Maxwell capitalized on his breakthrough with the MTV Unplugged EP, taken from his live MTV performance. It attracted attention and acclaim outside the R&B community with the left-field cover choices "This Woman's Work" (by Kate Bush) and "Closer" (by Nine Inch Nails). Additionally, the 'MTV Unplugged' version of "Whenever, Wherever, Whatever" earned him another Grammy nomination (for Best Male Pop Vocal). Anticipation for his second full-length album was high, and when Embrya was released in 1998, it entered the charts at number three. Reviews were more mixed this time around, with some critics charging that Maxwell's ambition had crossed the line into indulgence; still, the record duplicated its predecessor's platinum sales.
Maxwell adopted his middle name as his stage moniker, keeping his real identity a closely guarded secret out of concern for his family's privacy. Born of Puerto Rican and black Caribbean stock, Maxwell suffered the loss of his father (in a plane crash) when he was just three years old. The experience made him a deeply religious child, and he first began singing in his Baptist church. Still, he didn't really get serious about music until age 17, when he began writing his own songs using a cheap Casio keyboard given to him by a friend. Initially influenced by early-'80s urban R&B, and drawing his greatest inspiration from the concept of the R&B auteur (looking to artists like Marvin Gaye, Prince, Stevie Wonder). He progressed rapidly, and by 1991 he was performing on the New York club scene, despite ridicule from classmates who couldn't imagine the shy, awkward teenager doing anything of the sort. After making a name for himself, he signed a recording contract with Columbia in 1994.
In 1999, Maxwell scored his biggest hit to date with the single "Fortunate," an R. Kelly composition he recorded for the soundtrack of the film Life; it was a mammoth success, ranking as the number one R&B hit of the year in Billboard magazine. Later that year, he also cut two songs for the soundtrack of The Best Man.
In August 2001, Maxwell returned with his third full-length album, Now, which was touted as a return to the more straightforwardly romantic atmosphere of his debut. It entered the album charts at number one and quickly launched a hit single in "Lifetime." ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
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... He eventually got a record deal with Columbia Records in 1994 when he was 21 years old. His loss of his father at the age of three had a great impact on him as a person and as an artist. Maxwell played keyboard in church during his youth; however, he was not aware of his vocal talent during adolescence. His vocal ability was later discovered during a romantic affair which inspired the music for his first music release "Urban Hang Suite." Maxwell was heavily inspired by the work of artists such as Marvin Gaye, Prince, Sade, and lastly Anita Baker who he gives credit to "teaching him how to sing."
After taking several years off, Maxwell released his latest album BLACKsummers'night on July 7, 2009. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard Albums Top 200 chart, his second album to receive that ranking. Maxwell said his reason for leaving the music industry for such a long period was "to just take time off. The music industry has so much competition and there was no rush for me.
The follow-up to BLACKsummers'night and the second installment in a planned trilogy, blackSUMMERS'night, is set to be released late 2012 but the exact date is unknown.
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The name "Maxwell" also appears to be used by a hip hop beat producer from Oldenburg, Germany.
Playing Possum
Maxwell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You left my, my heart here
Say what you will and won't forget
Express disappointment, speak your regrets, yeah
Oh baby call out my name, I'll be where you are
I'll be very still, step down to my heart
Amend this broken
If only you'd wake up
I'm begging you sugar, have some leniency
Call the president and ask him, baby, to pardon me
And bring you back to me
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo
And mend this broken
If only you'd quit this nonsense of you possum playing
If only you'd wake up, would you wake up, would you wake up baby, yeah
Yeah, yea
Yeah, yea
Yeah, yea
Heh, heh, ho
Whoa whoo
Ah whoo
Whooo, whoo, whoo
Whoo, whoo, whoo
The lyrics to Maxwell's song "Playing Possum" can be interpreted as a plea from the singer to a lover who has seemingly gone "dead" or emotionally distant. He is begging them to come back to him, to express their disappointment and regrets, to mend what has been broken between them. The repeated phrase "If only you'd wake up from your constant possum playing" implies that the lover is pretending to be asleep or pretending not to care about their relationship.
The use of the metaphor of a "possum" is interesting as it is known for playing dead or pretending to be something it's not when faced with danger. The singer is asking their lover to stop pretending and to be authentic with their feelings. The mentions of calling the president and asking for a pardon add a political aspect to the song, perhaps implying that the difficulties in their relationship are larger than just the two of them.
Line by Line Meaning
Come back, from the dead
Return to my life and stop being absent.
You left my, my heart here
You left me brokenhearted and alone.
Say what you will and won't forget
Speak your mind and don't hold anything back, but don't forget the love we once shared.
Express disappointment, speak your regrets, yeah
Share your feelings of disappointment and regret, don't hide them from me.
Oh baby call out my name, I'll be where you are
Reach out to me and I'll be there for you no matter what.
I'll be very still, step down to my heart
I'll open my heart to you and be patient to hear what you have to say.
Amend this broken
Fix what's been broken between us.
If only you'd wake up from your constant possum playing
If only you'd stop avoiding and hiding from your problems.
I'm begging you sugar, have some leniency
I'm pleading with you to be kind and understanding in our relationship.
Call the president and ask him, baby, to pardon me
If necessary, I'll do whatever it takes to win your forgiveness.
And bring you back to me
I want to be reunited with you and have our love rekindled.
If only you'd quit this nonsense of you possum playing
If only you'd stop avoiding the issues and start facing them head-on.
If only you'd wake up, would you wake up, would you wake up baby, yeah
If only you'd become aware of your mistakes and begin to repair our relationship.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HOD DAVID, MAXWELL MENARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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