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.
Hide and Seek
New Edition Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'm searchin' everywhere to find your LOVE
But you play so hard to get
And I haven't found out yet where you are.
You'll never find
Just what you got.
Here I come.
Hide and seek.
It's just a game we play.
Hide and seek.
Swear I gotta find you.
Sneakin' up behind you.
Hide and seek.
When I tried so hard to see
How you keep this mystery around our LOVE
Every simple breath you take
Always makes the love we make seem so new
You're up to your
Old tricks again.
I close my eyes
And count to ten.
Hide and seek.
It's just a game we play.
Hide and seek.
Swear I gotta find you.
Sneakin' up behind you.
Hide and seek.
Hi hi hi hide.
You'll never find just what you got.
Here I come.
Ready or not.
Hide and seek.
It's just a game we play.
Hide and seek.
Swear I gotta find you.
Sneakin' up behind you.
Hide and seek.
Hide and seek.
It's just a game we play.
Hide and seek.
Swear I gotta find you.
Sneakin' up behind you.
Hide and seek.
Hide and seek.
Hide and seek.
Hide and seek.
Hide and seek.
Hide and seek.
Swear I gotta find you.
Hide and seek.
Hide and seek.
Hide and seek.
Sneakin' up behind you.
The song Hide and Seek by New Edition is a great representation of the common struggle in relationships, where one party tries to find the other who seems to be playing hard to get. The beginning of the song portrays the singer looking for love in all the wrong places, searching for someone who is seemingly playing a game of hiding and seeking. The singer can't seem to find where their love is hiding and it appears that the other party may be purposely making it difficult to locate them.
The chorus of the song revolves around the concept of the game hide and seek. The singer mentions the game a few times, indicating that this game is often played between the two individuals involved. The singer expresses the desire to find their love, sneaking up on them when they least expect it. They profess that they will do whatever it takes to locate their lover, highlighted by the words "Swear I gotta find you." The bridge reveals that the love shared between the two is new every time, with the simple breaths taken by the lover being instrumental in keeping the love fresh.
Overall, Hide and Seek highlights the struggle that often arises in relationships, where one party tries to hide their emotions and the other spends most of their time looking for them. The song represents the complexities of love and how difficult it can be to find someone who seems to be playing hard to get.
Line by Line Meaning
When I'm looking here and there, And I'm searchin' everywhere to find your LOVE But you play so hard to get And I haven't found out yet where you are.
I'm searching around for your love but you make it difficult to find; I don't know where you are.
You'll never find Just what you got. Here I come. Ready or not.
You won't recognize what you have until it's gone.
Hide and seek. It's just a game we play. Hide and seek. Swear I gotta find you. Sneakin' up behind you. Hide and seek.
Finding your love feels like a game of hide and seek; I'm determined to find you.
When I tried so hard to see How you keep this mystery around our LOVE Every simple breath you take Always makes the love we make seem so new You're up to your Old tricks again.
I can't figure out what makes our love so special and you keep surprising me with new things; you're always doing things to keep it fresh.
I close my eyes And count to ten. Hide and seek. It's just a game we play.
I take a moment to regroup and keep playing the game of finding your love.
Hi hi hi hide. You'll never find just what you got. Here I come. Ready or not.
I'm ready to find your love, even though you don't realize what you have.
Hide and seek. It's just a game we play. Hide and seek. Swear I gotta find you. Sneakin' up behind you. Hide and seek.
The game of finding your love continues, and I'm determined to win.
Hide and seek. Swear I gotta find you. Hide and seek. Hide and seek. Hide and seek. Hide and seek. Hide and seek. Swear I gotta find you. Hide and seek. Hide and seek. Hide and seek. Sneakin' up behind you.
I'm really into this game of finding your love, and I won't stop until I do; I'm determined to sneak up on you and find you.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Clara Bell, D Davis, Michael Hanks
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind