The tenth and youngest child of the Jackson family, she began her career with the variety television series The Jacksons in 1976 and went on to appear in other television shows throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, including Good Times, Diff'rent Strokes, and Fame. After signing a recording contract with A&M Records in 1982, she became a pop icon following the release of her third and fourth studio albums Control (1986) and Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989). Her collaborations with record producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis incorporated elements of rhythm and blues, funk, disco, rap, and industrial beats, which led to crossover success in popular music.
In 1991, Jackson signed the first of two record-breaking multimillion-dollar contracts with Virgin Records, establishing her as one of the highest-paid artists in the industry. Prior to her first studio project with Virgin, she appeared in her first of several lead film roles in Poetic Justice (1993). Her two studio albums which followed, Janet (1993) and The Velvet Rope (1997), saw her develop a public image as a sex symbol. These records, along with their promotional music videos and live performances in concert tours, branded Jackson as one of the world's most erotic performers, garnering both criticism and praise. By the end of the 1990s, she was named by Billboard magazine as the second most successful recording artist of the decade after Mariah Carey. The release of her seventh studio album All for You in 2001 coincided with a celebration of her impact on the recording industry as the subject of the inaugural MTV Icon special.
The backlash from the 2004 Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy resulted in an industry blacklisting under the direction of Les Moonves, then-CEO of CBS Corporation. Jackson subsequently experienced reduced radio airplay, televised promotion and sales figures from that point forward. After parting ways with Virgin Records, she released her tenth studio album Discipline (2008), her first and only album with Island Records. In 2015, she partnered with BMG Rights Management to launch her own record label, Rhythm Nation and released her eleventh studio album Unbreakable the same year. Since then she has continued to release music as an independent artist.
Having sold over 100 million records, Jackson is one of the world's best-selling music artists. She has amassed an extensive catalog, with singles such as "Nasty", "Rhythm Nation", "That's the Way Love Goes", "Together Again", and "All for You"; she holds the record for the most consecutive top-ten entries on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart with 18. She is also the only artist in the history of the chart to have seven commercial singles from one album (Rhythm Nation 1814) peak within the top five positions. In 2008, Billboard placed her number seven on its list of the Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists, and in 2010 ranked her fifth among the "Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years". In December 2016, the magazine named her the second most successful dance club artist after Madonna. One of the world's most awarded artists, her accolades include five Grammy Awards, eleven Billboard Music Awards, eleven American Music Awards, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and eight Guinness World Records entries. In 2019, she was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Jackson has been cited as an inspiration among numerous performers and credited with elevating a standard of sound, showmanship and sex appeal expected of pop stars.
Got 'Til It's Gone
Janet Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The one about me
Oh, yeah
I like this one (uh, what?)
Uh, uh, like Joni says (what?)
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got 'til it's (uh)
That you don't know what you've got 'til it's (uh, uh)
Don't it always seem to go (uh, uh)
That you don't know what you've got 'til it's (uh, uh)
Uh (uh), uh (uh)
That you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone (what?)
Have a feeling, now believing that you (yeah)
Were the one I was meant to be with (uh, uh, uh)
Oh, how I'm wishing, thinking, dreaming (uh, what?)
'Bout you and the love (uh, uh, what?)
How'd I ever let you get away?
Got 'til it's gone (uh, uh, uh, uh)
Got 'til it's gone
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone? (Uh, uh, what?)
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone? (Uh, uh, what?)
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone? (What?)
(Joni Mitchell never lies)
You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone (what?)
If I could turn back the hands of time (yeah, mhm-mhm)
Make you fall in love, in love with me again (uh)
So would you give me another chance to love (uh, uh, uh, uh)
To love you, love you the right way? No games (uh, what? Uh, uh)
Got 'til it's gone (uh, what? Here you go again)
Got 'til it's gone (what? What? What?)
Joni Mitchell never lies
Don't it always seem to go (what?)
That you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone? (Uh)
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone? (Uh-uh, uh-uh, uh)
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got 'til- (two, one two, yo)
(Let me just fuck with it for a minute)
That you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone? (What?)
Now you realizing when them nights go long, right?
Campaign for me to stay when you know that I'm gone, right?
You act all wild when I tell you to settle (settle down)
I was working 'round the clock, but your girls want to meddle (I heard)
Talk about (you know I'm sayin'? I heard)
"I heard he swims with this chick on the beach" (that you were on the beach)
That was out with the tide but my love you impeach (impeach)
Now you looking at the walls, head in hands, cold jonesin'
Ringing my house, hanging up and imposing
Now why you wanna go and do that love, huh?
Now why you wanna go and do that and do that, huh?
Now why you wanna go and do that love, huh?
Now why you wanna go and do that and do that, huh?
Now why you wanna go and do that love, huh?
Now why you wanna go and do that and do that, huh?
Now why you wanna go and do that love, huh?
Now why you wanna go and do that (and do that and do that and do that)
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone? (Yeah, yeah)
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone? (You never ever realize)
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone? (Uh)
(Now look at you, Joni Mitchell never lies)
That you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone?
Uh-uh-uh, uh-uh, uh-uh-uh
Uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh, uh-uh
Yo, do you feel that?
Uh-uh
Uh-uh
You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone (mh-mh, mh-mh, mh-mh)
You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone
Dust
The lyrics of Janet Jackson's song "Got 'til It's Gone" express the sentiment that we often only realize the true value of something until it's gone. Jackson references Joni Mitchell's classic song "Big Yellow Taxi" by singing "Don't it always seem to go / That you don't know what you've got 'til it's (uh)." The verse "If I could turn back the hands of time / Make you fall in love, in love with me again / So would you give me another chance to love / To love you, love you the right way? No games" speaks to the desire to rewind and redo past mistakes in a relationship. The rap verse, performed by Q-Tip, addresses the aftermath of a failed relationship and the regret that often comes with it.
The song features an interpolation of Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi," with Mitchell's voice sampled on the chorus. This use of sampling helped to introduce a new generation to Joni Mitchell's music. The song also features rapper Q-Tip from the group A Tribe Called Quest, who was a friend and collaborator of Jackson's. The music video features cameos from Joni Mitchell and Q-Tip.
Line by Line Meaning
What's, what's the next song?
Asking about the next song to be played.
The one about me
Requesting to play a song that is about the singer.
Oh, yeah
Expressing excitement about the song selection.
I like this one (uh, what?)
Confirming that this song is the one the singer requested.
Uh, uh, like Joni says (what?)
Referencing Joni Mitchell's song 'Big Yellow Taxi', which has a similar theme to this song.
Don't it always seem to go
Noting that it is common to not appreciate something until it is gone.
That you don't know what you've got 'til it's (uh)
Continuing the statement about not realizing the value of something until it is gone.
Don't it always seem to go (uh, uh)
Repeating the idea that this is a common occurrence.
Uh (uh), uh (uh)
Using these sounds to add emphasis and rhythm.
That you don't know what you've got 'til it's (uh, uh)
Repeating the main idea once again.
That you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone (what?)
Stating the main theme of the song in a catchy way.
Have a feeling, now believing that you (yeah)
Expressing a new realization about the person who is now gone.
Were the one I was meant to be with (uh, uh, uh)
Recognizing that the person who is gone was the one the singer was meant to be with.
Oh, how I'm wishing, thinking, dreaming (uh, what?)
Expressing strong emotions about the desire to be with the person again.
'Bout you and the love (uh, uh, what?)
Thinking about the love between the singer and the person who is gone.
How'd I ever let you get away?
Questioning why the singer did not appreciate and hold on to the person who is now gone.
Got 'til it's gone (uh, uh, uh, uh)
Repeating the main theme in a chorus-like way.
Don't it always seem to go
Continuing the statement about the common experience of not appreciating something until it is gone.
That you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone? (Uh, uh, what?)
Stating once again the main theme of the song in a way that invites the listener to participate.
(Joni Mitchell never lies)
Referencing Joni Mitchell once again to support the main theme of the song.
If I could turn back the hands of time (yeah, mhm-mhm)
Wishing to go back in time to change the outcome of the relationship.
Make you fall in love, in love with me again (uh)
Desiring to make the person fall in love with the singer again.
So would you give me another chance to love (uh, uh, uh, uh)
Asking for another opportunity to love the person the right way and without games.
Got 'til it's gone (uh, what? Here you go again)
Returning to the main theme in a chorus-like way.
Now you realizing when them nights go long, right?
Noticing that the person is now experiencing the same feelings the singer had when they were together.
Campaign for me to stay when you know that I'm gone, right?
Noticing that the person is now trying to convince the singer to come back, even though they are gone.
You act all wild when I tell you to settle (settle down)
Recalling that the person did not appreciate the singer when they were together.
I was working 'round the clock, but your girls want to meddle (I heard)
Recalling that the person's friends interfered with the relationship.
Talk about (you know I'm sayin'? I heard)
Recalling the negative things the person's friends said about the singer.
"I heard he swims with this chick on the beach" (that you were on the beach)
Recalling a rumor that the person heard about the singer being unfaithful.
That was out with the tide but my love you impeach (impeach)
Explaining that the rumor was not true, but that it damaged the relationship anyway.
Now you looking at the walls, head in hands, cold jonesin'
Suggesting that the person is now feeling the same regret the singer once felt.
Ringing my house, hanging up and imposing
Describing the person's attempts to contact the singer after they have already left.
Now why you wanna go and do that love, huh?
Questioning why the person did not appreciate the singer when they were together.
Now why you wanna go and do that and do that, huh?
Continuing to question the person's actions and choices.
You never ever realize
Reminding the listener that it is common to not appreciate something until it is gone.
Dust
Ending the song on a minimalist note, suggesting that everything fades away eventually.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, JANET JACKSON DBA BLACK ICE, Reservoir Media Management, Inc., Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Des'ree Annette Weekes, James Samuel Iii Harris, Janet Jackson, Joni Mitchell, Kamaal Ibn John Fareed, Michael Emmanuel Kwesi Graves, Terry Lewis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mr Hood
Back in 97, I listened to this song on repeat, on a bus trip from Germany to Spain, for 8 straight hours.This song is pure Nostalgia.💕 🙏💗
Cris K
That sounds like a hell of a time and now a good memory!
Washington George
I was rocking this in Germany too..Wiesbaden to Vilseck to Graf..
Wordupmiman
I can do that too, 90s music makes me chill
Paola Ferreira
Oh wow! Love your comment! I did the same thing but now in 22.
burn your soul like ETHER
You know just what you got, so it's never gone
hsbthree
23 years later this song, the Grammy award winning video is a timeless classic. A precursor to the look and feel of some of Beyoncé and Solange’s work.
Janet Jackson is a Icon. Not debatable.
L. Hill
All For You compared to LEMONADE? Is it coke!?
The vvs show
FACTS
Brandon Frazier
@L. Hill girl this is from the Velvet Rope what are you talking about?