McDonald played in several local bands (such as Mike and the Majestics, Jerry Jay and the Sheratons, the Reebtoors, and The Guild) while attending McCluer High School in his hometown of Ferguson, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. He was 'discovered' while playing with a group called Blue and consequently moved to Los Angeles in 1970. He first gained wide attention as an adjunct member of the group Steely Dan, providing back-up vocals and keyboards. Michael continued to do background vocals for Steely Dan up to their 1980 Gaucho release.
McDonald was recruited by The Doobie Brothers in April 1975 when lead singer Tommy Johnston became ill during a national tour. As a member of the Doobies, he recorded some of his most memorable songs, such as "Takin' It To The Streets," "Little Darling," "Minute By Minute," and "What A Fool Believes" (which earned him a 1980 Grammy Award for Song of the Year).
After the Doobies' first farewell tour, McDonald continued with a very successful solo career. Among his hits are
* "I Keep Forgettin'", a duet with his sister Maureen, later sampled in 1994 by Warren G
* "Sweet Freedom", the theme to the 1986 MGM film Running Scared
* "Take It To Heart"
* "Yah Mo B There", a duet with James Ingram which won a 1985 Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals
* "On My Own", a 1986 duet with Patti Labelle which reached #1 on the US charts
McDonald has produced and/or appeared on albums recorded by many other artists, including his singer wife Amy Holland and Grammy winner Christopher Cross. He is also a co-founder of the small independent recording label Ramp Records, with studio designer Chris Pelonis and actor Jeff Bridges.
His current album out 3/4/8 is titled "Soul Speak."
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There is also Michael McDonald, an American songwriter based in Helsinki, Finland. Michael has played with Helsinki-based bands Montevideo and Treeball, and is about to release his first solo album in 2007.
Enemy Within
Michael McDonald Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who got your trust, in exchange for lies
Then threw it away baby, threw it away baby
Heaven for heart ache, love for lust
Search for redemption, here in the dust
Where love has no fire baby
You can forget it, you still have something to lose
[Chorus]
Ain't no lie good enough, to hide the truth from yourself
It pays to see it coming, learn to recognize
The enemy within baby,
Enemy within baby
No better lesson to be learned, reachin the point of no return
When love turns to shame baby, your hoping it's different, next time
Your always drawn in, like a moth to the fire, time an again baby
And the kindest moment, with nothing better to do
We can forget, we still got something to lose
[Chorus]
Oh you say you'll know better, I know you won't, stop lying to yourself
Before you lose all hope, learn to know the difference, learn to recognize
The enemy with in baby, enemy within baby
Stop lying to yourself baby, stop lying to yourself baby
[Chorus]
Oh you say you'll know better, but I know you won't, stop lying to yourself
Before you lose all hope, learn to see the difference, learn to recognize
The enemy with in baby, enemy within baby
The lyrics of Michael McDonald's song Enemy Within tell a story of betrayal, heartache, and self-deception. The opening lines, "Who knows your secret, deep inside / Who got your trust, in exchange for lies" paint a picture of someone who has been let down by someone they trusted, possibly to a very personal extent. The singer speaks of how this betrayal has led to a lack of trust and an inability to fully connect with others romantically. He describes the search for redemption and the disappointment that comes with it when love has lost its spark.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the importance of recognizing and accepting the truth, even if it is painful. The "enemy within" refers to that part of ourselves that can deceive and misguide us, leading to self-destruction, and urges us to be honest about our own faults to avoid making the same mistakes again.
The song serves as a reflection on the difficulty of moving on from past hurt and understanding the role we play in those situations. It encourages the listener to acknowledge their own flaws, recognize when others may be deceiving them, and learn to differentiate between love and lust.
Line by Line Meaning
Who knows your secret, deep inside
Someone close to you has discovered your most personal information
Who got your trust, in exchange for lies
You trusted someone who ultimately betrayed you with deceitful words
Then threw it away baby, threw it away baby
They discarded your trust and threw away any sense of loyalty or commitment to you
Heaven for heart ache, love for lust
You became involved in a relationship where they traded love for pleasure, resulting in immense pain
Search for redemption, here in the dust
You tried to find redemption in the aftermath of a failed love affair
Where love has no fire baby
You were in a passionless relationship that lacked the excitement of true love
And the kindest moment, with nothing better to do
Even in the kindest of moments, there is always something to lose
You can forget it, you still have something to lose
You may try to forget the hurt, but you still have something to lose in the end
Ain't no lie good enough, to hide the truth from yourself
No matter how convincing a lie may be, you can't deceive yourself from the truth
It pays to see it coming, learn to recognize
It's important to be able to see problems coming and learn to recognize warning signs
The enemy within baby,
The real enemy is within one's self
No better lesson to be learned, reaching the point of no return
You learn the greatest lesson when it's too late and you've reached a point of no return
When love turns to shame baby, your hoping it's different, next time
You hope the next time you fall in love it won't turn to shame and heartache
Your always drawn in, like a moth to the fire, time and again baby
You are constantly drawn back into bad relationships, just like a moth is drawn to a flame
Oh you say you'll know better, I know you won't, stop lying to yourself
You may say you'll do better next time, but deep down you know you won't and need to stop pretending
Before you lose all hope, learn to know the difference, learn to recognize
Don't lose all hope, instead learn to recognize the warning signs and know the difference between true love and deceit
Enemy within baby, enemy within baby
The real enemy is within one's self, and it's important to recognize this in order to find true love
Stop lying to yourself baby, stop lying to yourself baby
It's crucial to stop lying to yourself and face the truth about relationships in order to move on and find happiness
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind