Keith Sweat was born in Harlem, New York City, to Juanita Thompson, a hairdresser, and Charles Sweat, a factory worker. After Charles Sweat's passing in 1973, Juanita raised their five kids by herself. He worked as a night stock boy at Macy's Department Store, and then a mail room clerk at Paine Webber, a brokerage firm. In just four years he worked his way up to a lucrative brokerage assistant job on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.[2] Sweat also worked as a supervisor for the New York Mercantile Exchange.[1]
Sweat started his musical career as a member of a Harlem band called Jamilah in 1975.[3] With the help of Jamilah, Sweat was able to hone his craft as a lead singer by performing regionally throughout the tri-State area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. The group was started by bassist Larry Peoples, guitarist Michael Samuels, and drummer Walter Bradley.[citation needed]
After leaving the group in 1984 to begin a solo career, he sang at nightclubs throughout New York City and landed a chance to record for the independent label, Stadium Records. Sweat recorded only two tunes for Stadium, "Lucky Seven", and "My Mind Is Made Up", which was their third and fourth ever release, but on Stadium's first release, he is credited as co-writer and co-producer of "You Are the One for Me", the last recording ever made by the group GQ. One of GQ's original members is his uncle, Keith "Sabu" Crier.
Later in 1987, Keith Sweat was discovered by Vincent Davis and offered a recording contract with his label, Vintertainment Records, which was founded in 1983 on the foundations of early Hip-Hop and otherwise best known for releasing Joeski Love's "Pee Wee's Dance" in 1985. Vintertainment was distributed by Elektra Records from 1985 until it ceased operations in 1990. On November 24, 1987, Sweat released his debut solo studio album Make It Last Forever, which sold three million copies. The biggest hit from this album was the song that inaugurated the new jack swing era "I Want Her"[5] (No. 1 R&B & No. 5 Pop), which was nominated for the 1989 Soul Train Best R&B/Urban Contemporary Song of the Year award, while the title track from the album hit No. 2 on the R&B charts. Sweat reached the charts again with his second album I'll Give All My Love to You (1990) which hit No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart. He released his third album, Keep It Comin' in 1991, which debuted in the Top 20 of the album chart. He produced soul singer Omar Chandler.
In 1992, Sweat discovered the group Silk, and helped craft their debut album, Lose Control, which hit No. 7 on the Billboard 200 album chart.[6]
The album's single "Freak Me" hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on May 1, 1993. In 1993, Sweat discovered the Atlanta-based female R&B group Kut Klose. Sweat also produced the group's debut album Surrender, which produced their biggest hit single "I Like", peaking to No. 8 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.
Sweat released his fourth album Get Up on It in the summer of 1994, and his self-titled fifth album in 1996. Both albums reached the top ten on the Billboard 200. The single co/produced and written by Eric McCaine "Twisted" featuring R&B group Kut Klose hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and "Nobody" hit No. 3, which made them Sweat's biggest hits to date. "Just A Touch" was a cover of the 1979 song "Just a Touch of Love" by Slave. He produced R&B group Dru Hill in 1996.
In the fall of 1997, Sweat discovered the group Ol' Skool and helped with their self-titled debut. He was on their biggest single, "Am I Dreaming", which featured the R&B group Xscape. Sweat also formed the R&B supergroup LSG with Gerald Levert and Johnny Gill, and released their self-titled debut album Levert.Sweat.Gill in 1997.[7] That album featured "My Body", which became a hit single. The album was certified double platinum and reached No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard 200.
Sweat's sixth album, Still in the Game was released in 1998, hitting No. 6 on the Billboard 200, and No. 2 on the R&B/Hip Hop albums chart. It featured the singles "Come and Get With Me" (which featured Snoop Dogg) (No. 12 Hot 100) and "I'm Not Ready" (No. 16 Hot 100). Sweat's success on the charts started to diminish in 2000, when he released the album Didn't See Me Coming. None of the singles from the album reached the top forty.
On August 13, 2002, Keith Sweat released his eighth album, Rebirth. The single "One on One" reached No. 75 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 44 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.His 2008 album Just Me included the single, "Love U Better (featuring Keyshia Cole)". Sweat is currently signed to Kedar Records and released his tenth studio album entitled Ridin' Solo on June 22, 2010. The lead single taken from the album is "Test Drive" and featured label-mate Joe. Since 2007, Sweat has been the host of a nationally syndicated radio program based upon the Quiet storm format. The Keith Sweat Hotel (known as The Quiet Storm with Keith Sweat on WBLS in New York City) is syndicated through Premiere Radio Networks.[8]
Sweat is also the host of a nationally syndicated radio show called The Sweat Hotel, which I s produced and distributed to urban adult contemporary and classic soul radio stations across the U.S. by Premiere Networks, a subsidiary of iHeartMedia, Inc.[9]
I'm Going For Mine
Keith Sweat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Didn't have to get like this, baby
No, my love
It's over now
You want me to act like nothing never happened
Baby, I wish I could
But every last situation that arises, oh honey
You told me lies, you made me cry
Now you sigh, why? Why? Why?
Why'd you do me wrong?
Now you miss, what we had
It's to late, oh baby
To you I sing this song
Sorry, sorry, baby, it's over now
You went for yours, now I'm going for mine
Sorry, sorry, baby, it's over now
You went for yours, now I'm going for mine
Oh girl, I was doing my J O be, oh sugar
Doing the best I could for you and I, it's okay
And even though the whole time
You was running your own little show
You must have been the star
You took it too far, yeah girl
I spend nights all alone
Couldn't reach you on the phone, my baby
Tell me, where were you?
Now you miss, what we had
It's too late, my baby
Again I sing this song to you
Sorry, sorry, baby, it's over now
You went for yours, now I'm going for mine
Sorry, sorry, baby, it's over now
You went for yours, now I'm going for mine
Ooh, you played me girl
Ooh, you ruined a good thing
Yeah girl, yes, you did
Listen girl, you got the best of me
And now girl, we're through
Tell me girl, what can I do?
Sorry, sorry, baby, it's over now
You went for yours, now I'm going for mine
I said, "Sorry, sorry, baby, it's over now
You went for yours and now I'm going for mine"
Why did you have to hurt me, girl?
Why did you have to do me wrong?
I loved you, baby?
Now I gotta, I gotta sing this song?
The lyrics to Keith Sweat's song, "I'm Going For Mine," depict the end of a relationship that was filled with lies and betrayal. The singer acknowledges that he wishes he could move on and forget what happened, but every situation that arises reminds him of how poorly he was treated. He spends lonely nights and cannot seem to connect with his partner. The lyrics reveal his heartbreak and pain, as he confronts his former lover about her behavior and lets her know that it's over. He is now taking control of the situation and moving on with his life.
The song captures the emotions of a person who has been wronged in love and is actively taking steps to heal and move forward. Sweat's smooth R&B vocals and the soulful melody add to the emotional impact of the lyrics. The repetition of "sorry, sorry, baby, it's over now" emphasizes the finality of the relationship and the resolution to move on.
Overall, the lyrics to "I'm Going For Mine" are a powerful narrative about heartbreak and healing in the aftermath of a failed relationship. They convey the pain of betrayal while also demonstrating the strength to move on and let go of a toxic situation.
Line by Line Meaning
Ohh, no no no no no
Expressing dissatisfaction or negative feelings towards the situation at hand
Didn't have to get like this, baby
The situation was avoidable and shouldn't have escalated
No, my love
Acknowledging that the love existed but it's now over
You want me to act like nothing never happened
Asking the artist to forget everything they've been through
Baby, I wish I could
Admitting that it's not that easy to forget the feelings and the pain
But every last situation that arises, oh honey
The actions and situational memories keep coming up
Remind me how you treated me no good, oh no, baby
Bringing up past negative treatment and behavior towards the singer
You told me lies, you made me cry
Calling out the bad things the other person did to the artist
Now you sigh, why? Why? Why?
Questioning the motive behind the past poor treatment
Why'd you do me wrong?
Questioning why the other person hurt the artist
Now you miss, what we had
The other person realizes they've lost something good
It's too late, oh baby
Acknowledging that it's too late to try again
To you I sing this song
The song is a representation of the singer's feelings
Oh girl, I was doing my J O be, oh sugar
The singer was doing anything and everything to make the other person happy
Doing the best I could for you and I, it's okay
The singer believes they've done everything right but it's no longer enough
And even though the whole time
Despite the other person taking the artist for granted
You was running your own little show
The other person was only concerned with their own needs and wants
You must have been the star
Acknowledging that the other person is the center of their own universe
You took it too far, yeah girl
The other person went over the line to the point of no return
I spend nights all alone
The artist was left alone at night without the other person
Couldn't reach you on the phone, my baby
The other person was unavailable and didn't take calls
Tell me, where were you?
Questioning the other person's whereabouts and lack of availability
Ooh, you played me girl
The other person manipulated and took advantage of the singer's good nature
Ooh, you ruined a good thing
The other person ruined a positive relationship
Listen girl, you got the best of me
The singer gave their all to the other person
And now girl, we're through
The relationship has come to an end
Tell me girl, what can I do?
Asking the other person what could have possibly been done to save the relationship
Why did you have to hurt me, girl?
Asking the other person why they hurt the artist
Why did you have to do me wrong?
Questioning why the other person betrayed the artist
I loved you, baby?
Expressing love towards the other person despite the amount of hurt they caused
Now I gotta, I gotta sing this song?
The song is meant to express the singer's emotions and feelings towards the situation
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KEITH SWEAT, JOHN ADAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
kw kimbugwe
Ohh, no no no no no
Didn't have to get like this, baby
No, my love
It's over now
You want me to act like nothing never happened
Baby, I wish I could
But every last situation that arises, oh honey
Remind me how you treated me no good, oh no, baby
You told me lies, you made me cry
Now you sigh, why? Why? Why?
Why'd you do me wrong?
Now you miss, what we had
It's to late, oh baby
To you I sing this song
Sorry, sorry, baby, it's over now
You went for yours, now I'm going for mine
Sorry, sorry, baby, it's over now
You went for yours, now I'm going for mine
Oh girl, I was doing my J O be, oh sugar
Doing the best I could for you and I, it's okay
And even though the whole time
You was running your own little show
You must have been the star
You took it too far, yeah girl
I spend nights all alone
Couldn't reach you on the phone, my baby
Tell me, where were you?
Now you miss, what we had
It's too late, my baby
Again I sing this song to you
Sorry, sorry, baby, it's over now
You went for yours, now I'm going for mine
Sorry, sorry, baby, it's over now
You went for yours, now I'm going for mine
Ooh, you played me girl
Ooh, you ruined a good thing
Yeah girl, yes, you did
Listen girl, you got the best of me
And now girl, we're through
Tell me girl, what can I do?
Sorry, sorry, baby, it's over now
You went for yours, now I'm going for mine
I said, "Sorry, sorry, baby, it's over now
You went for yours and now I'm going for mine"
Why did you have to hurt me, girl?
Why did you have to do me wrong?
I loved you, baby?
Now I gotta, I gotta sing this song?
Vee Tha Sock God
A classic slapper....one of the most slept on Keith Sweat songs.
Jonathan Pickett
❤l
Maureen Igwe
This song will never get old! Keith is a living legend!
Lisa Mandry
LOVE IT.... IT HITS YOU AT RIGHT PLACE IN YOUR SOUL.
Joe S
50 just round the corner and I still remember this song as it was yesterday. Still love this from 25+ years ago
Chivon Harris
STILL BUMPING THIS JOINT IN NEW YEAR 2022💙💙💙💋
Christopher Lewis
You have no idea how much I love this song. I love the rain in the background. Keith is a master.
Mickey Mouse
Christopher Lewis l
Monica Lemons
Background instruments....Fire...definition of a Classic...timeless I jam it screwed on REPEAT🤷
Danielle Wooten
Me too one of my favorites 😘😍💯