Formed in Harlem, New York in 1987 by young musician/record producer Teddy Riley, the original members of Guy included Riley and R&B singer-songwriters Aaron Hall and Timmy Gatling, who were students at HBCU Virginia State 1988. Gatling left after the first album was done and was quickly replaced by Aaron's younger brother Damian. Upon its release, the album went platinum three times over and included classics like "Groove Me", "Teddy's Jam," "I Like", "Piece of My Love" and "Merry-Go-Round of Love". That first album quickly established the group and Riley as musical forces.
After producing music for other artists other than his group, Riley returned to the group after they opened for New Edition and released their second album, The Future, in 1990. The songs "I Wanna Get Wit U" and "Let's Chill" gave them a broader, mainstream fan base. However, as soon as The Future's success had dried up, Guy would be album-less for much of the 1990s. In the meantime, Riley went on to produce for artists such as Heavy D and Michael Jackson, and formed another R&B group named Blackstreet. Both Aaron and his brother Damian recorded solo albums, Aaron being a major influence on the style of R'n'b singer R. Kelly.
In 2000, Riley and the Hall brothers reunited to release their first album in nine years titled Guy III. The album featured the modest hit "Dancin'", but their label MCA Records had a hard time promoting it. As quickly as it was released, it quickly dropped from the public radar. Since then, Guy has been relatively quiet, but rumors of working on a new album still linger.
In 2006 They were part of New Jack Reunion Tour line up, along with Blackstreet and New Edition.
'Round And 'Round
Guy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah, kick it
[Aaron]
Come on baby, this is a ride
(Youโve got to ride on me)
(Round) I'm talking โbout the merry go round,
(Round) Of love.
(Round)I know you're not afraid.
[Chorus 1]
(Round and round I go)
Up and down, side to side,
Everythingโs gonna be alright.
(Round and Round I go)
No need to worry baby,
I'm with ya.
[Verse 1]
I'm the sole controller, of this merry go round baby,
Merry go round of love,
Once you get on, there's no telling where it's gonna end baby,
So ride this ride with me
[Bridge 1]
(If you want to groove, on this merry go round)
All ya gotta do, is get on down,
(If you make this move, girl you got to be down)
You gotta get down,
If you wanna ride on this merry go round
[Chorus 2]
(Round and round I go)
Up and down, side to side,
Everythingโs gonna be alright.
(Round and Round I go)
Wooh-ee baby,
Hey!
[Verse 2]
All we need, is a little bit of love,
And compassion, from me to you.
If you know, you don't want to be with me,
Why don't you, just tell me soโฆ
[Interlude]
[Vocoder, Teddy]
If you want to be with me,
I will love you all my life
[Aaron]
Woah, Why don't you tell me something
[Bridge 2]
(If you want to groove, on this merry go round)
Girl it's at your own risk,
If you want to do tonight,
(If you make this move, girl you got to be down)
You gotta get down,
If you wanna ride, on this merry go round
[Chorus 3]
(Round and round I go)
I go, I go
(Round and round I go)
Ride with me, please
[Interlude]
Baby, Yeah
Ah yeah baby, it's getting fun now,
Round and around and around,
We groovinโ now baby
[Keyboard solo]
Teddy-ho, ah yeah,
On this merry go round,
[Chorus 4/Outro]
(Round and round I go)
You can get this ring, if you can ride this thing
(Round and round I go)
Can you take it a little slower baby, Ho-o
(Round and round I go)
I just can't wait for the first time baby,
I wanna hold you
(Round and round I go) I wanna love you,
I wanna squeeze you, tease you all night long, ohโฆ
it's gonna be hard tonight,
but everything up frontโs gonna be alright
The song 'Round and 'Round by Guy is an upbeat track that speaks about the ups and downs of love, comparing it to a merry-go-round. The opening lines of the song "Come on baby, this is a ride" set the tone for the rest of the song, where the singer invites his lover to join him on a journey filled with uncertainties, but assures her that everything's going to be alright. The chorus consists of the repetition of "Round and round I go, up and down, side to side, everything's gonna be alright." Through this repetition, Guy highlights the unpredictability of love and relationships, symbolizing it with the unpredictability of a merry-go-round.
The first verse of the song implies that the singer of the song believes that he is the sole controller of the ride, indicating that he has an upper hand in the relationship. But as the song progresses, the bridge states that if someone wants to groove on the merry-go-round, they need to get down (tolerate and accept) on this ride, meaning relationships aren't a one-way street. The song continues to emphasize the importance of communication in relationships, as the singer asks his partner to tell him if she doesn't want to be with him.
Overall, the song emphasizes the idea that love is an emotional roller coaster, and one can navigate the ride of love only if they are willing to put in the effort and accept that it can be a bumpy ride.
Line by Line Meaning
Come on baby, this is a ride
(Youโve got to ride on me)
(Round) I'm talking โbout the merry go round,
(Round) Of love.
(Round) Ah yeah baby,
(Round)I know you're not afraid.
The singer is inviting his partner to come along with him on the journey of love. He humorously likens it to a merry go round that moves round and round with him as the sole controller. He assures his partner that there's nothing to be afraid of and their ride on this love journey is going to be fun.
(Round and round I go)
Up and down, side to side,
Everythingโs gonna be alright.
(Round and Round I go)
No need to worry baby,
I'm with ya.
The singer repeats the phrase 'round and round I go' in the chorus to signify the cyclical nature of their love journey. He reassures his partner that no matter how much they swing and rock back and forth, everything is going to turn out fine. He pledges his support to her and entreats her not to worry.
I'm the sole controller, of this merry go round baby,
Merry go round of love,
Once you get on, there's no telling where it's gonna end baby,
So ride this ride with me
The singer is trying to assert his authority as the sole controller of their love journey, likening it to a merry go round. He emphasizes that once his partner consents to join him on this love journey, it's not possible to predict where it will end. He hence invites his partner to come ride with him.
(If you want to groove, on this merry go round)
All ya gotta do, is get on down,
(If you make this move, girl you got to be down)
You gotta get down,
If you wanna ride on this merry go round
The singer encourages his partner to relax and enjoy the ride in the bridge. He implies that the ride might be bumpy and rock her senses, but assures her that if she wants to groove on this love merry go round, all she needs to do is to let go, get down, and enjoy the ride.
(Round and round I go)
Up and down, side to side,
Everythingโs gonna be alright.
(Round and Round I go)
Wooh-ee baby,
Hey!
The singer reiterates in the second chorus that their love journey will have ups and downs, but in the end, everything will turn out fine. He exclaims and makes a playful sound (wooh-ee) to emphasize that everything is under control.
All we need, is a little bit of love,
And compassion, from me to you.
If you know, you don't want to be with me,
Why don't you, just tell me soโฆ
The singer stresses in the first verse that what their love journey needs most is love and compassion from him to his partner. He implores his partner if, in any case, she has a change of heart and wishes not to be with him anymore, she should be honest and tell him.
(If you want to groove, on this merry go round)
Girl it's at your own risk,
If you want to do tonight,
(If you make this move, girl you got to be down)
You gotta get down,
If you wanna ride, on this merry go round
The singer reminds his partner in the second bridge that there's always a risk involved if she decides to take up and groove on this love merry go round. Whether she's ready or not, she's taking the chance to experience what it feels like to ride on this journey. He insists that if she wants to go on this ride, she should get down with him.
(Round and round I go)
I go, I go
(Round and round I go)
Ride with me, please
The singer repeats the chorus in verse 3 to remind his partner of the cyclical nature of their love journey. He insists that he's still in control and urges his partner to ride with him and not jump off.
Ah yeah baby, it's getting fun now,
Round and around and around,
We groovinโ now baby
The singer remarks that their love journey is getting exciting and enjoyable with every round. He emphasizes that they're grooving now and having fun on this merry go round.
(Round and round I go)
You can get this ring, if you can ride this thing
(Round and round I go)
Can you take it a little slower baby, Ho-o
(Round and round I go)
I just can't wait for the first time baby,
I wanna hold you
(Round and round I go) I wanna love you,
I wanna squeeze you, tease you all night long, ohโฆ
it's gonna be hard tonight,
but everything up frontโs gonna be alright
In the final chorus, the singer assures his partner that if she can handle the ride, they can make their love journey permanent, and he can give her the ring. He pleads with his partner to take it easy and slow, seducing her with promises of an intimate experience when he finally gets the chance to hold and love her. He however warns her that it might get hard tonight, but assures her that everything will be alright.
Writer(s): Gene Griffin, Timothy Gatling, Aaron Robin Hall, Teddy Riley
Contributed by Ian D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Chase Barrow
This is an underrated song from Guy !
Kara Burke
One of my favorite โค
1974cfjl
@Kara Burke this was Guy's debut single
Monique Hildwein
I always loved it as a kid lol
RoxyRockbox
Teddy Riley and Guy are the best group and producers to come out of New York City. They set it off for 1988 and 1991.
Tim Sandoval
RoxyRockbox that's why I named my boy jodeci
purplegurl79
My Sister and I used to play this tape to death in 1988-89! Ahhh, the memories!!
Broski Nation
I was born in 1990, and growing up, I will forever love that โ New Jack Swingโ sound . The dance moves are freaking killer! Love the footwork. Guy and Bobby Brown,are my favorite artist when it comes to this sound. And one of my favorite movies, โA Goofy Movieโ,had a character based on Bobby Brown and Arron Hall, named Powerline. Which was voiced by Tevin Campbell. Another great singer!!
BrandonEthereal
Same... Born in 1988 and the whole New Jack era will never be duplicated.
Broski Nation
@BrandonEthereal Man, good times my dude, good times!