Rodgers began his career as a session guitarist in New York, playing with the Sesame Street band in his teens, and then working in the house band at Harlem's renowned Apollo Theater, backing artists like Aretha Franklin, Ben E. King, Nancy Wilson, and Parliament Funkadelic.
He met bassist Bernard Edwards in 1970. They formed a rock band called The Boys (later known as the Big Apple Band) and played numerous gigs around New York City, but despite interest in their demos, they could not get a record contract when the music companies discovered they were black; the discrimination of the day said black artists couldn't play "rock".
These experiences, in addition to activist tenor of the times, led to Rodgers' active involvement in the Black Panther Party in New York City. The 1999 documentary film Public Enemy contains history and interviews with Rodgers about these times. Not the type to give up on their musical dreams, in 1977 Rodgers and Edwards joined forces with drummer Tony Thompson to form the funk/R&B/disco band Chic, and went on to score numerous top ten hits and helped propel disco to new levels of popularity. Their songs "Everybody Dance", "Le Freak" and "Good Times" remain among the most sampled songs of the late 1970s/early 1980s R&B era.
"Good Times" signals the start of the take-off of hip hop music as its sample immensely contributed to the success of Sugarhill Gang's Rapper's Delight, the first rap hit ever. Chic dissolved in 1983. As Chic's tight sound and yet rich composition became increasingly popular and sought-after, Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers began doing record production, sometimes together, sometimes apart. Rodgers and Bernard Edwards produced, wrote, and performed with the band Sister Sledge.
In 1980 they produced the album diana for Diana Ross, yielding the smash hits Upside Down and I'm Coming Out (which remains Ross' best selling album).
In 1981, Deborah Harry worked with both Rodgers and Edwards on the album Koo Koo.
In 1983, they produced David Bowie's album Let's Dance (to date Bowie's biggest-selling album) with several hit singles, and in 1984 produced Madonna's blockbuster album Like a Virgin, Madonna's breakthrough album, spawning her two signature hits ("Material Girl" and the title track). Rodgers helped develop Madonna's career significantly. Duran Duran worked extensively with Rodgers after he produced the hit single, "The Reflex", in 1983 and followed up with "The Wild Boys" for inclusion on their 1984 live album Arena. Rodgers also produced Sheena Easton's 1985 album "Do You".
In 1986, he produced the entirety of Duran Duran's Notorious album, which yielded a #2 title track hit. During a live set, Simon Le Bon introduced Rodgers, saying "Well, this band went through a difficult time (during Notorious). The band might not have made it if it weren't for this gentleman..." He contributed to numerous other projects and appearances with members of the band throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and in 2002-2003 helped to produce Astronaut, the new album by the original five members of the band.
Also in 1987 Rodgers produced the Grace Jones album Inside Story for Manhattan records.
He formed the short-lived experimental band Outloud in 1987 with acclaimed French session musician/producer/keyboardist, Philippe Saisse; they released a single album, Out Loud, on Warner Bros. Records. Saisse has often played with Rodgers during in the Chic tours.
After a 1992 birthday party where Rodgers, Edwards, Paul Shaffer and Anton Fig played old Chic hits to rapturous response, Rodgers and Edwards organized the reunion of the old band. They recorded new material and played live all over the world, to great audience and greater critical acclaim. In 1996, Rodgers was honored as the Top Producer In the World in Billboard Magazine, and was named a JT Super Producer. That year he performed with Bernard Edwards, Sister Sledge, Steve Winwood, Simon Le Bon and Slash in a series of commemorative concerts in Japan which provided a career retrospective. Unfortunately his longtime musical partner and close friend Bernard Edwards died of pneumonia during the trip, a blow that Rodgers took very hard.
In 1998, Rodgers founded Sumthing Else Music Works music label and Sumthing Distribution, the largest African-American owned independent music label distribution company in America. Sumthing currently focuses on distributing a fast-growing new genre: video game soundtracks. Soundtrack titles include Halo, Halo 2 and the upcoming Halo 3 soundtrack. It has been underminded that he produced a legendary album called A Great Long While By Jamband great's known as Strangefolk where he put his pop and rock know how and incorporated a great Jamband album.
The September 11, 2001 attacks prompted Rodgers to create the We Are Family Project to help begin the healing process. To begin, he organized a re-recording of the song he and his music partner Bernard Edwards wrote for Sister Sledge called "We Are Family" with more than 200 musicians, celebrities, and personalities. Director Spike Lee filmed the "We Are Family" music video and director Danny Schechter filmed a documentary depicting the recording sessions called The Making and Meaning of We Are Family. The film was chosen as a Sundance Film Festival Special Selection in 2002. Rodgers continued the healing process and produced another "We Are Family" recording and music video involving more than 100 beloved children's television characters. The children's music video airs as a public service announcement on Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, and PBS stations to promote the message of a common humanity. In July 2002, Rodgers officially created the We Are Family Foundation to celebrate the vision of a global family by creating and supporting programs that inspire and educate people about mutual respect, understanding, and appreciation of cultural diversity.
Rodgers received a NY Chapter's Governor's Lifetime Achievement Award and a Heroes Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. On September 19, 2005, Nile Rodgers was honored at the Dance Music Hall of Fame ceremony in New York when he was inducted for his many outstanding achievements as a producer, along with former fellow band mate Bernard Edwards. CHIC has been nominated to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame three times - 2003, 2006 and 2007. In the summer of 2006 Rodgers served as musical director for the tribute concert to Ahmet Ertegün at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Montreux, Switzerland. The concert included performances by Chic, Robert Plant, Steve Winwood, Stevie Nicks, Kid Rock and many other artists who were signed to Ertegün's Atlantic Records. In 2007, Rodgers made contributions to the upcoming Wu-Tang Clan album, 8 Diagrams. He also wrote the title song Love Me Sexy from the movie Semi-Pro, starring Will Ferrell.
I Want Your Love
Nile Rodgers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I want your love, I want your love
I want your love, I want your love
I want your love, I want your love
Do you feel, like you ever want to try my love and see how well it fits?
Baby, can't you see when you look at me?
I can't kick this feeling when it hits
I grab my pillow and squeeze it tight
I think of you
And I dream of you, all of the time
What am I gonna do?
I want your love, I want your love
(You know I want your love, you know I need your love)
I want your love, I want your love
(You know I want your love, you know I need your love)
Sometimes, don't you feel like you never really had a love that's real?
Well, here I am and who's to say
A better love you won't find today
Gimme just one chance and I will show you love like no other (like no other)
Two steps above (like no other)
I'm your ladder, I'll be your path
I want your lovin', please don't make me beg
(Please don't make me beg)
I want your love, I want your love
(You know I want your love, you know I need your love)
I want your love, I want your love
(You know I want your love, you know I need your love)
I want your love, I want your love
(You know I want your love, you know I need your love)
I want your love, I want your love
(You know I want your love, you know I need your love)
I want your love, I need your love
I'll share my dreams
And make you see how really bad your love, I need
I want your love, I need your love
Just like the birds needs sky above
I'll share my dreams
And make you see how really bad your love, I need
I'll share my dreams
And make you see how really bad your love, I need
I want your love, I want your love
I want your love
(Chic)
(You know, I'm a good lover)
I want your love, I want your love
(You know I want your love, you know I need your love)
I want your love, I want your love
(You know I want your love, you know I need your love)
I want your love, I want your love
(You know I want your love, you know I need your love)
I want your love, I want your love
(You know I want your love, you know I need your love)
I want your love, I want your love
(Now play it)
You know I need your love, you know I need your love
You know I want your love, you know I need your love
You know I want your love, you know I need your love
You know I want your love, you know I need your love
You know I want your love, you know I need your love
You know I want your love, you know I need your love
Need your love, need your love
Need your love, need your love
Need your love, need your love
(Have you ever really been in love?)
I want your love, I want your love
The lyrics of "I Want Your Love" by Nile Rodgers and CHIC are a plea to a love interest for reciprocation. The singer expresses how they can't kick the feeling of wanting the other person's love and fantasizes about them all the time. They ask the person to give them a chance to prove their love and show that they can offer a better love than the other person has ever experienced before. The repetition of the chorus underscores the intensity of the singer's desire and emphasizes the central theme of the song.
The lyrics of "I Want Your Love" are straightforward, but they convey the emotions of the singer effectively. The song's catchy melody and beat make it a timeless classic in the world of disco and pop music. It has been covered and remixed by multiple artists over the years, and its popularity has endured. The song's message is universal, and its relatability makes it resonate with listeners of all ages.
Overall, "I Want Your Love" is a fun, upbeat, and catchy song that embodies the spirit of disco music. It's a classic that has stood the test of time and is sure to keep people dancing for years to come.
Line by Line Meaning
I want your love, I want your love
The singer desires the affection and attention of the person they are addressing and repeats this phrase multiple times throughout the song.
Do you feel, like you ever want to try my love and see how well it fits?
The singer is asking the person they are addressing if they would like to give the singer's love a chance in a relationship.
Baby, can't you see when you look at me?
The singer is asking the person they are addressing if they can see the love and affection that the singer has for them when they look at each other.
I can't kick this feeling when it hits
The artist has a strong attraction to the person they are addressing and cannot resist their feelings for them.
Oh, all alone, in my bed at night
The artist is spending their nights alone, thinking about the person they are addressing and longing for their love.
I grab my pillow and squeeze it tight
As the singer thinks of the person they love, they hold onto their pillow tightly, longing for physical contact with them.
I think of you
The singer's thoughts are consumed with the person they love, and they cannot stop thinking about them.
And I dream of you, all of the time
The artist not only thinks of the person they love but also dreams about them often.
What am I gonna do?
The artist is unsure of how to proceed with their feelings for the person they are addressing and is hoping for a positive outcome in their relationship.
Sometimes, don't you feel like you never really had a love that's real?
The artist is asking the person they are addressing if they have ever felt like they have never experienced a genuine, authentic love before.
Well, here I am and who's to say
The singer is suggesting that they could be the answer to the person they are addressing's desire for a real and genuine love.
A better love you won't find today
The artist believes that they could provide a better and more meaningful love than anyone else the person they are addressing could find.
Gimme just one chance and I will show you love like no other (like no other)
The singer is pleading with the person they are addressing for just one chance to show them a unique and unparalleled love.
Two steps above (like no other)
The singer is describing the love they can provide as going above and beyond what others can offer.
I'm your ladder, I'll be your path
The singer is offering themselves as a path for the person they are addressing to follow towards a meaningful and fulfilling relationship.
I want your lovin', please don't make me beg (Please don't make me beg)
The artist is asking for the person they love to reciprocate their affections and to not make them beg for their love.
I'll share my dreams
The artist is indicating that they are willing to share their aspirations and goals with the person they love.
And make you see how really bad your love, I need
The singer desires the love of the person they are addressing and wants to show them how much they truly need it.
Just like the birds needs sky above
The singer is comparing their need for the person they love to the way birds require the sky to fly.
I want your love
The artist reiterates their desire for the love of the person they are addressing.
Now play it
The artist is urging someone to play the music and to continue enjoying the song.
You know I need your love, you know I want your love
The artist expresses their need and desire for the love of the person they are addressing one more time.
Need your love, need your love
The singer emphasizes their need for the love of the person they are addressing.
(Have you ever really been in love?)
The artist poses a question to the person they are addressing, asking if they have ever truly experienced love before.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Nile Rodgers, Bernard Edwards
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Marie Blue
Nile Rodgers dreamt every single note of this bittersweet lament about an unrequited love. He claims that it’s the only song he’s ever dreamt note-for-note.
Rodgers recalled : “I used to sleep with score paper next to the bed, and I wrote out the whole score paper […], and I wrote out the whole score the next day. We went in and played what I dreamt.”
He added : “The only thing that appears on the record that I didn’t dream was when the horns come in, I put the strings up an octave. That was the idea of the concert master. He said, ‘Nile, since we’re going this long amount of time, why don’t the strings up an octave for the second part?’ We tried it in the studio and it sounded great.”
Originally intended for Sister Sledge, “I Want Your Love” (1979) was eventually audiotaped as a follow-up to Chic’s hit single “Le Freak” (1978).
In 2015, Lady Gaga released this with Nike Rodgers for a campaign for the designer Tom Ford. 💙🎶💜
ngobita
This song has no age, a true masterpiece! I can't stop listening to it.
Young Mac (UK)
I don't know if it's hayfever or lockdown but this had me in tears by the end. Long live Disco.
self4autism
This is the ONLY song niles wrote from a dream, i get that....
Ann Lonsdale
love nile rogers and sly and the family stone🇯🇲🇯🇲🇬🇧✌🥀❤🧡❤🎶
Dreamer
Oooh yes feeling like a teeny ( with 60!!)💥💥👍
Christopher Ducat
It's just great to see a classic sound perfected, I feel ya 💗
Daniel HERRGOTT
Disco and funky music was my soldier Time in Berlin 1981 Timelesse unforget bye from France
ken nak
Awesome performance! I love that horn section!
Christopher Ducat
Absolutely killing it! A truly fantastic incarnation of Chic 😁
TD DT
they are sooooo good....I cannot wait to see them live....