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.
One Love
New Edition Lyrics
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A lot of things coming up
The game done changed
So much man
The people ain't the same
The music ain't the same
But New Edition, we here though
As a young man
Coming up in the game
I seen a lot of things
Accomplished a lot of dreams
But on my road to stardom
I seen some things I didn't understand
Like how another man
Could down another man
If he's your brother, man
Why don't you give him a hand
And show him how to do it, whoa, oh, oh
We ain't always gotta fight
Like they say we do
But we can come together
And make a power move, ooh
Be one with the music
And let the harmony speak for itself
We don't need no help
We got our own nation to give, we gotta grow
All we need is one love, one love
For my sisters and brothers, fathers
Need to help the single mothers, mothers
All we need is one love
All we need is one love, one love
For my sisters and brothers, fathers
Need to help the single mothers, mothers
All we need is one love
Yeah, there is it
NE one world, one love
The lyrics of New Edition's song One Love talks about how things have changed and how they have seen things during their rise to fame. They talk about how people and music are not the same but they are still here and will never change. They also express their desire for unity and for people to come together and make a power move. They believe that they do not always have to fight and that they can let the harmony of the music speak for itself. They encourage people to help each other out, and to be there for one another. New Edition appeals to the listeners to come together as one, to help each other, and promote a sense of community, love, and understanding.
One interesting fact about One Love is that it is the lead single from New Edition's 2004 album One Love, which was their first album in over 7 years. Another interesting fact is that New Edition is an American R&B group with roots in Boston, Massachusetts, and is known for their hits such as "Candy Girl", "Cool It Now", and "Mr. Telephone Man". The group was formed in 1978 and is composed of Ronnie DeVoe, Bobby Brown, Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Ralph Tresvant, and Johnny Gill.
Line by Line Meaning
You now done seen
You have witnessed a lot of changes in the world.
A lot of things coming up
Many new things are being introduced.
The game done changed
The environment has shifted.
So much man
It's a lot to handle.
The people ain't the same
Individuals are not behaving in the same way they used to.
The music ain't the same
The sounds and lyrics in contemporary music have changed.
But New Edition, we here though
New Edition is still present and active in the music industry.
And we ain't gon' never change
New Edition will always remain true to who they are.
As a young man
When I was young.
Coming up in the game
Participating in the music industry.
I seen a lot of things
I have witnessed many occurrences.
Accomplished a lot of dreams
Achieved many goals.
But on my road to stardom
While pursuing my career as a musician.
I seen some things I didn't understand
I encountered situations that confused me.
Like how another man
For instance, how one person.
Could down another man
Could disparage or insult someone else.
If he's your brother, man
If that person is supposed to be like a brother to you.
Why don't you give him a hand
Why not help him out or give him support?
And show him how to do it, whoa, oh, oh
And guide him in the right direction.
We ain't always gotta fight
We don't always have to be in conflict with each other.
Like they say we do
As some people might allege.
But we can come together
But we can unify.
And make a power move, ooh
And create an impactful action.
Be one with the music
Let the music be a unifying force.
And let the harmony speak for itself
And allow the beauty of the music to be evident by itself.
We don't need no help
We can do this on our own.
We got our own nation to give, we gotta grow
We have a community to support and develop.
All we need is one love, one love
All we need is unity and support.
For my sisters and brothers, fathers
For all the people in our community.
Need to help the single mothers, mothers
We need to support the single mothers within our community.
Yeah, there is it
That's what it is.
NE one world, one love
We are all connected and should work together in unity.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CORTE ELLIS, THERON FEEMSTER, CHARLES STANTON, RONNIE DEVOE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind