Jermaine Stewart (September 7, 1957 – March 17, 1997) was an American pop s… Read Full Bio ↴Jermaine Stewart (September 7, 1957 – March 17, 1997) was an American pop singer, best known for his androgynous image as well as his twin dance pop hits: "The Word Is Out", from his 1984 debut album of the same name, and "We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off", from 1986's 'Frantic Romantic'. Born in Columbus, Ohio to parents Ethel M. Stewart and Eugene Stewart, Jermaine always enjoyed dancing and, in school, he would often give dance lessons to other children for a $1 a lesson.

In 1972, the Stewart family (which consisted of his parents, Jermaine, his sisters Norma, Sondra, Leandra, and Leanna, and finally his brother Gene) moved to Chicago, Illinois. He took his first steps towards a career in entertainment there. Stints on both American Bandstand and later Soul Train as a dancer helped to fuel his ambition.

Soon, Jermaine became a backup singer and dancer for several artists such as The Chi-Lites, The Staple Singers and Shalamar while recording backup vocals for such artists as Culture Club. He was featured prominently on the group's 1983 album Colour by Numbers and as a result the group used their influence to help him land a solo recording deal with Arista Records.

The 1986 Frantic Romantic album with the hit single "We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off" quickly went on to become a million seller, and a second single, "Jody" was released, the inspiration of the song being Jody Watley of Shalamar. A modest success, "Jody" reached both the U.K. and U.S. top 50. Another U.K. only single "Don't Ever Leave Me" was released, reaching number 76 on the British charts. The song was a ballad, and indicative of Jermaine's versatility in any musical style.

Jermaine's third album was probably his most successful internationally. Entitled Say It Again, the production was handled largely by André Cymone who had previously worked with Prince and Jody Watley. The result was an almost flawless collection of pop and dance funk tracks, of which almost any song could have been a successful single.

Supported by international live dates with his band, "The Party", the title track became Jermaine's second U.S. top 40 Billboard hit and also reached the R&B top 10. In the U.K., it made it all the way to number 7, helping the album into the top 40.

The next three singles all received the remix treatment from the production company behind such hits as "You Spin Me Round" by Dead Or Alive and Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up." "Get Lucky," "Don't Talk Dirty To Me" and "Is It Really Love" found considerable European success, particularly Germany, where "Don't Talk Dirty To Me" was one of the biggest selling records of 1988, making the top 5.

At this point, Jermaine was highly focused on the mainstream pop market. His fourth and final album under his contract with Arista Records, What Becomes a Legend Most?, was filled with radio friendly catchy pop tunes. The first single "Tren De Amor" reached number 76 in the UK charts, while the follow-up, "Every Woman Wants To," didn't fared as well, only making it to number 95. Commercial success eluded this album, and a label change followed.

In 1992, Jermaine teamed up with Chicago producer Jesse Saunders for his last recorded work, an album for Reprise Records. Entitled Set Me Free, the album marked a return to the dance funk style of Say It Again. The title track was released as a single in the U.S., but found little success. The album remains unreleased.

He died in 1997 of liver cancer, caused by AIDS. Ironically, his hit "We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off" gained popularity as it was referring to the AIDS scare of the 1980s. In 2003, the song was placed by VH1 in its 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders list.

In 2005, a compilation CD celebrating Jermaine's underrated contribution to '80s R&B which included several of his hits and a few previously unreleased tracks was released by BGF Records, an Ohio record label ran by Jermaine's brother.

Don't Ever Leave Me
Jermaine Stewart Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

That train appeared
Like an arrow headed through my heart
One lonely tear
Waiting for our worlds to tear apart
I just can't understand it
Five more minutes to say goodbye
What I once took for granted
Now I'm down on my knees for

Take the train and I'd die

Don't ever leave me
It's never too late you know
I can't let you go
Don't ever leave me
I'm living my for you
Ooh, for you

It's getting cold
Slip inside my coat
The way you used to do
Oh, girl, I like to hold
One last memory of you
Standing here in confusion
Not quite sure what I'm guilty of
Can't escape the conclusion
Though I've given you everything
I guess it wasn't enough

Don't ever leave me
No, it's never too late you know
I can't let you go
Don't ever leave me
I'm living my life for you
For you

I just can't understand it, no
Five more minutes to say goodbye
What I once took for granted
Now I'm down on my knees for
Take the train and I'd die

Don't ever leave me
It's never too late you know
I can't let you go
Don't ever leave me
I'm living my for you
Don't go

Don't ever leave me
It's never too late you know
I can't let you go
Don't ever leave me
I'm living my for you
For you, for you

You know, if you ever leave me
I think I will just die
Don't go

For you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Jermaine Stewart's "Don't Ever Leave Me" paint a picture of a love on the verge of ending. The train is a symbol of the impending separation, and the singer is struggling to come to terms with the situation. This train is not just any train, but one that appears like an arrow headed through the singer's heart. It's clear that this love has been a significant part of the singer's life and now the threat of it ending is devastating.

The lyrics suggest that the relationship may have been taken for granted, but now the singer is down on their knees begging for more time. The line "I just can't understand it" highlights the confusion and desperation the singer is feeling. They can't seem to grasp why this is happening, and they only have five more minutes to say goodbye.

However, the singer is not giving up without a fight. They are pleading for their partner not to leave them, saying that it's never too late to try and make things work. They are living their life for their partner, and they can't imagine living without them.

Overall, the lyrics of "Don't Ever Leave Me" showcase the raw emotion and heartbreak that comes with the end of a significant relationship. The singer is pleading for more time, but ultimately, they may have to come to terms with the fact that their partner is leaving.

Line by Line Meaning

That train appeared
There was a sudden occurrence that affected me deeply

Like an arrow headed through my heart
It felt like a piercing pain in my chest

One lonely tear
A single tear dropped from my eye

Waiting for our worlds to tear apart
Anticipating the end of our relationship

I just can't understand it
I'm confused and don't know why this is happening

Five more minutes to say goodbye
There's not enough time to express my feelings before you leave

What I once took for granted
I didn't appreciate what I had until it was gone

Now I'm down on my knees for
I'm begging and pleading for another chance

Take the train and I'd die
The thought of you leaving is too unbearable to imagine

Don't ever leave me
Please don't end our relationship

It's never too late you know
We can still work things out if you stay