Written by Janet Jackson, James Harris, and Terry Lewis, and produced by Harris and Lewis, this song was released on June 19, 1990 and was the fifth single from Jackson's fourth studio album, Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989). A remix of the original song appears on Jackson's first greatest hits compilation Design of a Decade: 1986-1996 (1996).
The single contains the B-side "The Skin Game Pt. 1". "The Skin Game Pt. 2" is an instrumental track which appears exclusively on selected releases. Jackson also recorded the song in Spanish, titled "Vuelve a Mi", which also appears on selected releases. In the UK, the song was released as a double A-side single co-featuring "Alright".
In 2008, the song was sampled on Plies featuring Ne-Yo's "Bust It Baby Pt. 2". Janet was even featured on the official remix to the song.
Chart performance
The song reached #2 on the U.S. Hot 100, becoming another top five single from Rhythm Nation 1814. It also became Jackson's first - and so far only - #1 hit on the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart. Internationally, it failed to reach the top ten in Canada, peaked at twenty on the UK Singles Chart, and did poorly in Australia.
Music video
Directed by Dominic Sena, the video is set in Paris, where Jackson deals with the former lover leaving her. In the video, she reminisces about the good moments spent with her former lover, played by René Elizondo, Jr., to whom she would be married a year later. The video appears on the video compilation Design of a Decade: 1986-1996 and was released on iTunes on May 4, 2007.
Come Back to Me
Janet Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, come
Looking through my old drawer
Came across the letter you wrote
Said you needed time away
All my life, I've waited
To see your smile again
In my mind, I've hated
Not able to let go
Come back to me
I'm beggin' you please
Come back to me
I want you to
Come back to me
I'm beggin' you please
Come back to me
Lord knows that I have tried
To live my life as one
Friends tell me to hold on
Tough times don't last for long
My abandoned heart
Just doesn't understand
My undying love for you
Won't let me wait
Come back to me
I'm beggin' you, please
Come back to me
I want you to
Come back to me
I'm beggin' you, please
Come back to me
I want you to
Come back to me (come back to me)
Come back
I want you to
Come back to me
Come back
Please come back to me
I miss you so much
Wherever you are
I love you
All my life, I've waited
To see your smile again
In my mind, I've hated
Not able to let go
Not able to let go
Oh, no, I won't let you go
No
I don't know what else to say
No, no, no, no
The lyrics to Janet Jackson's song "Come Back to Me" speak to the painful emotions of a person who has lost a loved one and is yearning for their return. The opening lines of the song evoke a sense of nostalgia as the singer reflects on going through an old drawer and finding a letter written by the lost love. The letter reveals that the person needed time away, and it was a long time ago when that decision was made. The singer reveals that she has been waiting all her life to see her partner's smile again, but she has not been able to let go of her undying love for them. She is begging, pleading for her partner to come back to her, as she misses them so much and loves them no matter what.
The chorus of the song is repeated thrice, highlighting the singer's desperation to get her lover back. She has tried to live her life as a single person, and friends have advised her to hold on as tough times don't last forever. However, her heart is abandoned and cannot fathom the idea of moving on without her lover. The last lines of the song reveal how much the singer loves her partner and doesn't know what else to say to make them come back to her.
In conclusion, "Come Back to Me" is a song that delves deep into the emotions of loss, yearning, and unending love. The lyrics capture the pain one feels when a loved one leaves without a clear explanation and the desperation to have them back no matter what.
Line by Line Meaning
Looking through my old drawer
While I was searching through my belongings, I stumbled upon something important.
Came across the letter you wrote
I found an old letter that you wrote to me.
Said you needed time away
In the letter, you said that you needed to take some time for yourself and leave.
That was so long ago
It feels like it has been a really long time since you left.
All my life, I've waited
Throughout my entire existence, I have been patiently waiting for your return.
To see your smile again
I long for the joy of seeing your smiling face once more.
In my mind, I've hated
In my thoughts and feelings, I have resented not being able to let go of you.
Not able to let go
I cannot move past the love that I still have for you.
Come back to me
Please return to me.
I'm beggin' you please
I am pleading with you to come back.
I want you to
I desperately yearn for you to come back.
Lord knows that I have tried
I have done everything I can to keep going without you.
To live my life as one
To move on and live my life alone.
Friends tell me to hold on
My friends encourage me to continue to wait for your return.
Tough times don't last for long
Difficult situations never endure indefinitely.
My abandoned heart
My heart is shattered because you are gone.
Just doesn't understand
I cannot comprehend what has happened or why you left.
My undying love for you
My love for you will never die or fade away.
Won't let me wait
My unwavering love for you will not allow me to wait any longer.
Come back to me (come back to me)
Please return to me.
Please come back to me
I implore you to come back to me.
I miss you so much
I deeply long for your presence.
Wherever you are
Regardless of your current location.
I love you
I have always loved you and continue to do so.
Oh, no, I won't let you go
I cannot bear the thought of losing you for good.
No
I am unable to accept a future without you in it.
I don't know what else to say
I have no more words to express the depth of my feelings for you.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Terry Lewis, James III Harris, Janet Jackson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@meeshah6034
Who’s still here in 2024?❤
@jeremyhackman273
I'm here!!
@laurenhawthorne7291
🎉
@user-fj4jc2zw2u
Me.
@jadercosta9999
Ever.
@KD-lj2pj
@@jeremyhackman273LET'S GO
@eduardofagundes4793
This is not simply a song. This is a piece of art.
@ericwilliams5346
I second that❤
@MrMarcospaizante
❤
@susieadams1553
It really is - it's a tale of the broken hearted everywhere . I played this when my first boyfriend broke up with me in 1980 and now after the death of my beloved husband of nearly 40 years 💔😢