Mario Mendell Winans (born August 29, 1974 in Orangeburg, SC) is an America… Read Full Bio ↴Mario Mendell Winans (born August 29, 1974 in Orangeburg, SC) is an American R&B producer, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist best known for his 2004 song "I Don't Wanna Know", which reached number 2 in the United States and number 1 in the United Kingdom. Winans also won a Grammy Award for Best Gospel Performance for co-writing CeCe Winans's song "Pray".

Early career:
Mario Winans was born in Orangeburg, South Carolina but grew up in Detroit. He is a member of gospel music's most notable family, the Winans, being the son of Marvin Winans and Vickie Winans. He is also the nephew of gospel singers BeBe Winans and CeCe Winans.

Winans started out learning music in school learning piano, keyboards, and drums. His mother Vicki Winans bought him a roomful of recording equipment, and he learnt the function of every piece of equipment. He started producing gospel groups straight out of high school and soon accumulated credits for Fred Hammond, The Anointed, and the Clark Sisters as well as various Winans family member albums.

In the mid-1990's, he signed a production deal with Dallas Austin's Rowdy Records. His breakthrough came with credits on the tracks "I Can't Sleep Baby" and "You Remind Me Of Something" on R. Kelly's R. Kelly album in 1995. Work with Pebbles and 98 Degrees soon followed.

Winans released his debut album Story of my Heart on Motown in 1997. While the song "Don't Know" reached the U.S. R&B top 50, the album failed to chart.

Soon after, Winans teamed up with P. Diddy and his Bad Boy roster. His first work with Bad Boy was playing drums on "Come With Me" in 1998 by Diddy and Jimmy Page, based on the classic Led Zeppelin song "Kashmir" from their 1975 album Physical Graffiti.

Over the past few years, Winans has racked a sizeable list of production credits for Bad Boy artists including Diddy, The Notorious B.I.G., Lil' Kim, Faith Evans, Loon, Black Rob, and 112. He has also worked with notable artists outside Bad Boy including Mary J. Blige, Whitney Houston, Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube, Tamia, and Brian McKnight.

Winans co-wrote the 2-part song "I Need a Girl" with P. Diddy and appeared on the "Pt. 2" version with Loon, Ginuwine, and Diddy, which became a hit recording in 2002. He also produced the Bad Boy remix compilation We Invented The Remix in 2002.

Solo Success:

Winans recorded his second album Hurt No More in 2001, 2002, and 2003 in between his busy schedule working with other artists. The album is based on stories of love and betrayal.

The first single "I Don't Wanna Know" was based on a sample of the Fugees' 1996 hit single "Ready Or Not", which itself was based on a slowed-down sample of the instrumental track "Boadicea" by Enya from her 1987 self-titled album. Enya and her representatives became annoyed since Winans did not seek her approval for the sample, as he was unaware that the Fugees sample he had used had itself been a sample. So, a compromise was reached to credit the single as "Mario Winans featuring P. Diddy and Enya". [1]. The song features a rap by P. Diddy and radio programmers and club DJs started playing the track when it started appearing on mixtapes. The song was released as the single in early 2004 and became a worldwide hit going to #1 in Germany and on the rhythmic top 40 radio chart in the United States; to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, on the U.S. R&B/Hip-Hop singles chart, and on the world internet download charts; and to #3 on a composite world R&B chart (based on the R&B charts in the U.S., UK, Germany, France, and Australia) and on both the Australian and Norwegian singles charts. It also reached the top ten on a composite European singles chart.

Hurt No More was released on April 20, 2004 in the U.S. and, by early June 2004, had reached #1 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, #2 on the Billboard 200, and #3 on the UK's album chart.

The album's second single, "Never Really Was", used a sample of the orchestrated beginning of Madonna's 1986 hit, "Papa Don't Preach", as its background music. However, the song failed to chart in America.

This Is the Thanks I Get
Mario Winans Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Yo! (yeah) Yeah! (yo yo yo, c'mon)
Yeah, this is 'Rio! Yeah! 'Rio Winans!
Yeah! mmm mmmm, mmm mmmm, mmm mmmm
You hurt me so bad
Mmm hmmm, baby, yeah!

I always trusted you (bet that all)
It didn't mean that much to you, babe!

I gave my love (love) my time (my time) and my life
In return you give me pain (oh yeah)
What a shame (oh babe) and this is the thanks I get baby!

How could you do it to a nigga like this?
Tell me, tell me (oh yeah)
And why would you give another nigga my kiss? (oh baby)
You hurt me, hurt me babe
I gave my love (love) my time (my time) my life (oh baby)
In return you give me pain (oh yeah)
What a shame (oh baby) and this is the thanks I get baby!

This is 'Rio! 'Rio Winans!
Mmm mmmm, mmm mmmm, mmm mmmm
You hurt me so bad
Mmm hmmm, baby, now verse two

I believed in everything babe (bet that all)
Until the day you lied to me, girl
I gave my heart (my heart) my mind (my mind) my soul (oh baby)
In return you give me pain (oh yeah)
What a shame (oh yeah) and this is the thanks I get baby!

How could you do it to a nigga like this?
Tell me, tell me (oh yeah)
And why would you give another nigga my kiss? (oh baby)
You hurt me, hurt me babe
I gave my love (my love) my time (my time) my life (oh baby)
In return you give me pain (oh baby)
What a shame, and this is the thanks I get baby!

Ever since he met you had that good Oochie Wally
Curves so killer, you put insurance on your body
Remember that jude joints? your hair all knotty
And I was coming through in that blue Maserati go
See this honey was potent like cook blow
Crack! I mixed the Black with Phillipino
Used to live in Reno but we met on the beach
Sang bars from the star, everythang was peace
Then we got our shit together, you moved in the castle
Let you shop wit the Capital One, no hassles
One minute you're cool, next minute you're amped
Talking loud trying to play me like a wet food stamp
Ho!! Think of me in your life with the next dude
I'm like Chef, I'm contemplating my next move
Then think of all the wankstas I hit
Ain't this a bitch? shit this is all the thanks I get?
I'm gone

How could you do it to a nigga like this?
Tell me, tell me
And why would you give another nigga my kiss?
You hurt me, hurt me babe
I gave my love, my time, my life

In return you give me pain
What a shame, and this is the thanks I get baby!

Overall Meaning

In "This Is The Thanks I Get," Mario Winans expresses his frustration and disappointment with his romantic partner. He had trusted and loved her, but in return, she gave him pain and betrayed him. Winans is hurt by her actions and has no idea why she would do this to him. He gave her all his time, love, and life, but now all he has to show for it is pain. Winans reminisces about the earlier days in their relationship when they were happy together and couldn't be separated. However, now, things have changed, and he is left with sadness and disheartenment.

In the chorus, Winans emphasizes that he can't believe what his partner has done to him. He has given her everything, but she has turned around and hurt him instead. He asks her how she could do this to him and why she would give another man his kiss. He is bewildered by her actions and left wondering how he could have been so wrong about her.

The guest feature on the song, Black Rob, adds to Winans' bitterness by recounting their past experiences. The woman in question had a killer body and used to roll with Rob back in the day. They hit the beach and clubs together, and she used to live in Reno, but they met on the beach. Rob talks about their good times but then highlights that she played with him too, and now she is doing the same to Winans. He suggests that Winans should move on from her, but it's not that easy as Winans thought he had found someone special.

Line by Line Meaning

Yo! (yeah) Yeah! (yo yo yo, c'mon)
Introduction and excitement to the song

Yeah, this is 'Rio! Yeah! 'Rio Winans!
Artist self-introduction

Mmm hmmm, baby, yeah!
Expressing emotional pain

I always trusted you (bet that all)
Expressing trust in the relationship

It didn't mean that much to you, babe!
Feeling betrayed by the other person

I gave my love (love) my time (my time) and my life
Sacrificing for the relationship

In return you give me pain (oh yeah)
Feeling hurt in the relationship

What a shame (oh babe) and this is the thanks I get baby!
Feeling unappreciated in the relationship

How could you do it to a nigga like this?
Expressing shock and disappointment

And why would you give another nigga my kiss? (oh baby)
Feeling cheated on in the relationship

Ever since he met you had that good Oochie Wally
Recalling a time when things were good in the relationship

Curves so killer, you put insurance on your body
Admiring the physical qualities of the other person

Remember that jude joints? your hair all knotty
Recalling a specific moment in the relationship

And I was coming through in that blue Maserati go
Recounting a happy memory with the other person

See this honey was potent like cook blow
Praising the other person's attractiveness

Crack! I mixed the Black with Phillipino
Talking about the singer's identity and background

Used to live in Reno but we met on the beach
Recalling how the two people met

Sang bars from the star, everythang was peace
Remembering a happy time in the relationship

Then we got our shit together, you moved in the castle
Improving the relationship and moving in together

Let you shop wit the Capital One, no hassles
Sharing finances without issues

One minute you're cool, next minute you're amped
Feeling surprised by the other person's behavior

Talking loud trying to play me like a wet food stamp
Feeling disrespected and manipulated

Ho!! Think of me in your life with the next dude
Wishing the other person regret and guilt in their next relationship

I'm like Chef, I'm contemplating my next move
Referencing a character who thinks strategically, planning the next steps in response to the situation

Then think of all the wankstas I hit
Recalling past relationships with people who were not genuine

Ain't this a bitch? shit this is all the thanks I get?
Feeling frustrated and unappreciated in the relationship

I'm gone
Ending the song on a bitter note

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MARIO WINANS, MARIO MENDELL WINANS, MICHAEL JONES, MICHAEL CARLOS JONES, ROBERT ROSS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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