As a result her debut album, If I Have To Stand Alone, was never officially released in the UK,[citation needed] and only received a limited release in Europe and Japan.[citation needed]
Her first U.S. dance #1 was "Gonna Catch You" in 1991, which was featured on the soundtrack to the Vanilla Ice movie, Cool as Ice. It reached #79 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #30 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Her next single in 1993 was followed by a remixed version of "Happenin' All Over Again," another dance chart #1 that generated success on the pop chart, peaking at #98 on the Billboard Hot 100. The follow up single was "Do You Want It", released in 1994. All of those singles were included on her album, Bad Mood, which was released on the now defunct SBK record label, which was a subsidiary of Capitol Records and became a top 20 album.
Gordon has hit the U.S. dance chart two more times in 1996, with the songs "Dirty Love" on Geffen Records, which peaked at #6, and "If You Really Love Me" released on Big Bang Records, which peaked at #42. Her third album, a combination of new songs and earlier material, entitled No Regret was released in 2000 on Centaur Entertainment. The single released from No Regret was "He Lives in You", which also became another "Gordon anthem".
In 2002 Gordon starred as the lead vocalist and narrator for "Zumanity" another side of Cirque du Soleil, in Las Vegas. Working with Cirque du Soleil and moving to Las Vegas, was a bold career move that provided an opportunity for Gordon to showcase her strong vocals and incredible stage presence. After leaving Cirque du Soleil, Gordon made her way back to London England and constantly toured. This lead to a recording deal with Positiva/EMI. Who remixed "Gonna Catch You"(known now as Catch You Baby), with a release date in July 2009, and a new album to follow. Gordon's 1990 album "If I Have To Stand Alone", finally saw it's release worldwide, in May 2009 after being recorded in 1990 and sounds as fresh today as it did back then. Released via cherry-pop records.
Her back catalogue of Stock Aitken Waterman produced material is being released on iTunes with some rare and unreleased recordings available!
Little Ghetto Boy
Lonnie Gordon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Whatcha' gonna do when you grow up
And have to face responsiblity?
Will you spend your days and nights in the pool room?
Will you sell caps of madness to the neighborhood?
Little ghetto boy
You already know how proud life can be
'cause you've seen so much pain and misery
Little ghetto boy
Your daddy was blown away
He robbed that grocery store
Don't you know that was a sad, sad old day?
All your young life
You've seen such misery and pain
The world is a cruel place to live
And it ain't gonna change
You're so young
You've got so far to go on
And don't think you'll reach your goal
Young man, little ghetto boy, look at you
Little ghetto boy
When, when, when you become a men
You can make things change if you just take the stand
You gotta believe it yourself in all you do
You've gotta fight to make it better
Then you will see how others will start believing to
Then, my son, things will start to get better
Everything has got to get better,
Everything has got to get better
The song "Little Ghetto Boy" by Lonnie Gordon is a poignant reflection on the harsh realities of growing up in urban poverty. The lyrics describe a young boy playing in the ghetto streets, wondering what his future will hold when he inevitably takes on the responsibility of adulthood. The song paints a picture of a world filled with pain and misery, where even the innocence of childhood is marred by the violence and poverty that surrounds it.
The young boy in the song has already experienced the loss of his father, who was killed when he robbed a grocery store. Throughout his life, he has witnessed firsthand the cruel and unforgiving nature of the world he inhabits. Despite this, the song offers a glimmer of hope for a better future, encouraging the young boy to fight for positive change and inspiring others to do the same.
Line by Line Meaning
Little ghetto boy, playing in the ghetto street
A young child who lives in a poor neighborhood, spending time outside on the streets.
Whatcha' gonna do when you grow up
And have to face responsibility?
As a child grows older, they will eventually have to take on the responsibilities of an adult, and the song asks what this child will do when that time comes.
Will you spend your days and nights in the pool room?
Will you sell caps of madness to the neighborhood?
The song wonders if this young child will end up getting involved in negative activities such as gambling or selling drugs.
Little ghetto boy
You already know how proud life can be
'Cause you've seen so much pain and misery
Despite living in a difficult environment, the child has already experienced both hardship and positive moments in life.
Little ghetto boy
Your daddy was blown away
He robbed that grocery store
Don't you know that was a sad, sad old day?
The child's father has died after robbing a store, which is a tragic event that has likely had a major impact on the child's life.
All your young life
You've seen such misery and pain
The world is a cruel place to live
And it ain't gonna change
The lyrics reflect on how the child has already experienced many difficult moments in life, and questions if anything will ever get better.
You're so young
You've got so far to go on
And don't think you'll reach your goal
Young man, little ghetto boy, look at you
Despite the challenges ahead, the song encourages the child to keep striving for success as they have a long journey ahead of them.
Little ghetto boy
When, when, when you become a man
You can make things change if you just take the stand
You gotta believe it yourself in all you do
You've gotta fight to make it better
Then you will see how others will start believing to
The song emphasizes that if the child works hard and stands up for themselves, they can make a positive change in their community and encourage others to do the same.
Then, my son, things will start to get better
Everything has got to get better,
Everything has got to get better
In the end, the song expresses hope that things can improve for those who live in poor neighborhoods as long as they work towards that goal.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ROBERT F. DIGGS, COREY WOODS, EARL CEASAR DE ROUEN, EDWARD HOWARD, DARRYL ROBERT HILL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind