Gill, the son of a minister, started singing at age five in a family gospel group called "Wings of Faith". His solo career began in 1983 when his childhood friend, singer Stacy Lattisaw convinced him to record a demo. The demo he recorded fell into the hands of the president of Atlantic Records, and his self-titled debut album was released shortly thereafter. Then, Johnny teamed up with Stacy for a duet album, which featured their first together, "Perfect Combination", a second album on Atlantic Records, Chemistry, yielded the song "Half Crazy,".
Gill's big break came in 1987, when he replaced Bobby Brown in New Edition, a 1980s pop group. With Gill as one of the lead singers, the group developed a more mature, adult sound, hitting the charts with songs such as "Can You Stand The Rain," "N.E. Heartbreak," and the Johnny Gill lead "Boys To Men". During a hiatus from New Edition, Johnny embarked on a solo career. The hits from his self entitled 1990 album include "My, My, My," "Rub You the Right Way," "Fairweather Friend" and "Wrap My Body Tight". On this album, Gill played guitar, bass, bongos, and drums in addition to performing his lead and background vocals.
In 1993, Gill released another solo project, Provocative, which included the songs "Quiet Time to Play," "A Cute, Sweet, Love Addiction," and a gospel song, "I Know Where I Stand." In 1996, Gill was reunited with his New Edition bandmates, including Brown, as they recorded Home Again together, an album noted for the singles "Hit Me Off" and "Still In Love". Gill also released Let's Get the Mood Right in 1996, which included the title song, "Love In an Elevator," and "Maybe." The following year, he collaborated with Gerald Levert and Keith Sweat to form the supergroup LSG (Levert/Sweat/Gill) which resulted in the multi platinum debut album, Levert-Sweat-Gill, and a follow-up album entitled LSG2.
Gill, the only member of New Edition who is not from Boston, was raised in Washington DC where he attended Kimball Elementary and Sousa Junior High. His career dictated that he complete his high school education through the services of a tutor. Johnny had planned to attend college and pursue a degree in electrical engineering, but his career came first.
His latest recording, "You For Me (The Wedding Song)" from the Madea's Family Reunion Soundtrack received strong reviews from music critics as well as the general public. As of 2006, he is still performing with the group as well as performing solo as part of the Body and Soul Tour, which includes fellow NE members Bell Biv DeVoe.
At the 2011 BET Awards, he announced that he will be releasing a new album, after a 16 year hiatus.
Long Way from Home
Johnny Gill Lyrics
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Love has a mind of, a mind of it's own
Don't let it stop your, your desire
Baby, don't end up, end up alone
Stop where you are
Look to your heart
Don't be afraid, don't throw love away
'Cause you're a long, long way from home
You need a man of your own, keepin' you warm
'Cause you're a long, long way from home
You need to hurry back home, let me keep you warm, yeah
Sometimes it feels like life's over, yeah
You know when it feels like everything's wrong
Don't let it take you, take you under
Baby, don't end up, end up alone
Stop where you are
Look to your heart
Don't be afraid, don't throw love away
Don't get burned by your heart
Cause you're a long, long way from home
You need a man of your own, keepin' you warm (oh yeah)
'Cause you're a long, long way from home (yeah)
You need to hurry back home (yeah, you better hurry on back home)
Let me keep you warm (let me, let me keep you warm, yeah)
I know that at times it doesn't seem fair
Those are times when you don't even care
Broken heart, shattered dreams
Without love, tell me what does it mean
Stop it, baby, right where you are
Don't you let it go, go too far
Stop it, stop it, right where you are
You're a long way from home
'Cause you're a long, long way from home
You need a man of your own (oh, you need someone hold on to)
Keepin' you warm (you're gonna need someone to keep you warm)
'Cause you're a long, long way from home (and I wanna be right there by your side)
(I don't ever wanna let you go, let you go, let you, let you go, baby)
You need to hurry back home (hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry)
Let me keep you warm (oh, don't too long, baby)
Stop where you are
Look to your heart
Don't be afraid, don't throw love away
Don't get burned by your heart
'Cause you're a long, long way from home
You need a man of your own (oh, you're gonna need someone to hold on to)
Keepin' you warm (someone that's gonna love you, someone that's gonna keep you warm all night long)
'Cause you're a long, long way from home (you see, not a train, not car, not a plane)
(Not a boat's gonna bring me back home, baby)
You need to hurry back home (you gotta hurry back home, you come on)
Let me keep you warm (get some of this, get some of this, get some of this)
'Cause you're a long, long way from home
You need a man of your own, keepin' you warm
'Cause you're a long, long way from home
The song “Long Way From Home” by Johnny Gill is a love ballad that talks about the importance of finding true love and the dangers of loneliness. The opening verse alludes to how love can sometimes be intense, and it has a mind of its own, which means that people have to be careful when dealing with it. The chorus talks about how the woman in the song is far from home and needs a man who can keep her warm and make her feel loved. The lyrics also suggest that life can be challenging, and people need love to keep them afloat; otherwise, they will end up alone.
The second verse talks about how, at times, life can seem overwhelming, and everything can go wrong, but people should not let that take them under because if they do, they will be alone. The song suggests that people should hold on to love and never let go because it is what keeps them from the darkness of solitude. The bridge explains that sometimes, life is not fair, and people have to keep fighting to keep their dreams alive; otherwise, they will end up heartbroken and without meaning. The final chorus reiterates the importance of finding true love and coming back home to a partner who will keep you warm and never let you go.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes it burns like, like a fire, yeah
Love can feel like an intense, fiery sensation.
Love has a mind of, a mind of it's own
Love is unpredictable and uncontrollable.
Don't let it stop your, your desire
Don't let love hinder your ambitions and goals.
Baby, don't end up, end up alone
Don't let love lead you down a path of loneliness and isolation.
Stop where you are
Take a moment to reflect and examine your current situation.
Look to your heart
Listen to your inner feelings and intuition.
Don't be afraid, don't throw love away
Don't let fear prevent you from embracing love or give up on love entirely.
Don't get burned by your heart
Don't let your emotions lead you into situations that will ultimately hurt you.
'Cause you're a long, long way from home
You're feeling lost and disconnected from your true self.
You need a man of your own, keepin' you warm
You need someone to love and comfort you.
Sometimes it feels like life's over, yeah
Sometimes life can feel overwhelming and debilitating.
Don't let it take you, take you under
Don't let life's hardships defeat you or bring you down.
Stop it, baby, right where you are
Take immediate action to change your current situation.
You're a long way from home
You're feeling lost, disconnected, and far from where you need to be.
I know that at times it doesn't seem fair
I understand that life can feel unfair and unjust at times.
Those are times when you don't even care
During these difficult times, you may feel apathetic and indifferent.
Broken heart, shattered dreams
Life's obstacles can cause heartbreak and destroy our hopes and aspirations.
Without love, tell me what does it mean
Love is essential to our wellbeing and provides us with meaning and purpose.
You need to hurry back home
You need to return to your true self and what brings you joy and happiness.
Let me keep you warm
Let me love you and provide you with comfort and security.
Someone that's gonna love you, someone that's gonna keep you warm all night long
You need someone who will love and cherish you, and provide you with a safe haven where you can feel warm and secure.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Kenneth Edmonds, Antonio Reid, Daryl Simmons
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind