Thomas August Darnell Browder (aka August Darnell, aka Kid Creole) was born in Montreal, Canada, on 12 August 1950, the son of a French Canadian mother and a father from the Caribbean island of Dominica, but was raised in the New York City borough of the Bronx.
Darnell began his career in a band named The In-Laws with his half-brother in 1965, which disbanded so August could pursue a career as an English teacher. He obtained a masters degree, but in 1974 again formed a band with his half-brother under the name Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band. They played to some initial success, reaching a gold and Top 40-charting album with their debut release, but could not match this on subsequent releases.
Darnell began producing for other artists before adopting the name Kid Creole (from the Elvis Presley film King Creole) in 1980, and forming The Coconuts, a trio of female backing vocalist/dancers, including his wife Adriana Kaegi, and a band including vibraphone player Andy Hernandez aka Coati Mundi. Cheryl Poirier joined that year as lead vocalist of the Coconuts, followed by Taryn Hagey as "Coconut #3" on background vocals in 1981. This line-up remained in place throughout the band's heyday. Hagey left the group in 1985 and was replaced by Janique Svedberg.
Their debut album was the heavily disco-influenced Off the Coast of Me, which was critically well-received but not successful commercially. The sophomore release Fresh Fruit in Foreign Places was a concept album matched with a New York Public Theatre stage production; it received rave reviews, and Darnell was recognized as a clever lyricist and astute composer, arranger and producer. The album charted briefly, and subsequently Coati Mundi's "Me No Pop I", though not originally on the album, became a Top 40 UK hit single. Their breakthrough came with 1982's Tropical Gangsters, which hit #3 in the UK and spun off three Top 10 hits with "Stool Pigeon", "Annie, I'm Not Your Daddy" and "I'm a Wonderful Thing, Baby". "Dear Addy" also made the Top 40. In the US the album was retitled Wise Guy and reached #145, and "I'm a Wonderful Thing, Baby" flirted with the R&B charts. 1983's Doppelganger was a relative commercial disappointment, despite the single "There's Something Wrong in Paradise" reaching the Top 40.
Kid Creole and the Coconuts were a spectacular live act, complete with lavish set designs with a tropical motif, wild costumes and intricate choreography by the Coconuts (provided by Kaegi). On stage they infused an energy, rhythm and playfulness in their music that drove audiences wild. Though Kid Creole never achieved mainstream success in the US, the band was hugely popular in major cities (especially its hometown NYC) and hit pop superstar status in England and Europe, where its eclecticism and sophistication were much more appreciated.
Darnell and Kaegi divorced in 1985, though she remained with the band. She and Cheryl Poirier also formed their own group, Boomerang, with Perri Lister, which released an album on the Atlantic label in 1986. Darnell continued Kid Creole and the Coconuts and in the mid to late 1980s contributed to various film soundtracks and other such projects. He appeared at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1986 and in this period released the albums In Praise of Older Women and Other Crimes and I, Too, Have Seen the Woods, neither of which charted despite the hit "Endicott". 1990's Private Waters in the Great Divide had a hit with single "The Sex of It", a song written by Prince and recorded at Paisley Park Studios with Sheila E. It reached Top 40 in the US and UK and is to date one of his most well-known songs.
Darnell now resides in the Dinnington area of South Yorkshire, and still tours with the Coconuts occasionally.
Lambada
Kid Creole And The Coconuts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Not so far away, far enough to make me wanna die
Crying over me, is what he's gonna be
when he's hit by the need of my love
Crying he will be, when he's dreamin' of me, and decides he needs what once was
All the memories follow me wherever I may go
Haunting melodies playing in the night to let me know
Dance along with me with the sun and the sea
Do a dance with me to a love fantasy
That for one precious moment was mine
Crying he will be, when he's thinking of me, and concedes to the need to be loved
Crying he will be, when he's dreaming of me, and decides that he needs what once was
Dance along with me Mr. Sun, Mr. Sea keep the feeling so strong and so tender
Do a dance with me to a love fantasy just for one day of total surrender
The lyrics to Kid Creole & The Coconuts's song "Lambada" speak to the theme of lost love and the memories that follow. The singer's former lover has left and, despite being physically far away, the pain of his absence is still deeply felt. The singer imagines that eventually he will realize what he's lost and will start crying over her. She's haunted by memories of their relationship, and the music she hears in the night only exacerbates her feelings.
Despite the sadness she feels, the singer invites the listener to join her in a dance, embracing the beauty of the sun, the sea, and the power of love. It's as if she's trying to hold onto whatever joy she can find in the present moment, knowing that memories of this time will eventually follow her too.
The lyrics of "Lambada" are a reminder that love can sometimes be painful, and that the memories of past relationships can continue to haunt us long after they're over. But they are also a testament to the enduring power of love, even in the midst of loss.
Line by Line Meaning
Now he's gone away, only man who's ever made me cry
The guy who made me cry is gone and I am still alive
Not so far away, far enough to make me wanna die
Even though he is not that far away, it still makes me want to die
Crying over me, is what he's gonna be when he's hit by the need of my love
He will cry when he realizes he needs my love
Crying he will be, when he's dreamin' of me, and decides he needs what once was
He will cry when he thinks about me and realizes he wants what we had before
All the memories follow me wherever I may go
Memories of him always follow me everywhere I go
Haunting melodies playing in the night to let me know
Melodies play at night to remind me of him
Dance along with me with the sun and the sea
Let's dance together under the sun and by the sea
Only love makes what feels so sublime
Love is what makes everything feel so wonderful
Do a dance with me to a love fantasy
Let's dance to a fantasy of love
That for one precious moment was mine
That moment of love was precious and only belonged to us
Crying he will be, when he's thinking of me, and concedes to the need to be loved
He will cry when he thinks of me and realizes how much he needs to be loved
Crying he will be, when he's dreaming of me, and decides that he needs what once was
He will cry when he dreams of me and decides that he wants what we had before
Dance along with me Mr. Sun, Mr. Sea keep the feeling so strong and so tender
Let's dance together under the sun and by the sea, keeping the feeling strong and tender
Do a dance with me to a love fantasy just for one day of total surrender
Let's dance and live a love fantasy for one day, where we can fully surrender to our feelings
Contributed by Gavin T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Kristy Jistel
The absolute best version 💯
BOB Lee
Definitely this version.because of her clear voice
NAYARA LIMA
Poderiam regravar o filme 😘
The Dark Knight
I love this song!
bellaculen17
love this song
Shalanda Allen
Brings back so many memories !
Vittoria Colonna
Holy cow , I still remember the lyrics!
LaShay Dunston
I love this movie and the dance. Classic Muah
cliffydoobie
Corey Daye from Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band sang lead on this. One of my faves of all time.
PANCAKES PANCAKES
she sampled it...she didn't steal it and yes many people will like her version and slowly find their way to the REAL ORIGINAL and not just this version.