One of Britain's most promising soul singer/songwriters, Nate James is also perhaps the most independently spirited. Born on a U.S. Air Force base in Lakenheath in 1979, James grew up listening to his parents' soul music collection, particularly Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, and from an early age began performing cover versions in local clubs in Woodbridge, Suffolk. After abandoning an art foundation course at college to work with London producer Jazz Black, James won a place in five-piece R&B act Notorious, who were filmed for a behind-the-scenes TV show for T4. But due to a label merger, the group was dropped from Warner Records before releasing any material, and James decided to go solo. Signing a songwriting deal with Universal Publishing in 2004, James shrewdly refused to sign away the copyright in his recordings and set up his own Frofunk imprint via various deals with independent labels. His debut album, Set the Tone, featuring collaborations with En Vogue's Dawn Robinson, David Sneddon, and Eg White, was released a year later. Featuring the singles "Universal," "The Message," and the title track, it earned him nominations for Best Newcomer and Best R&B Artist at the 2005 MOBO Awards. After supporting acts including Beverley Knight, Musiq (Soulchild), and Natasha Bedingfield, James embarked on his own tour, playing to sellout crowds in Milan, Tokyo, and Amsterdam. He released his second album, Kingdom Falls, produced in L.A. by the Grammy- winning Neal H. Pogue, in 2007. Influenced by the experience of a charity mission to Rwanda a year earlier, it was funded entirely by the profits from his debut. James has also appeared on records by Poker Pets, Sway, and Natalie Williams, and works as an ambassador for several charities including Shelter, Global Angels, and Youth Music. ~ Jon O'Brien, Rovi
Back to You
Nate James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
you regret instantly?
And you can't go back
this time
Have you ever done bad thing
that should never have been?
Wishing those wrongs
It eats you up inside
and you feel so bad
You wanted to take back
all you said
Now you're just there
whether I.
Stop before I
Say something stupid
I don't know what I'm doing
Before I really lose it
get back to you again
There ain't no denying you
are my every reason to stay
Inside this love,
get back to you again
Hey hey hey
Ah, I'm gonna get back, yeah
Have you ever done something
and you seemed too far gone
You don't know
which way to turn, no
I was waiting so long thought that something was missing,
But it was there all along
And it led you away
from that one
So that love so precious
Has nearly slipped through
my hands
And I don't wanna
go through that again
Cause I don't wanna live with it,
no I
Stop before I
Say something stupid
I don't know what I'm doing
Before I really lose it
get back to you again
There ain't no denying you
are my every reason to stay
Inside this love,
get back to you again
Ooh-oh yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Gotta get back, oh
Hear me when I'm saying
I'm sorry
But just lately
I don't know who I am
And my baby I can't take it
That your heart,
I could break it
I don't wanna be that man
No no no no no
You don't know how far
I've been
But I came back to you,
every time
Something told me
I've been a fool
To waste the love of you
I gotta get back, yeah
In your arms
Into your arms, and
Stop before I say
something stupid
I don't know what I'm doing
Before I really lose it
Get back to you again, baby
There ain't no denying
you are my every reason to stay
Inside this love
get back to you again
(Say something stupid
I don't know what I'm doing)
(Before I really lose it
get back to you again)
(There ain't no denying
you are my every reason to stay)
(Inside this love,
get back to you again)
Have you ever done something you regret instantly?
And you can't go back
this time, no no no no
Oh oooh oh oh
Ba-da-be-dum-dum-dum,
yeah
The song Back to You by Nate James speaks about regretting something that has been done and wanting to go back to the loved one. The lyrics indicate a sense of remorse and pain that the singer is feeling due to their actions related to their significant other. The first verse talks about a bad thing that has been done, which cannot be undone, leading to internal turmoil and self-blame. The singer wishes to take back everything they had said because the words didn't have malicious intent, leading them to say something stupid.
The chorus of the song reflects on the singer's deep remorse, seeking forgiveness and asking for another chance. The "Stop before I say something stupid, I don't know what I'm doing, before I really lose it, get back to you again" line emphasizes the internal struggle and brings up the fear of losing their loved one. The second verse talks about how the singer has come back to their loved one many times before, showing their love and attachment. It reflects upon how they don't want to be the person who breaks others' hearts and regrets their actions.
Overall, the song's powerful expression explains the turmoil one feels when they let emotions get the better of them and how they come to regret it. The lyrics signify that the singer realizes the value of their loved one and wants to rectify their mistakes by going back to them.
Line by Line Meaning
Have you ever done something
you regret instantly?
Have you ever committed a mistake that made you feel terrible, right after you did it?
And you can't go back
this time
It's impossible to undo that action, no matter how much you want to.
Have you ever done bad thing
that should never have been?
Have you ever done something that was morally wrong, and you knew it was wrong, but you did it anyway?
Wishing those wrongs
could be right,
Do you wish that you could go back in time and make those immoral things right? Because those things are still bothering you?
It eats you up inside
and you feel so bad
It's hurting you on the inside, and you are feeling guilty and ashamed about it.
You wanted to take back
all you said
You wish that you could reverse all the words you said.
Now you're just there
whether I.
And now you are feeling stuck, without knowing what to do.
Stop before I
Say something stupid
Before I accidentally do something dumb or hurtful, I need to stop myself.
I don't know what I'm doing
I am confused and uncertain about what I am doing, and I fear making things worse.
Before I really lose it
Before I reach a point where I can't control my emotions and say or do something I will regret.
get back to you again
I need to come back to you and regain my equilibrium.
There ain't no denying you
are my every reason to stay
You're the most important thing in my life, and I don't want to lose you.
Inside this love,
get back to you again
I want to return to this relationship, which is full of love and affection.
Have you ever done something
and you seemed too far gone
Have you ever done something that left you feeling like it's too late to change things now?
You don't know
which way to turn, no
You are lost and have no direction or guidance.
And it led you away
from that one
It made you move away from that person or thing that you value the most.
So that love so precious
Has nearly slipped through
my hands
That love that you cherish so much and is precious to you, you were about to lose control of it.
And I don't wanna
go through that again
You don't want to experience that feeling of losing that love and kindness again.
Cause I don't wanna live with it,
no I
Because the idea of living with yourself after losing that special thing is unbearable to you.
Hear me when I'm saying
I'm sorry
Please listen to me when I say that I am remorseful and sorry.
But just lately
I don't know who I am
Lately, I have been feeling lost and confused and don't know my identity or my place in this world.
And my baby I can't take it
That your heart,
I could break it
I can't bear the thought of hurting you and breaking your heart, my darling.
I don't wanna be that man
I don't want to be the kind of person who would cause you heartbreak and pain.
You don't know how far
I've been
You have no idea how much I went through to come back to you.
But I came back to you,
every time
My feelings for you are strong, and no matter how far I go, I always end up coming back to you.
Something told me
I've been a fool
A voice inside me is saying that I have been foolish and that I need to see the value of the things that I have lost.
To waste the love of you
I don't want to continue wasting the love that you have for me.
I gotta get back, yeah
In your arms
I must come back to your embrace, where I can feel safe and loved.
Before I say
something stupid
I need to stop myself from saying something irrational or hurtful.
Get back to you again, baby
I need to get back to you again, my love,
Ba-da-be-dum-dum-dum,
yeah
This is the sound of Nate James' song, and it means nothing beyond that.
Writer(s): Peter Martin, Nate James Copyright: Universal Music Publishing Ltd., Chrysalis Music Ltd.
Contributed by Joshua B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.