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.
That's The Way We're Livin'
New Edition Lyrics
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Tonight
Hey, what you're looking for is
Not so hard to find
It's in your eyes
Hurry
Out of time yah yah
There's no need to be misled
There's no need to work
Oh no we'll show you the way (tonight)
Chorus:
We're working hard
We're striving for perfection cause
That's the way we're livin'
Perfection's hard, that's why we're
Working overtime
That's the way we're livin' for you
It's up to you, so don't you let nobody
Tell you what to do
Make up your mind
Cause life should be taken one day at a time
Step by step, one by one
We'll show you the way (tonight)
(Chorus)
Time, there's no better time (Repeat 2x)
(Chorus) and Time, there's no better time (repeated)
In the song "That's The Way We're Livin'" by New Edition, the lyrics are telling the listener that they can easily find what they are looking for by following the band's lead. They are urging the listener to hurry up, not waste any time, and take control of their life. The band is portrayed as working hard and striving for perfection, and challenges the listener to work just as hard to achieve their own goals. The message is that if you work hard and focus on your goals, you can achieve anything.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the theme of working hard and striving for perfection. The band members sing about how they are working overtime to achieve their goals and live their best life. They also acknowledge that perfection is difficult to achieve, but they are making the effort to do so anyway. This theme continues throughout the song, with the band members urging the listener to make up their mind and take control of their own life.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, what you're looking for is not so hard to find
We believe that the thing you're searching for is not difficult to locate.
It's in your eyes
We perceive that you already have an idea of what you want and it's visible in your eyes.
Hurry, don't hesitate you're running out of time yah yah
We advise you to hurry and take action without delay because time is running out.
There's no need to be misled
You don't have to be confused, we'll assist you in finding what you need.
There's no need to work
You don't have to work hard or struggle, just follow our lead.
Oh no we'll show you the way (tonight)
Don't worry, we'll assist you in finding what you seek tonight.
We're working hard
We're putting in a lot of effort and time.
We're striving for perfection cause
We're aiming for excellence and constantly attempting to improve.
Perfection's hard, that's why we're
Achieving perfection isn't easy which is why we're putting in so much work.
Working overtime
We're working more hours than usual to achieve what we aim to accomplish.
That's the way we're livin' for you
This is our lifestyle and we strive towards perfection to assist and benefit you.
It's up to you, so don't you let nobody tell you what to do
Ultimately, the decision is yours and you shouldn't allow other people to influence your choices.
Make up your mind
You should decide what you want and focus on it.
Cause life should be taken one day at a time
You should take life slowly and not rush things.
Step by step, one by one
We'll guide you gradually, one step at a time.
Time, there's no better time (Repeat 2x)
There's no better period than now to start working towards your goals.
(Chorus) and Time, there's no better time (repeated)
Our lifestyle is to work hard, aiming towards perfection because there's no better time than now to do so.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MICHAEL BIVINS, RALPH TRESVANT, RICARDO BELL, RONALD DE VOE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind