Lemar was born in London to Nigerian (Igbo) parents, and was raised in Tottenham, London, listening to Soul Music and R&B. He used to sing at home with his brothers and sister, pretending to be The Jacksons. He was seventeen when he had his first concert at the Junior Jam at the Temple in Tottenham supporting Usher. He gave up an opportunity to study pharmacy at the Cardiff University to pursue a musical career. Lemar had some success supporting various artists such as Destiny's Child, Total, Uncle Sam and Usher Raymond on their UK club tours and after some years, managed to secure a recording contract with BMG. Following this, he released his debut single "Got Me Saying Ooh" in 2001. Unfortunately his record deal with BMG fell through in less than a year due to restructuring at the record label. He had to eventually take a job working as an accounts manager at NatWest in Enfield, north London.
Lemar's second single "Dance (With U)" reached number two on the UK Singles Chart in early 2003. His first album Dedicated was released late in 2003 with additional singles "50/50" and "Another Day" also achieving chart success in the UK. Lemar won a BRIT Award for "Best Urban Act" in 2004. Following the success of the album, he commenced his first headlining tour of the UK.
On the 12th of November 2004 Lemar guested on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge and performed a cover of U2's song "Vertigo". He has also performed for Prince Charles' Prince's Trust.
4 September 2006 saw Lemar return with his eighth single, entitled "It's Not That Easy", which became his sixth UK top ten hit. A week later his new album The Truth About Love was released, which saw guest appearances from Styles P from The L.O.X., Mica Paris and Joss Stone. The album became Lemar's highest charting album to date, peaking at number three on the UK Albums Chart.
Lemar's 4th studio album "The Reason" is set for release on November 24th 2008. While the first single of the album will be called "If She Knew" released on 10th November 2008. Also the video has been released too.
Lemar featured on Sway's first single "Saturday Night Hustle" from the album The Signature LP. Lemar's fourth studio album "The Reason" was released on 24 November 2008, entering the UK Albums Chart at No. 41. Lead single "If She Knew" was released on 10 November 2008, and peaked on the UK Singles Chart at No. 14.
Lemar performed his new single “The Way Love Goes” on the BBC1 show “So You Think You Can Dance” on Saturday 9th January. The single was released on Valentine’s Day. "The Way Love Goes" first entered the UK Singles Chart on 21, February 2010. The single has so far managed to peak at #8, his first Top 10 single since "It's Not That Easy" in 2006. It became Lemar's seventh Top 10 single and made the Top 10 without making the BBC Radio 1 or BBC Radio 2 playlists.
It was followed on March 8 by his much anticipated album, 'The Hits', which - as well as including 10 hit singles from his four studio albums - also features four new tracks. In addtiton to 'The Way Love Goes', these include a duet with Britain's chart-topping pop/R&B boy-band JLS on a re-recording of Lemar's own 2003 ballad 'What About Love'.
Can't You See
Lemar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We've been close friends
You would call on me telling me your problems
I'd been feeling things, things I never said
When you said that you were in love
Wish it was me instead
I'd treat you like an angel
He treats you like a fool
And I can't go on this way
I need you baby
[Chorus]
Tired of being the shoulder you lean on
Wanna be the one you hold on to
More than just a friend
Let me be your everything
Wish I knew the way to make you
See that I've fallen in love with you
Can't you see I love you baby
If I sit you down, tell you what I'm going through
Will you leave him?
Will it be too much for you?
Don't wanna be an addition
To your situation
I never wanna be a complication
But if I see you cry
I'm stepping in
I can't keep watching you get your heart broken
(I can't go on this way)
[Chorus]
I ain't never said that I loved you
More than the friend that put nothin' above you
And I could be more than the shoulder you lean on
I could be your king little lady, you'd be gettin' your queen on
It hurt me everytime I seen him hurt you
Thinkin' 'bout these feelings got me runnin' in circles
(I can't go on this way)
I love your mind, body and soul, and even your perfume
[Chorus: x 2]
Whenever you're down, a mess (trouble)
I will be there baby
I will lift you up when (trouble)
When there's trouble girl
Look over your shoulders honey
When there's (trouble)
You can count on me
(Can't you see I love you baby)
The lyrics of Lemar feat Styles P & Mica Paris's song "Can't You See" speaks about a person who is deeply in love with their close friend. The singer and the friend have been close from the beginning, where the friend would call and confide in him about her problems. The singer, on the other hand, had feelings for his friend but never expressed his love for her. Unfortunately, his friend fell in love with someone else who does not treat her as she deserves. The singer wishes he was the one his friend fell for, as he would have treated her like an angel, unlike the guy she is presently with.
The chorus speaks about how the singer is tired of being the one his friend only leans on when she has problems, and he wants to be more than just friends. The singer believes he can be more if his friend would just take a chance on him. The second verse of the song shows the singer's reluctance to confess his feelings. He doesn't want to be an addition to his friend's situation or cause a complication in her relationship. Despite the fear of losing her, he cannot just stand and watch her get her heart broken.
In summary, the song is about a person who is secretly in love with a close friend and is tired of being the shoulder she leans on. He wants to be more than a friend, but he is hesitant to confess his true feelings for her, even though he cannot bear watching her in a hurtful relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Since back in the day
Since we were young
We've been close friends
We've been good friends for a long time
You would call on me telling me your problems
You would confide in me and share your issues
I'd been feeling things, things I never said
I've had romantic feelings for you that I haven't expressed
When you said that you were in love
When you told me you were in love
Wish it was me instead
I wish you were in love with me instead
I'd treat you like an angel
I would treat you with the utmost care and love
He treats you like a fool
Your current partner doesn't treat you well
When you were hurting baby, I was broken too
I felt your pain and it affected me deeply
And I can't go on this way
I can't continue to hide my feelings and pretend everything is okay
I need you baby
I want to be with you and have a romantic relationship
[Chorus]
Refrain
Tired of being the shoulder you lean on
I'm tired of only being there for you as a friend and support system
Wanna be the one you hold on to
I want to be in a romantic relationship with you and be the one you lean on
More than just a friend
I want to be more than just friends
Let me be your everything
I want to be your partner and provide for your emotional needs
Wish I knew the way to make you
I wish I knew how to show you
See that I've fallen in love with you
That I am in love with you and want to be with you romantically
Can't you see I love you baby
I want you to understand that I am in love with you and desire a romantic relationship
If I sit you down, tell you what I'm going through
If I have an honest conversation with you about my feelings
Will you leave him?
Are you willing to end your current relationship?
Will it be too much for you?
Will my feelings and honesty be overwhelming for you?
Don't wanna be an addition
I don't want to complicate your life and relationship
To your situation
To your current circumstances
I never wanna be a complication
I don't want to make things more complicated for you
But if I see you cry
But if I see you upset and emotional
I'm stepping in
I'm going to be there for you and support you
I can't keep watching you get your heart broken
I can't continue to see you hurt and upset
(I can't go on this way)
I can't continue to hide my feelings and only be your friend
[Chorus]
Refrain
I ain't never said that I loved you
I've never explicitly told you that I'm in love with you
More than the friend that put nothin' above you
But I value our friendship and don't want to ruin it
And I could be more than the shoulder you lean on
But I want to be more than just your friend and support system
I could be your king little lady, you'd be gettin' your queen on
I could be your partner and we could rule together like royalty
It hurt me everytime I seen him hurt you
It pains me to see your current partner mistreat you and cause you pain
Thinkin' 'bout these feelings got me runnin' in circles
My emotions are causing me to feel confused and overwhelmed
(I can't go on this way)
I can't continue to suppress my feelings and only be your friend
I love your mind, body and soul, and even your perfume
I'm in love with every aspect of you, including your scent
[Chorus: x 2]
Refrain repeated twice
Whenever you're down, a mess (trouble)
Whenever you're upset or in a difficult situation
I will be there baby
I'll be there for you and support you
I will lift you up when (trouble)
I'll help you get through tough times and lift your spirits
When there's trouble girl
When you're facing challenges
Look over your shoulders honey
Know that I'm always behind you and ready to help
When there's (trouble)
When things get tough
You can count on me
You can rely on me to be there for you
(Can't you see I love you baby)
I hope you understand my feelings of love for you
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: FITZGERALD SCOTT, DARREN BROWN, TERRY BROWN, LEMAR OBIKA, KIM HOGLUND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Marina
This is brlliant . i love it , can't get enough of Lemar and Mica Paris, I love Mica Paris have been listening to her for the past twenty years at least.
Sergio Chauque
a great great great song... mica paris is shining here...
Sergio Chauque
love this song.. a great singer this ''nigerian born''.
C Green Jr.
Styles P is only my favorite rapper EVER!! Wow, how come I never knew about this whoa!!
doom2k13
what did they sample?