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]
Why Me Baby
Keith Sweat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Why me, baby) What did I do, girl, what did I do
(Why, why me, baby)
You broke my heart
Check this out, honey
It seems like 99 years have gone by
Since the last time I talked to you, you know
Could make a man feel so much pain
Times you`d jump out of my car and I`d chase you till I was out of breath
Go to your job and pick you up
But you never showed up that day
Where were you, baby
Who was you seein`, it`s a hurtin` feelin`, sugar
How could you, why would you abuse my love, sweetheart
Cursin` me out in front of my friends
And I could never do anything to you
'Cause there was no way I could hurt somethin` I treasured so much
Thought I was right on time, but it seems like I was too late
You hurt me, baby
But hey, I`m man enough to admit it
What I want to know is why
(Why, why me, baby) {Tell me why, baby, tell me why}
(Why, why me, baby) Tell me, baby
(Why, why me, baby) Tell me, baby
You broke my heart, baby {Check this out}
(Why)
Yo`, the way it happened was crazy
We had a argument
I didn`t see you for two or three days
And then when I go to the movies to get you off my mind
I see you sittin` there holdin` hands with the next man
Caught you on the phone a couple of times, but it was always your cousin
Step off, just a friend
People used to tell me, ¡°L, she was fakin`¡±
But I couldn`t see it, I was blinded by love
Nothin` was too expensive
No night was too rainy
I was always there for you
I did things few call me a fool for doin`
Droppin` your friends off, all that
All I wanted in return was your undivided attention and love
If my heart had eyes it would cry
You`re still in my world
Life is worth livin` love
Tell me why
(Why, why me, baby) Why would you do it to me, baby, yeah, yeah
(Why, why me, baby) You hurt me so bad when you left me, baby
(Why, why me, baby)
You broke my...heart, baby {Tell 'em what time it is, Keith}
(Why) {Tell 'em what time it is}
I walk around talkin` to myself
Do another day gets nothin`
Am I goin` crazy, baby
I look at the photograph that we once shared
And think about the moment, yeah, yeah
About each other
Remember the poems I used to say to you, girl
There`s a right and a wrong way to love somebody
I`ll always give all my love to you
I`m on a merry-go-round and round
Girl, how deep is your love
I`ve got to go outside in the rain
It`s nice to believe that we can last forever
Why, why, why, why me
No, baby, no, baby, no, baby, no, baby, no, baby
No, no, no, no, no
Somethin` natural
Ooh, do you know, do you know how much I love you
You were my woman and I was your man
Oh, girl, I`ll never, never, never, never, never, never understand
The song 'Why Me Baby' is a heartfelt and soulful R&B song by Keith Sweat and LL Cool J. The song is about a relationship that has ended and the hurt and confusion that come in the aftermath. Sweat sings to his former lover, asking “why me, baby,” meaning why did she break his heart, and what did he do wrong to deserve such treatment. The lyrics detail the pain Sweat feels, including his confusion and hurt at how their relationship ended. Sweat even brings up memories of chasing his former lover, supporting her, and dropping her friends off, all of which he does not regret.
LL Cool J joins in with his own verse, adding to the narrative of a love torn asunder. He expresses his disbelief and sadness at losing something that should have lasted forever, something that was 'natural.' The rapper talks about the trust he had in the relationship and how he gave his all to the woman he loved. However, despite LL Cool J's pain, it is Sweat's heartbreak that is the main focus of the song. The chorus repeats, asking why his former love treated him so badly and broke his heart.
Overall, 'Why Me Baby' is a poignant and melancholic song about a love that went wrong. The emotions of confusion, hurt, and disbelief are palpable in the song's lyrics and are sensitively conveyed by Sweat in his delivery.
Line by Line Meaning
(Why, why me, baby)
Keith Sweat is asking his girlfriend why he was the one who got his heart broken
(Why me, baby)
He wants to know what he did wrong to deserve this pain
(Why, why me, baby)
Keith Sweat continues to ask his girlfriend why she hurt him
You broke my heart
The girl he loved broke his heart, causing him so much pain
Check this out, honey
Keith is addressing his girlfriend and setting the stage for the story of their relationship
It seems like 99 years have gone by
Keith is saying that so much time has passed since the last time they talked that it feels like forever
Since the last time I talked to you, you know
Keith is reminiscing about the last time he talked to his girlfriend
I never realized that somethin` so innocent and so sweet
Keith is acknowledging how much he loved and cherished their relationship up until the point that she broke his heart
Could make a man feel so much pain
The pain of experiencing a sweet and innocent love turn sour is crushing Keith
Times you`d jump out of my car and I`d chase you till I was out of breath
Keith Sweat would chase after his girlfriend to show how much he loved her
Go to your job and pick you up
He cared for her deeply and would go to great lengths to make her happy
But you never showed up that day
She broke his heart by not showing up when she knew he was coming
Where were you, baby
Keith is wondering where his girlfriend was on that day
Who was you seein`, it`s a hurtin` feelin`, sugar
Keith is hurt and betrayed by the thought of his girlfriend seeing someone else
How could you, why would you abuse my love, sweetheart
He's questioning her actions and how she could have misused his love for her
Cursin` me out in front of my friends
Keith feels humiliated and disrespected when she cursed him out in front of his friends
And I could never do anything to you
He is too in love with her to ever hurt her physically or emotionally
'Cause there was no way I could hurt somethin` I treasured so much
Keith is saying that he loved her with all his heart and would never want to cause her pain
Thought I was right on time, but it seems like I was too late
He thought he had a good relationship with her but realizes that he's late to understand the truth
You hurt me, baby
Keith is acknowledging how much pain his girlfriend caused him by breaking his heart
But hey, I`m man enough to admit it
Keith is admitting that he is hurt but is still able to be a man and face his problems
What I want to know is why
Keith still doesn't understand why his girlfriend broke his heart
(Tell me why, baby, tell me why)
Keith wants his girlfriend to tell him why she hurt him
Tell me, baby
He is begging her to tell him the truth
You broke my heart, baby
Keith loved her deeply and it broke his heart when she ended things
{Check this out}
Keith is emphasizing and urging his girlfriend to pay attention to what he is saying
(Why)
Keith is still questioning why his girlfriend hurt him
Yo`, the way it happened was crazy
Keith is about to tell the story of how his girlfriend broke his heart
We had a argument
Their disagreement led to their break up
I didn`t see you for two or three days
Keith and his girlfriend were out of touch for a few days
And then when I go to the movies to get you off my mind
Keith tries to distract himself from the heartbreak by going to the movies
I see you sittin` there holdin` hands with the next man
Keith sees his girlfriend with someone else which breaks his heart even more
Caught you on the phone a couple of times, but it was always your cousin
Keith is skeptical of his girlfriend's explanation that she was talking to her cousin
Step off, just a friend
He's disbelieving of her claim of just being friends with the person on the phone
People used to tell me, ¡°L, she was fakin`¡±
Keith's friends warned him that his girlfriend was not faithful to him
But I couldn`t see it, I was blinded by love
Keith was too in love with her and couldn't accept the truth
Nothin` was too expensive
Keith showered his girlfriend with love and gifts, nothing was too expensive for him to show his love
No night was too rainy
Keith was willing to do anything to be with her, even in the rain
I was always there for you
Keith was devoted to her and always there for her
I did things few call me a fool for doin`
Keith loved her so much that he did things that others would call foolish
Droppin` your friends off, all that
Keith was willing to do anything to make her happy, even if it meant driving her friends around
All I wanted in return was your undivided attention and love
Keith wanted her to reciprocate his love and loyalty to her
If my heart had eyes, it would cry
Keith is so hurt that he feels like his heart is crying
You`re still in my world
Even though she hurt him, Keith still thinks about her all the time
Life is worth livin` love
Keith believes that life is worth living because of love
{Tell me why}?
Keith wants to know why his girlfriend broke his heart
{Why would you do it to me, baby, yeah, yeah}
Keith is asking his girlfriend why she would hurt him so much, as if he deserved it
{You hurt me so bad when you left me, baby}
Keith is telling her that her leaving made him feel so much pain
You broke my...heart, baby
Keith is expressing his profound hurt of her breaking his heart
{Tell 'em what time it is, Keith}
Keith is introducing himself again, urging people to hear and recognize his heartfelt pain
(Why)
Keith is still bewildered by the breakup
I walk around talkin` to myself
Keith is deeply affected by the breakup and is struggling to cope
Do another day gets nothin`
His day-to-day life feels pointless now that she is gone
Am I goin` crazy, baby
Keith is unsure of his sanity after experiencing such heartbreak
I look at the photograph that we once shared
Keith looks back at the good times they had together
And think about the moment, yeah, yeah
Thinking about the past still brings Keith joy
About each other
Keith reminisces on their relationship
Remember the poems I used to say to you, girl
Keith remembers the sweet words he used to say to her
There`s a right and a wrong way to love somebody
Keith reflects on loving someone properly and how it was different in their relationship
I`ll always give all my love to you
Keith is loyal and will always love her
I`m on a merry-go-round and round
Keith is heartbroken and stuck in his pain
Girl, how deep is your love
Keith is asking his girlfriend how deep her love for him was
I`ve got to go outside in the rain
Keith is using the rain as a metaphor for his sadness and heartbreak
It`s nice to believe that we can last forever
Keith wishes they could have been together forever
{Why, why, why, why me}
Keith is still questioning why he was the one who got his heart broken
{No, baby, no, baby, no, baby, no, baby, no, baby}
Keith is in deep pain and is begging his ex to come back to him
{No, no, no, no, no}
Keith is devastated and can't bear the breakup
Somethin` natural
Keith is saying that the breakup and the pain he feels are a natural part of life
Ooh, do you know, do you know how much I love you
Keith is expressing how much he loved his girlfriend
You were my woman and I was your man
Keith loved her and believes that they belonged together
Oh, girl, I`ll never, never, never, never, never, never understand
Keith is struggling to understand why his girlfriend broke his heart
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: TEDDY RILEY, JAMES TODD SMITH, KEITH SWEAT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Oscar Zavala
I was so blessed to grow up in the 80's and 90's. Music came from the heart and soul.
Jr Ortega
@Liz Zavala I’m class of 91! Great times 90s
Lamar Campbell
Absolutely
Pamela Sankey
MOST DEFINITELY. HEARING IT NOW TAKES ME BACK TO MENTALLY AND EMOTIONALLY REVISTING THE PAST. LAWD HAVE MERCY
Elden L Mitchell sr
Darn!!!! straight up we had good music back
Teresa Bohack
Truth💯
Gloria
Its 2022 and this still sounds good. great era... @keithsweat great music.
Shelia Calloway
They just don't make good music🎶 like this anymore. This is 1 of my favorite jams by you Keith Sweat! 🙌🏽🔥🔥🔥🔥💞👌🏽💯
Larry Thompson
2o21 may 11 i need ure number baby okay please I'm lt
aron abraha
Gunna has good ass producers on god!!!!!!