my homey through thick and thin
You were always there for me during tough times
Misery, misery, misery
The negative situations and people that make difficult times worse
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TONY NICHOLAS, GERALD LEVERT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind