Lattimore first developed his interest for music in the high school band program at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Maryland. He often acknowledges Dr. Baker for setting him on current path. Lattimore recently spoke at the 2005 Eleanor Roosevelt High School Graduation.
After a stint as a member of the R&B group Maniquin, Kenny regrouped and released his debut album Kenny Lattimore on Columbia Records in 1996. That set boasted a pair of Top 20 hits "Never Too Busy" and the perennial wedding favorite "For You". The huge success of the album earned Lattimore a win for Best New Artist at the NAACP Image Awards in 1996.[1]
He followed his debut up with another critically-acclaimed set of smouldering soul music when From The Soul Of Man was released in 1998, yielding the hits "Days Like This" and "If I Lose My Woman". After a short hiatus, the singer re-emerged with a new album and a new label. Arista Records would be the new home for Weekend whose title track was a radio favorite.
He married R&B singer Chanté Moore on January 1, 2002. In 2003, he and his wife recorded a duet album entitled Things That Lovers Do consisting of classic soul songs from the 70's and 80's plus two new original songs. The standout singles were the smooth & contemporary "Loveable (From Your Head To Your Toes)" and an upbeat funky cover of René & Angela's "You Don't Have To Cry". The music video for the latter featured a very pregnant Chante Moore shortly before she gave birth to the couple's son Kenny Jr. on April 10, 2003. Lattimore & Moore continued promoting the album with a hugely successful touring stage show.
Following the success of Things That Lovers Do, Kenny released another album of duets with his wife. This time, the duo bested the previous effort with a double-CD of gospel and R&B love songs entitled Uncovered/Covered. The set will be lead off by dual singles, a slick Bryan Michael Cox production "Figure It Out", as well as "Make Me Like The Moon", a stirring gospel ballad co-written by Kenny and Chanté, and produced by Fred Hammond. Uncovered/Covered was released in stores October 10, 2006 on LaFace/Verity/Zomba Music Group and debuted at #10 on the Billboard R&B Charts and #2 on the Billboard Gospel charts its first week in stores.
If Love Is What You Want
Kenny Lattimore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll give even more
I heard about your past
About the tears you shed, the pain you felt
And I just want to ask
Could you just try again
And I know about your friends
Well here and now it ends
Can I just duce my love to you?
If you would trust me enough to let your guard down
I'll be the one to love you forever and ever
And if you like me enough to let me hang around
I'll be the one to make it better
Baby let me know
I'll give even more
Now I know it seems hard
But don't think that life is over 'cause
Baby you can start your love over again
And if you let me have a try
And girl believe in me and trust in me 'cause I would never lie
I'll bring the love back to your heart again
If you would trust me enough to let your guard down
I'll be the one to love you forever and ever
And if you like me enough to let me hang around
I'll be the one to make it better
Baby let me know
I'll give even more
Baby don't rush enjoy the feeling we can take it slow
Tell me any little thing that you need and I'll be, I'll be
Baby let me know
I'll give even more
Baby don't rush enjoy the feeling we can take it slow
Tell me any little thing that you need and I'll be, I'll be
Kenny Lattimore's song If Love Is What You Want is a beautiful ballad that speaks directly to anyone who has been heartbroken or hurt in past relationships. He let's his would-be lover know that he is there and wishes to help heal and mend her broken heart. He is empathetic to the pain and tears she has shed in the past, and he reminds her that she must forget about the past and begin all over again with him.
The song opens with the singer asking the subject to open up to him and just try again. He encourages her to trust him and to let down her guard, and he promises that if she does, he would love her forever and make things better for her. He goes on to tell her that he understands that life can be tough, but it is not over yet; that she can pick herself up and find love again.
The song's main message is one of hope and the possibility of new love for anyone willing to trust and open up to it. The song impresses on the listener the need to let go of past mistakes, forgive themselves, and trust that love can still find them. The song inspires the listener to look forward to new love and to trust that they can find happiness again.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby let me know
Tell me how you feel
I'll give even more
I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make you happy
I heard about your past
I know you've been hurt before
About the tears you shed, the pain you felt
You've been through a lot of emotional pain
And I just want to ask
Can I have a chance with you?
Could you just try again
Can we start fresh and try again?
And I know about your friends
I know the people in your life have hurt you too
The way they lied to you and used you
They've betrayed your trust and taken advantage of you
Well here and now it ends
I want to be the one to end that hurt for you
Can I just duce my love to you?
Can I show you how much I care about you?
If you would trust me enough to let your guard down
If you trust me, I'll never hurt you
I'll be the one to love you forever and ever
I want to be with you for the long haul
And if you like me enough to let me hang around
If you let me, I'll always be there for you
I'll be the one to make it better
I'll do my best to make things better for you
Now I know it seems hard
I know it's tough to let your guard down
But don't think that life is over 'cause
Life goes on and you can find love again
Baby you can start your love over again
You can have a fresh start with me
And if you let me have a try
Give us a chance to see if we can make this work
And girl believe in me and trust in me 'cause I would never lie
I'm honest and true with my feelings
I'll bring the love back to your heart again
I want to fill your heart with love and happiness
Baby don't rush enjoy the feeling we can take it slow
Let's take it slow and enjoy this moment together
Tell me any little thing that you need and I'll be, I'll be
I'm here for you and will do anything to make you happy
Writer(s): Johnta Austin, Troy C. Taylor, Charles Farrar
Contributed by Riley A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.