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]
Show Me
Keith Sweat Lyrics
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Show me baby, umm
(Show me the way)
Show me girl
(Show me the way)
Show me baby, umm
(Show me the way)
I know what you've been missing
Tender love and kissing
A love to treat you right your whole life long
Now I am here to please
Give you something that you need
A love my girl that will never do you wrong
Show me the way my baby
(Show me the way)
Show me the way to your heart
(Show me the way)
Show me you want me baby
(Show me the way)
Show me that you need my love
(Show me the way)
I know that you've been hurt
More times then a few
Please my girl don't place that blame on me
I know my love is real
It's something you can feel
I'm all the love my girl you'll ever need
Show me the way my baby
(Show me the way)
Show me the way to your heart
(Show me the way)
Show me that you want me baby
(Show me the way)
Show me that you need my love
(Show me the way)
Show, show me, show me girl,
(Show me the way)
The song "Show Me" by Keith Sweat is an emotive plea to a lover to open up to him and show him the way to her heart. The song is a romantic ballad that speaks of tender love, kissing, and treating each other right. The opening lines of the song set the tone with the repeated chorus of "show me the way" emphasizing the urgency with which Keith wants his lover to express her feelings.
Keith acknowledges that the lover may have been hurt before, but he assures her that his love is real and that he can provide the emotional security that she needs. He pleads with her to give him a chance to prove that he can be there for her through the good times and the bad. The lyrics convey Keith's sincerity and passion as he seeks to win her over.
The song has a slow tempo and Keith's signature smooth vocals which create a romantic and intimate mood. The use of the repeated phrase "show me the way" is a powerful device that emphasizes the theme of the song and adds to its emotional resonance. The simple yet effective lyrics coupled with Keith's emotive delivery make "Show Me" a timeless classic in the R&B genre.
Line by Line Meaning
Show me the way
Keith Sweat is asking the girl to guide him towards her love, to show him how to capture her heart.
I know what you've been missing
Keith is aware that the girl has been missing love and affection and he is willing to offer her all that she deserves.
Tender love and kissing
He promises to give the girl affectionate and gentle treatment, filled with loving touches and passion.
A love to treat you right your whole life long
Keith Sweat is promising to love the girl the right way, for her entire life, staying loyal and faithful.
Now I am here to please
Keith is here to satisfy the girl's emotional and physical needs.
Give you something that you need
Keith is offering the girl what she is missing, which is love, attention, and affection.
A love my girl that will never do you wrong
Keith promises that his love will never hurt or disappoint the girl, always being true and genuine.
Show me you want me baby
He asks the girl to prove to him that she desires him and his love, to make it easier for him to love and impress her.
Show me that you need my love
Keith wants the girl to demonstrate that she needs his love, reassurance that she has space in his heart.
I know that you've been hurt
Keith acknowledges that the girl has experienced pain, probably caused by past relationships, causing him to tread carefully and gently with her.
More times then a few
Keith is emphasizing that the girl has been through emotional agony several times, something he wants to guard her from happening again.
Please my girl don't place that blame on me
Keith doesn't want the girl to hold him accountable for past romantic pain; however, he is willing to mitigate the hurt.
I know my love is real
Keith attests to the genuineness of his affection; it's not fleeting.
It's something you can feel
The love that Keith is offering is tactile, genuine, and something that the girl can experience with every fiber of her being.
I'm all the love my girl you'll ever need
Keith wants to be the only provider of the girl's love needs, promising to satisfy her for life.
Show, show me, show me girl
Keith wants the girl to express her welcome into his life of love and acceptance repeatedly, continuously showing him that she is open to loving him back as he desires.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC , Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DANIEL W. JACKSON, KEVIN R. CANNON, DUANE COVERT, FITZGERALD SCOTT, KEITH D. SWEAT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind