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'.
Don't Give Up
Lemar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't give it up
What you possess is special
No need to rush
Tell him how you feel
He'll wait a while
What is meant to be will be,
So don't give it up,
It's so easy to find a man,
But it ain't easy to find real love,
She's been searching all of fifteen years,
And now she's found it,
But she's so scared,
He wants to go faster, faster,
She wants to just slow it down,
He wants to go further, further,
Let me break it down!
[Chorus]
See you're so young lady,
Got your life in front of you,
I know you love that boy,
But a real man deserves you,
And he ain't real,
And maybe he's not the one,
If he don't understand how you feel,
He says if you love me, love me,
Why won't you just do it now?
She says she ain't ready, ready,
Sister listen now!
See there's so much for her to be thinking about,
But all she sees is her man,
True love lasts more than one night,
You will know the perfect time,
So wait till you're ready,
[Chorus]
Let the beat roll on and on and on,
Let the beat roll on and on and on,
And the beat goes on and on and on,
Let the beat go on and on and on,
Until you're ready baby,
Until you're ready baby.
In Lemar's song Don't Give Up, the lyrics carefully depict the story of a girl who has finally found love after a long wait. But the girl is hesitant as her partner wants to rush into things and she wants to take it slow. The chorus emphasizes that the girl should not give up on her love, and should tell her partner how she feels as he will wait for her. The girl is advised to wait until she is ready, as real love lasts more than one night, and it's always better to take things slow and steady.
The song brings out a message that is relevant to people of all ages, especially to the young generation. The lyrics highlight the fact that young love can be complicated, and it is important to take time to understand the emotions and feelings involved. The song encourages listeners to take things slow and not to rush into anything before they are ready. It is about realizing that love is not something you can force, and it is always better to wait until the time is right.
In summary, Lemar's Don't Give Up is a song that is built on encouraging listeners to hold on to their love, even in times when the going gets tough. The lyrics are simple but powerful and relatable, making it a song for all ages to enjoy and identify with.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't give it up
Keep working for what you want
What you possess is special
You have something unique and valuable
No need to rush
Take your time to make sure you get it right
Tell him how you feel
Be honest with your partner about your emotions
He'll wait a while
If he truly cares, he'll be patient
What is meant to be will be,
If it's meant to happen, it will
So don't give it up,
Don't quit on your dreams
It's so easy to find a man,
Finding a romantic partner is simple
But it ain't easy to find real love,
But finding true love is difficult
She's been searching all of fifteen years,
She's been looking for a long time
And now she's found it,
Finally found true love
But she's so scared,
But she's afraid of getting hurt
He wants to go faster, faster,
Her partner wants to move quickly
She wants to just slow it down,
She wants to take things slower
He wants to go further, further,
He's pushing for more commitment
Let me break it down!
Let me explain it clearly
See you're so young lady,
You're still very young
Got your life in front of you,
You have your whole life ahead of you
I know you love that boy,
I understand that you care about him
But a real man deserves you,
You deserve someone who treats you well
And he ain't real,
Her current partner doesn't meet that standard
And maybe he's not the one,
Perhaps he's not the right person for her
If he don't understand how you feel,
If he can't empathize with her emotions
He says if you love me, love me,
Her partner wants her to show her love for him
Why won't you just do it now?
He's asking why she won't commit to him immediately
She says she ain't ready, ready,
She's not prepared to take that step yet
Sister listen now!
Listen to my advice
See there's so much for her to be thinking about,
There are other things to consider
But all she sees is her man,
But all she can focus on is her partner
True love lasts more than one night,
Real love is more than just physical attraction
You will know the perfect time,
It will become clear when the right time is
So wait till you're ready,
Don't rush into anything until you're comfortable
Let the beat roll on and on and on,
The rhythm of life continues
And the beat goes on and on and on,
Life keeps moving forward
Let the beat go on and on and on,
Let life continue
Until you're ready baby,
Wait until you're prepared
Until you're ready baby.
Don't act until you're prepared
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: WIRLIE MORRIS, WRITERS UNKNOWN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kelly Black
I absolutely love this song, it just popped into my head after all these years! He needs to make more music like this 🎶 🖤
James Bryson
The nostalgia is real...always been a fan of Lemar. And not the kind of fan that just compliments his music but one that actually BUYS and SUPPORTS everything he has released because he releases QUALITY music. It's a shame that the industry and other people are so blind they can't appreciate his gift.
Omarr Koroma
...
Omarr Koroma
Gift
Mrs. Sharp
Very inspirational song, we need more songs like this these day!
FattyCake85
I love this song! such a GREAT message, especially for our ladies out there! thanks Lemar
MACKENZIE
This is a strong message that needs to be spread!
King noble savage warrihah
Wow damn right Lemar is not just a good singer but a good man. Like if you got respect for a brother, I sure do keep the music coming man!
rose davis
Wow this guy is great! Great voice and not bad to look at, love his music!
1990Cornetto
while i was in the uk i heard this song on the radio!! great singer we need more like him