Raised in Washington, D.C., Meshell Suhaila Bashir Shakur (as she became known) adopted the surname Ndegéocello, which means "free like a bird", while still in her teens. She has been hailed in the music press as a redeemer of soul music. Her music incorporates funk, soul, hip-hop, reggae, rock and jazz. She has been nominated for 9 Grammys. She has frequently toured with Lilith Fair.
Ndegeocello honed her chops on the D.C. Go-go circuit in the late 1980s before venturing out as a solo artist. She emerged as a recording artist in 1993 on Maverick Records/Sire Records with her debut, Plantation Lullabies. This recording presented a distinctly androgynous persona. Her music has been featured in a number of film soundtracks including How Stella Got Her Groove Back and Batman and Robin. She has also appeared on recordings by Basement Jaxx and The Blind Boys of Alabama, among others. Her biggest hit is a duet with John Cougar Mellencamp, a cover version of Van Morrison's Wild Night, which reached #3 on the Billboard charts.
Her singles If That's Your Boyfriend (He Wasn't Last Night), Leviticus: Faggot, and her cover of Bill Withers Who Is He and What Is He To You? have all charted in the Billboard top 20. She sang background vocals on the song I'd Rather be Your Lover by Madonna, on her album Bedtime Stories. She also sang with Chaka Khan on the single Never Miss the Water, as well as providing her typical solid bass skills.
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Sweet Love
Me'Shell Ndegéocello Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I try so very hard to try and please you.
Even though you know you don't really care.
Or is that you find your feelings too hard to share.
Friends say I'm crazy for the way that I feel.
You don't love me now.
You probably never will.
Even though I know there'll always be another by your side
[Repeat: x2]
Let me make sweet love to you baby
Cry my tears by candlelight.
I'm just another lonely heart, here on a lonely night.
Screams of passions.
I call out your name making love to another.
Just to ease my pain.
Will this ever change?
Will you ever feel the same way about me?
[Repeat: x2]
Let me make sweet love to you baby
The lyrics to Me'Shell Ndegéocello's song Sweet Love explore the painful and often complicated nature of unrequited love. The singer is a woman who goes to great lengths to try and please the object of her affection, even though she knows deep down that he doesn't care about her in the same way. She struggles with her own conflicting emotions, torn between her love for him and her own pride. Despite knowing that there will always be someone else by his side, she can't help but long for him and plead with him to let her make sweet love to him.
The song also touches on themes of loneliness and desperation, as the singer cries her tears by candlelight and imagines her lover with another woman. She is so consumed by her love for him that she even contemplates making love to someone else just to ease her pain. Ultimately, the song is a raw and honest portrayal of the heartache that comes with unrequited love.
Line by Line Meaning
Tell me, what is a girl to do.
Asking for advice on what to do when trying to get someone's attention
I try so very hard to try and please you.
Putting in a lot of effort to impress someone
Even though you know you don't really care.
Acknowledging that the person doesn't reciprocate the same feelings
Or is that you find your feelings too hard to share.
Wondering if the person is actually afraid to express their feelings
Friends say I'm crazy for the way that I feel.
Others call the person crazy for having such intense feelings
You don't love me now.
Realizing that the love is one-sided and not currently being returned
You probably never will.
Knowing that the person will likely never love the same way
But my love is far stronger than pride.
Acknowledging that pride isn't stronger than the intense love feelings
Even though I know there'll always be another by your side.
Knowing there will always be competition
Let me make sweet love to you baby
Asking for a physical connection
Cry my tears by candlelight.
Expressing the pain and sadness of the unreturned love
I'm just another lonely heart, here on a lonely night.
Feeling alone in the situation
Screams of passions.
Describing the intense emotions of love and desire
I call out your name making love to another.
Fantasizing about being with the person
Just to ease my pain.
Trying to cope with the unrequited love
Will this ever change?
Wondering if the situation will ever improve
Will you ever feel the same way about me?
Questioning if the person will ever feel love in return
Let me make sweet love to you baby
Asking again for physical intimacy
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind