In 1969, Dayton, Ohio native Stephen Shockley formed the Young Underground after exiting the Monterreys. Vocalist Mark Woods, who was a member of the local band the Nomads, joined up with Shockley to form a more mature-sounding Young Underground. The group initially had a record deal with Curtom Records as a result of winning a talent contest in Chicago. However, Curtom folded shortly thereafter. While in Chicago the group renamed itself Lakeside Express, after the Lakeside Express Newspaper in Chicago.
In 1974 the emerging Lakeside Express and another group by the name of Liquid Funk, which featured Dallas native Fred Alexander, Jr. on drums, arrived in Los Angeles around the same time. For the next couple of years the bands performed at events around the greater L.A. area, occasionally crossing paths. The members of Liquid Funk returned to Dallas, but Alexander remained in L.A. Lakeside, who by now had dropped the Express from their name, was seeking additional personnel to solidify their band. After two auditions, Alexander was welcomed into the group.
Lakeside inked a deal with Motown, but found no success. Consequently, they released a ballad on ABC Records, but that label went under. The good fortune they were seeking turned out to be at Dick Griffey's Solar Records. The group signed a deal with Griffey, and released their first Top Ten hit on Solar Records, "It's All the Way Live," which peaked at number four on the Billboard R&B charts.
Lakeside released a host of songs that scaled the R&B charts, but didn't threaten the position of any other artists. However, in 1980 they went storming up the charts again with their smash number one single, "Fantastic Voyage," which was produced by the self-contained band. They followed the success of "Fantastic Voyage" with another Top Ten R&B single, a remake of the Paul McCartney and John Lennon classic "I Want to Hold Your Hand." The group continued their success with the Billboard Top Ten singles "Raid," "Outrageous," and a string of R&B party songs and ballads.
More hits on the R&B charts, such as "Raid" (1983) and "Outrageous" (1984), kept the group going.
I Need You
Lakeside Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(I need your comforting arms) mmmm
To hold me
(hold me)
To guide me
(guide me)
When I can't, can't go on
I need you, yes I do
Just to hold me
(hold me)
To guide me
(guide me)
When I can't can't go on
I need you when I come home late at night
From a hard days work
I need your comforting love
And I want you, right there by my side, by my side
To give me strength (baby)
When I'm down, down and out
And when I see you standing there with your pretty smile girl it gives me inspiration, motivation to carry on (ummm)
(don't you know)
I need you (yes I do baby)
I need your comforting arms
Yeah, just to hold me
(hold me)
To guide me
(guide me)
When I can't, can't go on
I love you, like I never loved before
And I know it's true love baby, cause I love you more and more
You please me, make me so happen each day
Your more then a woman
(just my girl)
An each and every way
I'm so glad I found you
You're the girl of my dreams
And I can't say no for you I'll do anything
Your the girl for me
Just like a precious pearl, a precious pearl
And I love you baby
I gotta tell the whole, the whole wide world
Girl when I kiss your tender lips girl I realize your so special
And I can't say no, I can't say no
To someone so dear, someone so dear
Now even if you ask me too I'm the only one that knows how much I need you
I need your comforting arms
To hold me
(hold me)
To guide me
(guide me)
When I can't go on... hey hey
I need, I need, I need, I need
Early in the morning
Late in the midnight hour
Girl! I need you baby, I need you (hey)
Oh baby
I need, I need, I need, I need,
Girl, girl when I needed a friend (hey) you were always there
To guide me
In the morning baby..... (hey baby)
The lyrics of Lakeside's song "I Need You" express a deep sense of dependence and intimacy between two people in love. The song portrays the singer's need for their partner's physical and emotional support to overcome the challenges of their daily life. They express how their partner's love and presence bring strength, inspiration, and motivation when they feel down and out. The singer reflects on the significance of their partner in their life and declares their love and commitment to them. The lyrics express a sense of vulnerability, gratefulness, and devotion that make the song appealing to many people.
Line by Line Meaning
I need you... yeah
I require your presence and support.
(I need your comforting arms) mmmm
I need your warm embrace and comfort.
To hold me
To wrap your arms around me and provide physical comfort.
(hold me)
Hold me tightly to show your love and support.
To guide me
To give me direction or advice.
(guide me)
Assist me in navigating life.
When I can't, can't go on
When life becomes overwhelming and difficult to manage alone.
I need you, yes I do
I truly need you in my life.
Just to hold me
Provide physical comfort through your embrace.
(hold me)
Requirements my love for you to be manifested through physical touch.
To guide me
Lead me in the direction of spiritual and emotional growth.
(guide me)
To have someone help make improvements to my overall wellbeing.
When I can't can't go on
When things become too challenging for me to manage by myself.
I need you when I come home late at night
I require your company during lonely moments.
From a hard days work
After completing a challenging day of work.
I need your comforting love
I require your tenderness and affection.
And I want you, right there by my side, by my side
I yearn for your company and support at all times.
To give me strength (baby)
You assist me in feeling capable and powerful.
When I'm down, down and out
When I am feeling low, sad, and defeated.
And when I see you standing there with your pretty smile girl it gives me inspiration, motivation to carry on (ummm)
You fill me with inspiration and help me see the bright side of things.
(don't you know)
The fact is undeniable
I need you (yes I do baby)
I have a deep need and desire for you.
I need your comforting arms
I require to be held in your embrace.
Just to hold me
To convey your love and support making me feel safe in your arms.
(hold me)
I need to feel your loving touch.
To guide me
To coax me and provide assurance during trying times.
(guide me)
To help me explore my inner self and navigate through any uncertainty.
When I can't, can't go on
During those moments when when I feel depleted and demotivated.
I love you, like I never loved before
I have a deeper affection towards you than any other person in my life.
And I know it's true love baby, cause I love you more and more
I am genuinely in love with you and my feelings continue to grow.
You please me, make me so happen each day
You bring me joy and make every day a little brighter.
Your more then a woman
You surpass any expectation I could have for a female partner.
(just my girl)
You are not just a partner, but a friend who I can confide in.
An each and every way
In every possible aspect of life.
I'm so glad I found you
I am grateful for discovering you and having you in my life.
You're the girl of my dreams
You embody everything I ever wished for in a lover.
And I can't say no for you I'll do anything
I am willing to do anything to make you happy.
Your the girl for me
You are most compatible for me.
Just like a precious pearl, a precious pearl
Your rare and valuable to me.
And I love you baby
My love and affection for you is genuine.
I gotta tell the whole, the whole wide world
I desire to tell everyone about how much I love you.
Girl when I kiss your tender lips girl I realize your so special
I show you affection and feel overtaken with emotions because I recognize how unique and special you are.
And I can't say no, I can't say no
I cannot refuse you even if I wanted to.
To someone so dear, someone so dear
You hold a special place in my heart.
Now even if you ask me too I'm the only one that knows how much I need you
Even if asked about how important you are to me, you are the only one who can begin to understand.
Early in the morning
During the beginning hours of the day.
Late in the midnight hour
During the late hours of the night.
Girl! I need you baby, I need you (hey)
I desire you and yearn for you no matter what time of day it is.
Oh baby
A term of endearment.
I need, I need, I need, I need
I reiterate the amount and strength of my desire for you and your presence.
Girl, girl when I needed a friend (hey) you were always there
During times of uncertainty I could count on you and your support.
To guide me
You offer guidance as well as emotional support.
In the morning baby..... (hey baby)
During the morning, even though I had not approached you for help, I can count on your support and guidance.
Contributed by Arianna D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Tyrrone aka Ty Cool Hinton
Otis Stokes is one of the most underrated falsettos of all time!! Great video!!
Gunter Butler
Them Shockley Bro was cold
Jimmy Marshall
0
Grayareas27
He sounds a little like Philip Bailey at times.
xxcrump
I've never heard of him being underrated other than you. What's your problem with his singing?
Tyrrone aka Ty Cool Hinton
@xxcrump itβs nothing wrong with his singing family. What I was getting at is when a lot of the great male falsettos are mentioned, Otis Stokes seems to have his name not mentioned, or his mentioned sparingly. Thatβs what makes him underrated, when heβs definitely not.
Aaron Collins
They didn't just sing this song, they preached it!
MsWORLDCLASS4
YES!!! I CANT STOP LISTENING TO IT!!
Aaron Collins
MsWORLDCLASS4 ...and I thought it was just me!
Corey Harmon
Aaron Collins yes sir