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.
This Time
Janet Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
After all I've done for you
This time, I'm not gonna stay
This time, I must get away
This time, you've gone too far (yeah, yeah)
This time, I'm not gonna stay
This time, you've gone too far
You runnin 'round with those nasty hoes
How long did you think I could take this?
He says to me, "that's the way life goes"
How long did you think I could take this?
I should have known
Oh, you weren't for real
But my love for you kept on strong
You better know you're gonna miss my love
And now you know that I'm not still holdin' on
That's right, all of my friends say
This time, I'm not gonna stay
This time, I must get away
This time, you've gone too far (yeah, yeah)
This time, I'm not gonna stay
This time, you've got to pay
This time, you've gone too far
You've played the game
But you played yourself
Oh boy, take a look at who's sorry now
You're not the same
Oh, how you have changed
So now look at you, it's a damn shame
I don't care if I never ever see your face again
You broke my heart one too many times, oh
You think that I'm, I'm just not that strong
My bags are packed, watch me walk right through that door
This time, I'm not gonna stay
This time, I must get away
This time, you've gone too far (really gone too far)
This time, I'm not gonna stay
This time, you've got to pay (you have got to pay)
This time, you've gone too far
Walkin 'round with nasty hoes
Tellin' me that's the way life goes
No, baby you've gone way too far
Said to me that I'm not that strong
Watch me walk right through that door
Oh, oh, yeah, yeah
This time, I'm not gonna stay
This time, I must get away
This time, you've gone too far (really gone too far)
This time, I'm not gonna stay
This time, you've got to pay
This time, you've gone too far
This time, I'm not gonna stay
This time, I must get away
This time, you've gone too far (really gone, really gone too far)
This time, I'm not gonna stay
This time, you've got to pay
This time, you've gone too far
Ah, gone too far
Ah, gone too far
Ah, gone too, ah, gone too, ah, gone too far
This time, I'm not gonna stay
This time, I must get away
This time, you've gone too far (ah, gone too far)
This time, I'm not gonna stay (ah, gone too far)
This time, you've got to pay (ah, gone too far)
This time, you've gone too far
(Ah, gone too, ah, gone too, ah, gone too far)
You're dismissed
This song is clearly a song of empowerment after a bad breakup characterized by infidelity. Janet Jackson seems to have tolerated her lover's indiscretions for a while as evidenced by the lines, "After all I've done for you, how long did you think I could take this?" However, she has now reached her limit, and in the chorus, she declares her decision to leave, insisting that this time she will not stay. Furthermore, her lover has gone too far, and he must pay for it. The song continues with her lover attempting to make amends, but it's already too late since she has moved on, and she's not looking back. The song's pace is relentless, a perfect representation of the empowerment she feels.
Line by Line Meaning
After all I've done for you
I have done so much for you, yet things have ended up this way
This time, I'm not gonna stay
I cannot bear to stay in this situation any longer
This time, I must get away
I need to escape this harmful situation I'm in
This time, you've gone too far (yeah, yeah)
Your actions have crossed a line that can't be ignored
You runnin 'round with those nasty hoes
You've been hanging out with promiscuous women behind my back
How long did you think I could take this?
I can no longer tolerate your deceitful behavior
He says to me, 'that's the way life goes'
He rationalizes his behavior as a natural consequence of life
I should have known
I regret not recognizing your true nature earlier
Oh, you weren't for real
You were not authentic in our relationship
But my love for you kept on strong
Despite your deceptive behavior, my love for you persisted
You better know you're gonna miss my love
You will regret losing the love I gave you
And now you know that I'm not still holdin' on
I have accepted that our relationship is over
That's right, all of my friends say
My friends agree with my decision to end this relationship
You've played the game
You've been playing a game of deception and manipulation
But you played yourself
Your actions have caused your own downfall
Oh boy, take a look at who's sorry now
You are now regretful and apologetic, but it's too late
You're not the same
Your behavior has changed for the worse
Oh, how you have changed
You are no longer the person I thought you were
So now look at you, it's a damn shame
Your behavior has led to your own demise
I don't care if I never ever see your face again
I no longer want to have any contact with you
You broke my heart one too many times, oh
Your repeated deceitful actions have caused me emotional pain
You think that I'm, I'm just not that strong
You underestimate my strength to leave this toxic relationship
My bags are packed, watch me walk right through that door
I am leaving this relationship and nothing will stop me
Ah, gone too far
Your actions have irreparably damaged our relationship
You're dismissed
I am ending this relationship and no longer acknowledging your presence
Lyrics Β© Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: James Harris III, Janet Jackson, Terry Lewis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind