Born in Bay Shore, New York, and raised between St. Albans, New York and Hollis, New York in the borough of Queens. The only child of Ondrea (née Griffith) and James Smith, Jr. Smith is of both African American and Native American descent. He spent his youth singing in the church choir, participating in the Boy Scouts and delivering newspapers.
Def Jam released his first record, the 12" single "I Need a Beat" in 1983. The single sold over 100,000 copies. The success of "I Need a Beat" helped lead to a distribution deal with Def Jam and Columbia Records in 1985. Soon after, he dropped out of Andrew Jackson High School to record his debut album.
He is known for romantic ballads such as I Need Love and Hey Lover as well as pioneering hip-hop such as I Can't Live Without My Radio, I'm Bad, The Boomin' System, Mama Said Knock You Out, and 4, 3, 2, 1. L has also appeared in several films. LL Cool J is one of a few hip-hop stars of his era to sustain a successful recording career for more than two decades. He has released 12 albums and a greatest hits compilation so far, with his next album, Exit 13, set to be released in September, 2008. The album will be the last for LL's record deal with Def Jam Recordings, a deal which has lasted for over twenty two years, making it the longest single hip hop deal to date. He now resides in Manhasset, NY with his wife and four children.
Hey Lover
LL Cool J Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For as long as I can remember
You're all a real man could need
And could ever ask for
This is more than a crush
Yeah
It was Harlem at the ruckus
A coach bag in your hand
I was laying in the coupe with my hat turned back
We caught eyes for a moment and that was that
So I skated off as you strolled off
Looking at your legs, god damn, they look so soft (so fine)
I gotta take ya from your man, that's my mission
If his love is real he's got to handle competition
You only knew him five months, (that's right)
Besides he drinks too much, and smokes too many blunts
And I'll be working out everyday thinkin' about you
Looking at my own eyes in the rear view
Catching flashbacks of our eye contact
Wish I could lay you on your stomach and caress your back
I would hold you in my arms and ease your fears
I can't believe it, I ain't had a crush in years
[Chorus]
Hey lover, hey lover
This is more than a crush
Hey lover, hey lover
This is more than a crush, lover
Hey lover, this is more than a crush
Hey lover, hey lover
This is more than a crush
I see you at the bus stop waiting every day
Your man must think it's safe for you to travel that way
And I don't want to violate your relationship
So I'll lay back in the cut with a crush that's a trip
Still he can't stop me from having daydreams
Tongue'n you down with uh, vanilla ice cream
Kissing on your thighs in the moonlight
Searching you body with my tongue girl all night
I wonder one day could it be, (how I wonder)
Simple dreams could turn into reality
Our love would come down so naturally
We would walk down the aisle of destiny
Would your man get his hustle on, got your type scared
Break your off a little chump change to do your hair
It seems to be enough to satisfy your needs
But there's a deeper level if you follow our lead, hey lover
[Chorus]
Last week I saw ya at the mall
Standing at the pay phone about to make a call
I had a vision it was me on the other end
Telling you come by and then you walked in
I touched you gently with my hands
We talked about traveling the distant lands
Escaping all the madness out here in the world
Becoming my wife no longer my girl
Then you let your dress fall down to the floor (oh yeah)
I kissed you softly and you yearned for more
We experienced pleasure unparalleled
Into an ocean of love we both fell
Swimming in the timeless currents of pure bliss
Fantasies interchanging with each kiss
Undying passion unites our souls
Together we swim until the point of no control
But, it's a fantasy, you won't come true
We never even spoke and your man swears he love you
So, I'm gonna keep all these feelings aside, (that's right)
Keep my dreams alive until the right time
[Chorus]
Ain't nothing like a fantasy kid
Words up
Hey lover, hey lover, hey lover, this is more than a crush
Hey lover, hey lover, hey lover, this is more than a crush
Hey lover, hey lover, hey lover, this is more than a crush
Hey lover, hey lover, hey lover, this is more than a crush
Hey lover
LL Cool J's Hey Lover is a song about a man smitten by a woman whom he has been watching from afar for as long as he can remember. The man is head-over-heels in love with the woman and believes that he is much better suited for her than her current partner. He thinks that he can offer her what her partner can't, and longs for a future with her. The song is a story about a secret love, expressed through the artist's internal monologue. The man in the song is torn between his desire for this woman and his respect for her relationship, so he struggles with his emotions and chooses to keep his feelings hidden.
The lyric "I've been watching you from afar, for as long as I can remember" sets the tone for the rest of the song, which is full of longing and desire. LL Cool J is clear about his intentions from the start, as he lays out his mission to take the woman away from her man, stating that he can offer her more than what her current partner can. The song reaches its climax when the artist imagines a future with the woman, filled with passion and undying love, but then steps back and realizes that his dreams are just that - fantasies - because she is already taken.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been watching you from a far
I've had my eye on you for a long time now
For as long as I can remember
Since I can recall, you've caught my attention
You're all a real man could need
You have all the qualities a man could want in a woman
And could ever ask for
And even more than that
This is more than a crush
I have strong feelings for you beyond just simple infatuation
It was Harlem at the ruckus
This took place in Harlem during a lively event
I saw you with your man, a smiling, huh
I saw you with your partner, laughing and happy
A coach bag in your hand
You were carrying a Coach bag
I was laying in the coupe with my hat turned back
I was in my car, with my hat turned around
We caught eyes for a moment and that was that
We made eye contact briefly and it was significant to me
So I skated off as you strolled off
I drove away while you walked away
Looking at your legs, god damn, they look so soft (so fine)
I couldn't help but admire how soft and attractive your legs looked
I gotta take ya from your man, that's my mission
My goal is to win you over and take you away from your partner
If his love is real he's got to handle competition
If his love for you is genuine, he'll have to compete to keep you
You only knew him five months, (that's right)
You and your partner have only been together for a short while
Besides he drinks too much, and smokes too many blunts
He has habits like drinking and smoking that I think are bad for him
And I'll be working out everyday thinkin' about you
I think of you every day when I work out
Looking at my own eyes in the rear view
I look at myself in the rearview mirror
Catching flashbacks of our eye contact
I remember our brief eye contact from before
Wish I could lay you on your stomach and caress your back
I have sexual desires for you and wish to touch you in a certain way
I would hold you in my arms and ease your fears
If you were mine, I would comfort you and help you overcome your fears
I can't believe it, I ain't had a crush in years
I haven't been infatuated with someone in a long time, so it's rare for me to feel this way
Hey lover, hey lover
Hey, my love
This is more than a crush
My feelings for you go beyond just a crush
Your man must think it's safe for you to travel that way
Your partner probably trusts that you're safe when you travel
So I'll lay back in the cut with a crush that's a trip
I'll stay in the background with my feelings for you, but it's a crazy ride
Still he can't stop me from having daydreams
Even though you have a partner, I still daydream about you
Tongue'n you down with uh, vanilla ice cream
I imagine intimately kissing you, flavored with vanilla ice cream
Kissing on your thighs in the moonlight
I have vivid fantasies about kissing your thighs in the moonlight
Searching you body with my tongue girl all night
In my fantasies, I explore your body with my tongue all night
I wonder one day could it be, (how I wonder)
I often wonder if we could one day be together
Simple dreams could turn into reality
Maybe our simple dreams could one day come true
Our love would come down so naturally
If we were meant to be, our love would feel natural and effortless
Would your man get his hustle on, got your type scared
I wonder if your partner is capable of being successful and if he makes you nervous
Break your off a little chump change to do your hair
Does he give you money to get your hair done?
It seems to be enough to satisfy your needs
Maybe his efforts are good enough to meet your expectations
But there's a deeper level if you follow our lead, hey lover
I believe there's a deeper, more meaningful connection between us if you follow me
Last week I saw ya at the mall
I saw you last week at the shopping center
Standing at the pay phone about to make a call
You were standing at a payphone, about to make a call
I had a vision it was me on the other end
I imagined myself being the person you were about to call
Telling you come by and then you walked in
I imagined myself telling you to come over and then you actually came
I touched you gently with my hands
In my mind, I gently touched you with my hands
We talked about traveling the distant lands
Together, we imagined traveling to far-off places
Escaping all the madness out here in the world
We yearned to escape the chaos of the outside world
Becoming my wife no longer my girl
I imagined you becoming my wife, not just my girlfriend
Then you let your dress fall down to the floor (oh yeah)
In my fantasy, you took off your dress and revealed yourself to me
I kissed you softly and you yearned for more
I imagined kissing you softly, and you wanting more
We experienced pleasure unparalleled
In my fantasy, we had pleasure beyond comparison
Into an ocean of love we both fell
We fell into a deep love, like falling into an ocean
Swimming in the timeless currents of pure bliss
In our love, we swam in timeless, pure happiness
Fantasies interchanging with each kiss
Our fantasies blended together as we shared kisses
Undying passion unites our souls
Our love is passionate and forever, connecting our souls
Together we swim until the point of no control
Together, we lose control, consumed by our love
But, it's a fantasy, you won't come true
These are just fantasies, they won't actually come true
We never even spoke and your man swears he loves you
We've never even talked, and your partner believes he loves you
So, I'm gonna keep all these feelings aside, (that's right)
So I'll keep my feelings hidden for now
Keep my dreams alive until the right time
I'll hold onto my dreams until the timing is right
Ain't nothing like a fantasy kid
Fantasies are nice, but they're not real
Words up
Definitely true
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing, Cloud9, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JAMES BROWN, JAMES TODD SMITH, SAMUEL BARNES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@chibuzonwachuku5624
Who's still listening in 2024?
@mimiz7937
Me 😊
@RicardoMartinez-xf5mh
🤟🏻🤟🏻
@fredmusyimi5142
Because this jam is just classic
@user-vx3oh9zb9w
Definitely
@myriam5377
Me je suis toujours la ( i'm always here)
@Tom21369
He won a Grammy for this Song...well deserved
@christophertorres8299
It's a good song but I think the runner up "if I ruled the world" was the better pick in my opinion
@betterthanboost
@@christophertorres8299 THIS IS A BIGGER IMPACT
@Robyn--
@@christophertorres8299 agreed, but both are good songs