Mint Condition is an R&B band from the Twin Cities. Formed in the late 1980… Read Full Bio ↴Mint Condition is an R&B band from the Twin Cities. Formed in the late 1980s, its members are lead singer (and in-studio drummer/percussionist) Stokley Williams, bassist Ricky Kinchen, guitarist Homer O'Dell, pianist Larry Waddell, and keyboardist/saxophonist Jeffrey Allen, Keri Lewis (keyboards, synthseizer).

The group is well known for its highly diverse musical style (able to play anything from traditional jazz stylings to mainstream R&B and rock-based music to funk grooves and even Latin and Jamaican-based rhythms) and also its captivating live performances.

Discovered and originally signed to Perspective Records by music producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis in 1989 (after being heard at a performance at a club in downtown Minneapolis called First Avenue), their debut album was entitled Meant To Be Mint (released in 1991).

Despite their musical versatility the band attempted to attract New Jack Swing listeners with their dance cut "Are You Free", but it wasn't successful (the song hit #55 on the R&B charts). However, they did enjoy major success with the stunning ballad "Breakin' My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes)".

The song stayed on the charts for 34 weeks, hitting the R&B top 5 (#3), and the Pop Top 10 (#6). Forever In Your Eyes was also successful (#7 R&B). Two years later they released their 2nd platinum album, From The Mint Factory (1993). They enjoyed success with the #2 hit "U Send Me Swingin'", while "Someone To Love" and "So Fine" hit the R&B Top 30. 1996 saw the release of "Definition of a Band". The album hit the R&B Top 20. Some successful singles on this album are: "What Kind Of Man Would I Be" (#2 R&B), and "You Don't Have To Hurt No More" (#10 R&B). Two years later, The Collection: 1991-1998, a greatest hits compilation, was issued.

After Perspective Records/A&M folded, the group signed with Elektra Records in 1999, releasing their fourth full-length album, Life's Aquarium (#7 R&B). It's main single, If You Love Me, hit the R&B Top 5.

As the 21st Century came around, Mint Condition was the only R&B/Funk band signed to a Major Record Label.

After a six year hiatus, the group resurfaced as a quintet due to former member and keyboard player Keri Lewis leaving the group to produce for other artists, such as his one-time wife, singer Toni Braxton .

During the same year, they released Living The Luxury Brown on their independent label Caged Bird Records. The album hit #1 on the Independent Album Charts. Live From The 9:30 Club, a performance of a concert at the 9:30 club in Washington DC, was issued in 2006.

Spanish Eyes
Mint Condition Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

What are you looking for?

Hey I've been mistaken for Puerto Rican,
But you girl don't speak a lick of Spanish...
Just enjoy the music

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Mint Condition's "Spanish Eyes" portray a situation where a person feels misunderstood by the woman he's trying to impress. He mentions being mistaken for a Puerto Rican despite not being one, and yet the girl he's trying to impress doesn't seem to be interested in his attempts to woo her. The line "just enjoy the music" seems to suggest that he's resigned to the fact that this woman may not be interested in him but that he's still going to enjoy the moment.

The song could be interpreted as a commentary on the challenges of cross-cultural communication and the difficulty in trying to connect with someone from a different cultural background. The singer may not be Puerto Rican, but his physical appearance may cause others to assume he is, which may affect how he's perceived by others. And despite his efforts to impress the woman he's interested in, he feels like he's not getting through to her.

Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of frustration and resignation, as the singer realizes that his efforts to connect with this woman are likely to be unsuccessful. However, he still manages to find some solace in the music he's listening to, which seems to provide him with some degree of comfort and escapism from his problems.

Line by Line Meaning

What are you looking for?
What are you trying to find or accomplish in this moment?

Hey I've been mistaken for Puerto Rican,
People have incorrectly assumed that I am Puerto Rican based on my appearance.

But you girl don't speak a lick of Spanish...
However, you do not know how to speak even one word of the Spanish language.

Just enjoy the music
Instead of worrying about cultural backgrounds or language barriers, simply appreciate and embrace the enjoyable qualities of the music.

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JEFFREY STEPHEN ALLEN, KEIRSTON LEWIS, KERI JAMAL LEWIS, LAWRENCE EL GRECCO WADDELL, RICKY KINCHEN, STOKLEY MANDELLA WILLIAMS

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