Ne-Yo was a beautiful song writer before he became a recording artist. He has written songs for a number of artists, including Mary J. Blige, Ruben Studdard, Marques Houston, Faith Evans, Christina Milian, B2K, Nivea, Tyrese, Jamie Foxx , Heather Headley,and Mario . After coming off a bad deal with Columbia Records, Ne-Yo originally decided to remain as a songwriter until a close friend introduced him to L.A. Reid who signed him to Def Jam Records on the spot.
The origin of the name Ne-Yo was given by a mutual friend in 1999 who called him Neo because he could 'see' music akin to the character Neo from The Matrix trilogy. He altered the '-yo' part as an homage to his hip hop roots.
Ne-Yo's debut album, In My Own Words, was released in early 2006, through Def Jam Recordings, and debuted at number one on Billboard 200, selling over 301,000 copies in the first week and certified platinum. During the same week, Ne-Yo's second single "So Sick" (produced by Stargate) reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Ne-Yo is as famous for his songwriting as for his singing, writing such songs as Rihanna's top ten hit "Unfaithful", Mario's "Let Me Love You", Mario Vazquez's "Gallery", Paula DeAnda's "Walk Away (Remember Me)", and Beyoncé's Billboard Hot 100 ten-week number-one hit "Irreplaceable".
His second album, Because of You, was released May 1, 2007. The first single from the platinum-selling album was "Because of You". He has also said that he has written songs for Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Britney Spears, Corbin Bleu, and Enrique Iglesias for their upcoming albums. Smith also has stated that he will write songs for Craig David, Usher, Chris Brown, Jennifer Hudson, Leona Lewis, and he recently confirmed that he has been contacted by producer will.i.am to work on Michael Jackson's upcoming album.
Ne-Yo opened a recording studio called Carrington House and started his own label, Compound Entertainment, in 2007; Paula Campbell, Sixx John, and Shanell are now associated with Compound.
In December 2007, Ne-Yo and the Goo Goo Dolls performed at a fundraising concert for presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama.
He appeared in the song "Deewangi Deewangi" in the Hindi movie Om Shanti Om.
In February 2008 at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards, Ne-Yo won Best Contemporary R&B Album for Because Of You.
The Lazy Love Songfacts reports that Ne-Yo's fifth studio album was originally titled 'The Cracks in Mr. Perfect' before Ne-Yo changed it to R.E.D, which stands for "Realising Every Dream".
Back to What You Know
Ne-Yo Lyrics
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Fighting a war I can't win, fighting a memory
Something that used to be,
No matter how hard I fight,
All of my strength and might,
Keeps on defeating me, it just keeps on defeating me.
So what I'm trying to say, I know what's happening,
But your heart and your mind is still with him.
Go back to what you know,
Go back to where you know where your heart is,
Girl, just be honest, this is impossible,
This is impossible, we'll never work cause you don't want it,
Girl, you belong with him so just go back to what you know,
Go back to what you know, because this is impossible.
Telling me things that you two, did when he was with you,
How he was oh so sweet, the way that he used to treat you,
Instead you just can't keep him outta your mind.
Why can't you just tell me that I'm not who you want to be,
Baby you don't want me, no, no, no.
So what I'm trying to say, I know what's happening,
Your body is here with me,
But your heart and your mind is still with him.
Go back to what you know,
Go back to where you know where your heart is,
Girl, just be honest, this is impossible,
This is impossible, we'll never work cause you don't want it,
Girl, you belong with him so just go back to what you know,
Go back to what you know, because this is impossible.
And if that was really what you want,
I will not stand in your way, you want to be free
I will let you be,
I rather you have me, than miserable with me,
Back to what you know,
Back to what you know,
Said back to what you know.
So what I'm trying to say, I know what's happening,
Your body is here with me,
But your heart and your mind is still with him.
So there ain't no need to make those lies
You're stuck in the past,
Pedal to the gas and drive away
The lyrics to Ne-Yo's song "Back to What You Know" are about a man who is struggling to keep his relationship with a woman who is not emotionally present in it. He is fighting his own battle, trying to win a love that's already lost. The woman's memories of a previous relationship are keeping her from fully investing in the new one, leaving the man feeling defeated. Ne-Yo is trying to tell the woman that he knows what's happening; she still has feelings for her ex, and it's affecting their current relationship. He's urging her to go back to what she knows and be honest with herself so they can move on.
The chorus of the song is particularly meaningful, urging the woman to go back to where her heart is, saying that staying in the relationship with him is impossible because she doesn't want it. The man will not stand in her way if that's what she wants, even though he'd rather she be with him than be miserable. The final verse advises the woman not to make any false promises and to leave if she needs to, so that they can both move on.
Overall, the song is about letting go of a past love and accepting the reality of the present. It highlights the importance of being honest with oneself and one's partner to avoid hurting each other.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know where to begin, Fighting a war I can't win, fighting a memory Something that used to be, No matter how hard I fight, All of my strength and might, Keeps on defeating me, it just keeps on defeating me.
The singer is struggling with a past memory that is affecting his present relationship. Even though he is fighting to move on, he cannot seem to win the battle and the memory continues to defeat him.
So what I'm trying to say, I know what's happening, Your body is here with me, But your heart and your mind is still with him.
The singer knows that his partner is physically with him but emotionally and mentally, she is still attached to her ex-partner.
Go back to what you know, Go back to where you know where your heart is, Girl, just be honest, this is impossible, This is impossible, we'll never work cause you don't want it, Girl, you belong with him so just go back to what you know, Go back to what you know, because this is impossible.
The singer is giving his partner advice to go back to where her heart truly lies, which is with her ex-partner. He admits that their relationship is impossible because she does not want it and encourages her to return to what she knows and what is familiar.
Telling me things that you two, did when he was with you, How he was oh so sweet, the way that he used to treat you, Instead you just can't keep him outta your mind. Why can't you just tell me that I'm not who you want to be, Baby you don't want me, no, no, no.
The artist's partner still talks about her ex-partner and the things they did together. She cannot help but remember how good he made her feel, which makes it clear that she does not want the artist the way she wanted her ex-partner.
And if that was really what you want, I will not stand in your way, you want to be free I will let you be, I rather you have me, than miserable with me, Back to what you know, Back to what you know, Said back to what you know.
The artist acknowledges that his partner may choose to go back to her ex-partner and if it makes her happy, he will not hold her back. He would rather she be free to make her own decisions than be unhappy with him. He encourages her to go back to what she knows and what will make her happy.
So there ain't no need to make those lies You're stuck in the past, Pedal to the gas and drive away.
The singer tells his partner not to lie to him about her feelings and desires. She is still stuck in the past and needs to let go. He encourages her to move forward and not look back.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SHAFFER SMITH, MIKKEL ERIKSEN, TOR ERIK HERMANSEN, MAGNUS T. BEITE, BERNT RUNE STRAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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