Like the Jackson 5 before them, New Edition became a pop phenomenon, and were big enough to have Madonna as an opening act during their early days.
The group parted company with Starr in 1984; Starr responded by promptly creating the group New Kids on the Block, essentially New Edition with Caucasian teenagers. After the split the boys still received success from singles such as "Cool It Now, Mr. Telephone Man", and "Count Me Out". Around 1986, Bobby Brown was voted out of the group, due to behavioral problems during concerts, He went on to pursue a solo career in 1987 but did not find success in his solo ventures until 1988. Brown was replaced by former solo child star Johnny Gill who would become an official member that same year. The group's sound also evolved at this time from bubblegum pop-styled R&B to smoother, more adult music. The new material, primarily produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, had a strong new jack swing feel. The first album recorded with Gill, Heart Break, had numerous R&B hits, including "If It Isn't Love", "Can You Stand The Rain", "N.E. Heart Break", and "Boys To Men" (which later lent its name to the Philadelphia-based group Boyz II Men).
New Edition essentially broke up in 1989, with Bell, Bivins, and DeVoe forming the popular hip hop group Bell Biv DeVoe, Ralph Tresvant beginning his solo career and Gill restarting his solo career, with more success this time. In 1991, the group had a semi-reunion of sorts when they recorded a remix of the Bell Biv DeVoe track "Word To The Mutha!" in which all six members performed and appeared in the music video.
In 1996, the reunion became complete, as all six former members reunited for the Home Again album. Although the album featured the hit singles "Hit Me Off" and "I'm Still In Love With You", the ensuing tour would prove disastrous for the group. By the middle leg of the tour in 1997, Bobby Brown and Mike Bivins left, due to egos clashing and a less-than-harmonious time with the other members. The band canceled the tour and went on indefinite hiatus soon afterward.
The band reformed again in 2002 without Bobby Brown and released an album on Bad Boy Records entitled "One Love". They are currently working in the studio with plans to release another album with all six members in 2008.
Baby Love
New Edition Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Whoa whoa, yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah. Whoa!
Seen your picture.
Called your name.
Cover story teenage magazine.
Wish I could phone you.
Wish you well.
My baby love.
Do you remember me?
My baby love.
I remember.
Baby love.
Do you remember me?
My baby love.
Umm
You're a star now.
Celebrity.
Have you forgotten how it used to be?
We'd play doctor
In the sand.
Do you remember back in childhood land?
Wish I could hold you
In my arms.
I miss your candy kisses and your charms.
Nobody loves you
The way I do.
I'll never find another girl like you.
My baby love.
Do you remember me?
My baby love.
I remember.
Baby love.
Do you remember me?
My baby love.
Umm
When I'm lonely,
I can hear your voice inside,
inside, can't hide.
And when I look up
you're not anywhere.
I love you. You know it.
Wish that I could show it to
you you you.
My baby love.
Do you remember me?
My baby love.
I remember.
Baby love.
Do you remember me?
My baby love.
I remember.
Baby love.
Do you remember me?
My baby love.
I remember.
Baby love.
Do you remember me?
My baby love.
I remember, you remember.
I remember, you remember.
Baby love. Do you remember me?
Baby love. Do you remember me?
I remember, you remember.
Baby love. Do you remember me?
My baby love. I remember.
Baby love. Do you remember me?
My baby love. I remember, you remember.
Baby love. Do you remember me?
My baby love. I remember.
Baby love. Do you remember me?
My baby love. I remember.
Baby love. Do you remember me?
My baby love.
The lyrics to New Edition's "Baby Love" speak to the nostalgia and longing for an old flame who has now become a celebrity. The singer has seen a picture of their past love and wishes they could reach out to them again to reminisce about their past and reveal secrets they no longer share. They recall their childhood together, playing "doctor in the sand," and share that they still have strong feelings for their former love. Despite their past and the fact that their love interest has moved on to become famous, the singer still holds deep emotions for them.
The song's melody and rhythm bear a resemblance to classic Motown songs, and it is clear that New Edition has taken inspiration from this era. The use of the repeated "whoa whoa," along with the soulful harmonies, adds a sense of urgency and emotionality to the song. The lyrics, while simple, are relatable, and the longing for a lost love is a theme that many listeners can connect to. The song's nostalgic tone creates a sense of wistful melancholy that is underscored by the repeating chorus, "Do you remember me?"
Line by Line Meaning
Whoa whoa, you you yeah.
Expression of excitement and acknowledgement toward the subject.
Seen your picture.
I have seen an image of you.
Called your name.
Spoken the name that belongs to you.
Cover story teenage magazine.
Your story has been featured in a popular magazine about teenagers.
Wish I could phone you.
I desire to speak to you on the telephone.
Wish you well.
I desire for you to be well and safe.
And tell our secrets like we used to tell.
Recollecting the act of sharing intimate details like we used to do in the past.
My baby love.
A term of endearment for the addressed.
Do you remember me?
Asking if the subject recollects the artist.
You're a star now.
You have achieved celebrity status.
Celebrity.
Someone who is famous and well-known in society.
Have you forgotten how it used to be?
Questioning if the subject no longer remembers how things were in the past.
We'd play doctor in the sand.
Recollection of a childhood memory of playing a make-believe game.
Do you remember back in childhood land?
Asking if the subject also remembers this particular childhood memory.
Wish I could hold you in my arms.
I desire to embrace the subject physically.
I miss your candy kisses and your charms.
I yearn for the sweetness of your kisses and your alluring qualities.
Nobody loves you the way I do.
Asserting that the artist loves the subject more than anyone else.
When I'm lonely, I can hear your voice inside, inside, can't hide.
Acknowledging the sensation of hearing the subject's voice in the singer's mind when feeling alone.
And when I look up you're not anywhere.
When I search for you, you are nowhere to be found.
I love you. You know it.
Expressing love towards the subject and assuming that the subject already knows about it.
Wish that I could show it to you you you.
Wishing for the opportunity to express love towards the subject directly.
I remember, you remember.
Recollection that both the artist and the subject remember something.
My baby love.
A term of endearment for the addressed.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DANNY SEMBELLO, MICHAEL SEMBELLO, RICHARD J. RUDOLPH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind