The Lighthouse Family split up in early 2003 due to "a heavy promotional schedule and the incredible international success of 'Whatever Gets You Through The Day'." This led to both men pursuing individual projects. Tunde has embarked on a solo career, and has already released an album called Tunde in late 2004, while Tucker joined a rock band, The Orange Lights. According to their management, the band has not split up despite being inactive: "there is always the possibility of another Lighthouse Family album one day."
Both Baiyewu and Tucker were working in bars when they first met; together, they recorded demos of a number of songs Tucker had written during the late 1980s. Among these, a demo of "Ocean Drive" attracted the attention of Polydor Records A&R director Colin Barlow, who, in 1993, signed the band to a six-month development deal.
The band were funded for the recording of additional demos, and teamed with songwriters Martin Brammer (formerly of Kane Gang), Tim Kellett (formerly of Simply Red), and Tim Laws (co-writer of "Dreams" by Gabrielle). Eventually, the band was signed to record an album proper; finished in August 1994, Ocean Drive also included songs written by Shaun Ward (also of Simply Red), Junior Giscombe, and Alan Glass, and was produced by Mike Peden.
The band was managed throughout its career by Keith Armstrong and Phil Mitchell, co-founders of Newcastle-based Kitchenware Records; the label had gone on hiatus during the 1990s in order to handle the management of Lighthouse Family and other musicians.
In the wake of an economic recession in the UK, British record labels were, at the time, primarily signing artists with the goal of short-term profit. In contrast, Barlow, in The Times, expected that the band could last for "ten years or more". At the time of the launch of the first album, Polydor's investments in the band totaled ₤250,000. Peden's hiring was described as a "big spend", and music videos were filmed overseas in Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
The lead single, "Lifted", received airplay on BBC Radio One as well as a number of BBC Local Radio stations, and The Chart Show aired its music video. Still, this did not translate to considerable single or album sales within 1995; it wasn't until "Lifted" was re-released in 1996 that it reached the top five on the UK Singles Chart, and Ocean Drive, which had been deleted, rebounded and was certified six-times platinum by the end of 1997. Its follow-up, "Postcards from Heaven", achieved similar sales status in 1998.
In 2010, The Lighthouse Family reformed. The band accounced tour details for 2011, as well as a new album coming up.
[wikipedia]
The Way You Are
Lighthouse Family Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Really worth the wait
I wouldn't switch for nothing
There's nothing worth the change
People always try to take you for a ride
It ain't no big surprise
Ain't no cause to cry
You know that you'll get by
You are don't have to change the way you are
I really don't think you're giving yourself a chance
I wish you could hear don't change
Do your own thing, you're beautiful the way you are
In your search for something
You didn't have to chase
You sacrificed the best things
And nearly lost your way
People always try to take you for a ride
Ain't no big surprise
Ain't no cause to cry
You know that you'll get by
If you're strong in your own mind
You are don't have to change the way you are
I really don't think you're giving yourself a chance
I wish you could hear don't change
Do your own thing, you're beautiful the way you are
You really don't
You don't have to change
Give yourself a chance
The lyrics of Lighthouse Family’s The Way You Are celebrate and empower individuality, self-acceptance and self-love. The song is about being confident and comfortable in your own skin, and resisting the pressures and expectations of others to conform and change who you are. The opening lines suggest that there are things in life that are worth waiting for, and that changing oneself for others is not one of those things. The singer values their own unique qualities and insists that they wouldn’t trade them for anything.
The chorus of the song repeats the message that there is no need to change oneself to fit someone else’s standards, and that the person is beautiful just the way they are. The lyrics acknowledge that it is easy to feel discouraged by those who try to take advantage of others, but ultimately it is up to the individual to be strong in their own mind and not let others tear down their self-confidence. The line “you didn’t have to chase” could refer to the pressure society puts on people to always strive for more, or to be someone else, rather than accepting and valuing what they already have. The singer suggests that the pursuit of what others deem important can lead one to lose sight of their true self and the things that actually matter.
Overall, Lighthouse Family’s The Way You Are is a song about self-love and self-acceptance in the face of societal pressures to conform and change. It encourages listeners to embrace their uniqueness and beauty, and to not give in to the expectations of others. The song reminds us that we are worthy of love and acceptance just the way we are, with all our unique quirks and characteristics.
Line by Line Meaning
You know there's always something
There is always something that is worth waiting for and it's important to be patient.
Really worth the wait
What you're waiting for is truly valuable and it's worth holding out for.
I wouldn't switch for nothing
Nothing is worth making a change if it means losing what is important to you.
There's nothing worth the change
There isn't a single thing that is worth giving up what you already have for.
People always try to take you for a ride
People often try to deceive you and take advantage of you.
It ain't no big surprise
This isn't an unexpected or startling fact.
Ain't no cause to cry
There's no reason to be upset over these attempts to deceive you.
You know that you'll get by
You're capable of handling these situations and moving forward.
If you are strong in your own mind
Having resilience and a strong sense of self is key to overcoming these challenges.
You are don't have to change the way you are
You don't need to alter your identity or personality to please others.
I really don't think you're giving yourself a chance
You may not be recognizing your own worth and potential.
I wish you could hear don't change
I hope you understand that you don't need to change who you are.
Do your own thing, you're beautiful the way you are
Be true to yourself and your unique qualities, because you are inherently valuable.
In your search for something
You may be seeking something in your life.
You didn't have to chase
You didn't have to put in unnecessary effort to find what you were looking for.
You sacrificed the best things
In the pursuit of this goal, you may have given up things that were truly valuable.
And nearly lost your way
You may have lost sight of your true priorities and values along the way.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: EMMANUEL TUNDE BAIYEWU, PAUL JOHN TUCKER, TIM LAWS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind