Freelon had a part in the Mel Gibson movie What Women Want.
Now Or Never
Nnenna Freelon Lyrics
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'Cause I've been waitin' such a long long time!
Now baby or never, 'cause I've been so good to you.
Now baby or never, 'cause I've been so lonesome too.
Now baby or never, if I mean anything to you!
Now baby or never, 'cause you've wasted so much time.
Now baby or never, and it ain't no fault of mine!
It's gotta be yes or no!
It's either I stay or go;
You can't leave me on the shelf,
You gotta commit yourself!
It's either you will, baby, or won't
Fall in love with me.
Gonna call you once more on the telephone,
I give you till twelve and I'll be gone!
Now baby or never, 'cause I've been so good to you.
Now baby or never, 'cause I've been so lonesome too.
Now baby or never, if I mean anything to you!
Now baby or never, 'cause you've wasted so much time.
Now baby or never, 'cause you can't make up your mind.
Now baby or never, and it ain't no fault of mine!
It's gotta be yes or no!
It's either I stay or go;
You can't leave me on the shelf,
You gotta commit yourself!
It's either you will, baby, or won't
Fall in love with me.
I waited last night for you to call,
You give me no consideration at all!
It's now baby or never, 'cause I've wasted so much time.
Now baby or never, and you must make up your mind.
Now baby or never, and it ain't no fault of mine!
It's gotta be yes or no!
It's either I stay or go;
You can't leave me on the shelf,
You gotta commit yourself!
It's either you will, baby, or won't
You do, baby, or don't,
Ether you will, baby, or won't
Fall in love with me.
The song "Now or Never" is about a woman who has been waiting for her lover to commit to her for a long time, and she's reached her breaking point. She confronts him, telling him that it's now or never, and she needs to know if he wants to be with her or not. The frustration and urgency are palpable throughout the song, as she expresses her emotions through a powerful vocal performance.
The lyrics repeat the phrase "now baby or never" multiple times, emphasizing the importance of the moment and the decision that needs to be made. The woman is tired of waiting and wants to know where she stands in the relationship. She's been good to him, but she's also been lonely, and she can't continue living in limbo. She's willing to give him one more chance, but she's not going to wait forever.
The chorus emphasizes the binary nature of the decision, it's either yes or no, stay or go, commit or leave. There's no middle ground, and the woman needs a clear answer. She's not going to be left on the shelf, waiting for something that may never come.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey there, daddy, make up your mind,
Listen up, you need to make a decision,
'Cause I've been waitin' such a long long time!
Because I've been waiting a significant amount of time for you to decide.
Now baby or never, 'cause I've been so good to you.
This is the only chance to choose to be with me, after everything I've done for you.
Now baby or never, 'cause I've been so lonesome too.
I've been feeling so lonely and neglected, so this is the time to commit to me.
Now baby or never, if I mean anything to you!
If I am of any importance to you, you must make a choice now.
Now baby or never, 'cause you've wasted so much time.
You've procrastinated making a decision for too long.
Now baby or never, 'cause you can't make up your mind.
You struggle to decide and it's now or never.
Now baby or never, and it ain't no fault of mine!
It's not my fault that you can't make up your mind, but we must choose now.
It's gotta be yes or no!
You have to give me a definite answer.
It's either I stay or go;
I either remain here with you or leave.
You can't leave me on the shelf,
You can't leave me without an answer.
You gotta commit yourself!
You must make a decision and choose one way or the other.
It's either you will, baby, or won't
You'll have to choose yes or no,
Fall in love with me.
And decide whether or not to love me.
Gonna call you once more on the telephone,
I will give you one final chance to answer,
I give you till twelve and I'll be gone!
But if you don't answer by midnight, I'll be out of here.
I waited last night for you to call,
I was waiting for you to call and give me an answer, but you didn't.
You give me no consideration at all!
You show no concern for my feelings or desires.
It's now baby or never, 'cause I've wasted so much time.
I've spent too much time waiting on you, so it's now or never.
Now baby or never, and you must make up your mind.
It's the final decision, and you need to finally choose.
You do, baby, or don't,
You either decide to be with me or not,
Ether you will, baby, or won't
Either you choose to love me, or you don't.
Fall in love with me.
That's the ultimate choice you must make.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CURTIS LEWIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind