He is… Read Full Bio ↴Gerald Eaton is a Canadian R&B singer originally from Jamaica.
He is the lead singer for the R&B-pop group The Philosopher Kings, which reached its peak popularity in the 1990s. During the group's 10-year hiatus, Eaton began a solo career, releasing the album Shake it Off in 2002 under the stage name Jarvis Church, derived from two parallel streets in Toronto, Ontario. The Philosopher Kings subsequently reunited and released a new album in February 2006.
Eaton is also a producer: he co-produced Nelly Furtado's debut album Whoa, Nelly! with his Philosopher Kings bandmate Brian West. Their production team is known as Track and Field, and they also appear on the production credits of Esthero's album Wikked Lil' Grrrls. Track and Field also produced Canadian rapper K'naan's albums The Dusty Foot Philosopher and Troubadour, and the title track from Stacie Orrico's 2006 album Beautiful Awakening. He appeared on the song "Saturdays" by Nelly Furtado on the album Folklore.
He appeared on the television series Da Kink in My Hair in 2007.
Forgive Me
Jarvis Church Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't make me choose between
Success and shit that's fresh
?Cause I will always choose my own happiness
No, you don't know me, we ain?t never met
I'm not from your town, never seen me around
?Cause where I?m from, we still havin' from
You're done and I am the royal son
I'm not shy, forgive me
So please don't cry
Forgive me if you can't handle this
Forgive me, forgive me, forgive me
And if it's too raw, forgive me
That's my faux paux
Forgive me if you can't handle this
Forgive me, forgive me, forgive me
Music, father forgive me, I?m smokin' like a chimney
Up inside the studio with Jarvis here with me
They call we da underdogs, we da comin' runnin' under y'all
We no come fi talk, gun fi bark under unu bumba-claught
Tell a guy fuck-off, we run the park
Sing from the heart, king from the start
Jelly one, tell you what, bling down the chart
Bling down the rass, big sound a blast
Money ching-ching every big town we pass
Find a slim ting, run ring 'round she ass
Only grim ting is a rign now she want
I'm not shy, forgive me
So please don't cry
Forgive me if you can't handle this
Forgive me, forgive me, forgive me
And if it's too raw, forgive me
That's my faux paux
Forgive me if you can't handle this
Forgive me, forgive me, forgive me
No, this one goes out to all the boys
And all the girls in the whole world
You don't have to worry, you don't doubt
We not goin' to sell out, no
I'm not shy, forgive me
So please don't cry
Forgive me if you can't handle this
Forgive me, forgive me, forgive me
And if it's too raw, forgive me
That's my faux paux
Forgive me if you can't handle this
Forgive me, forgive me, forgive me
This is classical, inter-outa-international
World-wide, televised, dramitised
Yo, unu just cyan't standadize
Ya understand, over-stand, over-land, over-seas
Only god alone over me
In the first verse of "Forgive Me," Jarvis Church sings about his unwillingness to compromise his happiness for success. He acknowledges that it's not a game and that he doesn't want to lose, but he also doesn't want to choose between success and his personal values. He affirms his commitment to always choose his happiness, even if it means going against conventional wisdom. He then sings about his identity as someone from a different place than his listeners, implying that he comes from a place where people still have struggles. He declares that the kingdom has come and that he is the royal son. This could mean that he feels empowered and confident in his identity and his ability to create something great.
The chorus of the song is a plea for forgiveness. Jarvis Church is unapologetic about his raw and authentic self, but he acknowledges that it might be too much for some people. He asks them to forgive him if they can't handle it. He also acknowledges that his behavior might be seen as a faux pas, but he doesn't apologize for it. Instead, he asks for forgiveness for anyone who can't handle his authenticity.
In the second verse, Church name-drops himself and another artist, hinting that they're in the studio smoking and creating music. He pokes fun at the fact that people consider them underdogs, but they're still coming out on top. He asserts their dominance and tells people to get out of their way if they can't handle it. He then switches from English to Jamaican Patois, and the lyrics become harder to understand for non-native speakers. He seems to be asserting his identity and declaring that he cannot be "standardized" by anyone.
Overall, "Forgive Me" is a song about staying true to oneself and refusing to compromise one's values for success. The chorus asks for forgiveness for being unapologetically authentic, but it's clear that Jarvis Church would rather be true to himself than try to please anyone else.
Line by Line Meaning
It's not a game but I don't wanna lose
Winning in life is important but it's not everything
Don't make me choose between
Don't force me to choose
Success and shit that's fresh
Having true happiness in life and doing what I love
?Cause I will always choose my own happiness
I value my own happiness above everything else
No, you don't know me, we ain?t never met
You don't know me personally, we haven't crossed paths
I'm not from your town, never seen me around
I'm not from the same place as you, we haven't met before
?Cause where I?m from, we still havin' from
In my hometown, we still have a lot to achieve
And now the kingdom's come
I've accomplished what I need and consider myself a king
You're done and I am the royal son
I have surpassed you and am now the ruler of my own life
I'm not shy, forgive me
I'm not holding anything back, please excuse me
So please don't cry
Please don't be upset about what I'm saying
Forgive me if you can't handle this
Apologies if this is difficult for you to bear
And if it's too raw, forgive me
I'm sorry if this sounds too blunt or honest
That's my faux paux
My mistake, my bad
Music, father forgive me, I?m smokin' like a chimney
I am indulging in vices like smoking while making music, please excuse me
Up inside the studio with Jarvis here with me
I am in the studio working with Jarvis Church at the moment
They call we da underdogs, we da comin' runnin' under y'all
We are considered as the underdogs, but we are making our way up
We no come fi talk, gun fi bark under unu bumba-claught
We don't come to talk, we come to make a statement
Tell a guy fuck-off, we run the park
We are in control, and we tell others to back off
Sing from the heart, king from the start
We always pour our hearts into our performances and consider ourselves as leaders
Jelly one, tell you what, bling down the chart
Our music is unique, and we'll make it to the top without trying too hard
Bling down the rass, big sound a blast
We have a great sound that impresses everyone
Money ching-ching every big town we pass
We are making money everywhere we go
Find a slim ting, run ring 'round she ass
We find attractive women and chase after them
Only grim ting is a rign now she want
All she wants from us is a ring now
This one goes out to all the boys
This is a message for everyone
And all the girls in the whole world
For both male and female audiences worldwide
You don't have to worry, you don't doubt
You can trust us and not worry about anything
We not goin' to sell out, no
We won't compromise our values for fame or money
This is classical, inter-outa-international
Our music is classical and has a global appeal
World-wide, televised, dramitised
Our music is broadcasted and dramatized worldwide
Yo, unu just cyan't standadize
You can't define or box us into one category
Ya understand, over-stand, over-land, over-seas
Our message reaches everyone across land and sea
Only god alone over me
I answer only to God and no one else
Contributed by Riley I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.