Many artists have been declared “before their time” however with the album title After My Time, Noel pays homage to the soul stars of generations past that have paved the way for him to express himself through the “most relevant music” in his life. While he’d fit perfectly in the old-school soul genre, he has crafted an album that also proves him to be a unique new-generation artist with undeniable staying power.
As a kid growing up just outside of Boston in Brockton, Massachusetts, the 26-year-old musician soaked up the sounds of his father’s music collection, which consisted of plenty of old soul favorites like Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, Tyrone Davis and Teddy Pendergrass. Noel realized his true passion for making music in high school and set out on the beaten path to a professional career by writing and producing songs and performing at clubs and showcases in and around the Boston area. During this time, he partnered with Larry “Lucky” Fernandes, a music executive also from the Boston area and head of Stalin Entertainment. Having grown up with Noel, Fernandes watched him develop into a promising musician and when he felt the time was right, he introduced the aspiring singer to fellow producer/artist Tommy Olivera and songwriter Balewa Muhammad of the Trakaddix production team.
Olivera had a wide range of industry contacts, among them former Naughty By Nature DJ / producer Kay-Gee, best known for his production work for Jaheim, Zhané and Next. Declaring him the “new-age Sam Cooke,” Kay-Gee brought Noel into the studio to record “Family Reunion” for the soundtrack to the 2004 film The Cookout. A number of industry players bore witness to the formation of Noel’s career, as he also found himself in the studio with hit-making producers such as Mike City and Dr. Dre along the way. After taking meetings with various labels, Noel’s camp ultimately settled at Epic and set to work on presenting to the world who they already knew to be R&B’s next superstar.
With his father’s two-hour Maxell soul tapes as their soundtrack, each year, Noel and his family made the long car trips to his grandparents’ home just outside Biloxi, Mississippi. There, he spent his summers soaking up the environment that would serve not only as a rural refuge, but the foundation for his manhood. It was here that the city boy learned of a world outside of Boston. He lived and breathed the stories of his predecessors’ struggles through the civil rights movement and the oppression synonymous with the South. The memories of Sunday mornings at church, fish fries and backseat make-out sessions were created and each summer, Noel nourished his existence with the growth and renewal he gained there, much like that offered through the time-honored Southern tradition of river baptisms.
It’s no wonder that Noel is already winning music fans over with his debut single, aptly titled “The River.” Kay-Gee produced the feel-good track in the tradition of an old-soul ballad, which harks back to the all-encompassing elements of love, family and summers in Mississippi. Noel recalls of writing the song, “My grandfather had just died and I was thinking about him, and in the Deep South, the river represents something spiritual.” He attributes the song’s popularity to its applicable theme. “I think there’s something in the record a lot of people can hold and grasp and relate to. It seems like people from 15 on up to 50 years old can grab something from this record.”
Along with his production team Trakaddix, Noel Gourdin co-wrote much of the album, which also boasts a formidable list of collaborators, including Raphael Saadiq, Vidal & Dre, The Black Beatles and Eddie F. Grown-and-sexy but edgy enough to appeal to the younger crowd, the disc offers up the melodic sounds reminiscent of pioneering soul imprints like Motown, Stax and Philly International, while incorporating the beat-driven hip-hop rhythms that are a constant on today’s music charts.
Some of these gems include “Reach,” on which Noel flexes his falsetto muscles while addressing the notion of giving a 100 percent to a relationship. “Sorry I Led You On,” is about the harsh realities of a man growing out of love. Noel lets his lover down easy on the track produced by Soundz (Usher). Salaam Remi (Amy Winehouse) works his magic on “Open.” Borrowing from the late B.I.G.’s “Who Shot Ya,” the tastefully seductive track hears Noel give praise to that special woman who arouses his sensual side. The typical male-female roles are switched on “One Love,” a groove-driven track on which Noel looks to take a relationship to the next level. The downside of love is represented on tracks like “Too Late,” where he campaigns to save a union he fears is already doomed; And Trakaddix’s own “Hurts Like Hell” hears the artist brokenhearted but bitter and resigned to move on. Hip-hop is infused again on the latter track, nodding to A Tribe Called Quest’s “Lyrics to Go.”
In summing up himself as “city to the heart but southern to the soul,” Noel also sums up his music. “It’s emotional and vulnerable, but still strong and secure.” He is certainly among those rare artists who can walk the fine line between being “what’s hot” and a favorite among more mature listeners. His music can be played at the young people’s party or the family barbeque, much like contemporaries John Legend, D’Angelo and Robin Thicke before him. However, artistically in a class by himself Noel declares, “More than anything, I wanted to make music that was real, relatable and timeless.” And with this first offering destined to become a classic, Noel Gourdin has certainly done just that.
Too Late
Noel Gourdin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is it too late to change your mind
I was hopping I could see you just one more time
If its too late to get you back
I'll move on along you just like that
It's been a whole year since we talked
And I been missing you
I wanna know how life's treating you
I was dead wrong always gone
Leaving you home alone when I should of been there for you
[Bridge]
Theres something I wanna say
Pride got in the way
Should of stopped you at the door
Should of loved you more
But now that your gone away I feel it everyday
So much pressure babe
I wanna catch a flight
Ill be there tonight
[Chorus]
Its no one else's fault
Girl I paid the cost
If you don't return well I guess its just my loss
Can I get a second chance
Can I get one more dance
Now I realize that I need you in my life
[Bridge]
[Chorus]
I made it so complicated, and now shes jaded
Cause I procrastinated I never meant to do her wrong
I regret that it took me so long
To see you that I was hurting my baby
I think I'm getting faded
You see I took her for granted and I couldn't have planned it much worse
But sugar I gotta know
[Chorus]
Is it too late, is it too late
Give me a try, give me a try
Is it too late, is it too late
Give me a try, give me a try
The song "Too Late" by Noel Gourdin is an emotional plea for a second chance. The lyrics tell a story about a man who took his girlfriend for granted and then regrets the mistake he made. He realizes that he was inconsiderate and failed to prioritize his girl's feelings, and now that she is gone, he is filled with regret. The chorus plays like an apology, begging for the chance to make things right again. The bridge is a critical part of the song as it reveals the singer's guilt over not loving their partner enough. The line, "I should have loved you more," is a confession that the singer could have done more and has a powerful emotional impact. The song ends with the singer admitting that he made a mistake and hoping that his girl will take him back.
Line by Line Meaning
Is it too late to change your mind
Wondering if the opportunity to make amends has passed
I was hopping I could see you just one more time
Wanting a final chance to see the person again
If its too late to get you back
Questioning if it's too late to reconcile the relationship
I'll move on along you just like that
If it's too late, accepting the situation and moving forward without the person
It's been a whole year since we talked
Not having spoken for a year, expressing a desire to communicate again
And I been missing you
Feeling the loss of the person's absence
And everything alright with me
Checking in on the well-being of the other person
I wanna know how life's treating you
Expressing interest in the other person's life
I was dead wrong always gone
Admitting fault in the past behavior
Leaving you home alone when I should of been there for you
Regretting not being present for the other person
Theres something I wanna say
Having something to say to the other person
Pride got in the way
Acknowledging that personal pride played a role in the situation
Should of stopped you at the door
Wishing to have prevented the other person from leaving
Should of loved you more
Regretting not having expressed love more strongly
But now that your gone away I feel it everyday
Experiencing the emotional effects of the other person's absence
So much pressure babe
Feeling the weight of the situation
I wanna catch a flight
Expressing a desire to travel to see the other person
Ill be there tonight
Making a promise to see the other person soon
Its no one else's fault
Taking full responsibility for the situation
Girl I paid the cost
Acknowledging the negative consequences of past actions
If you don't return well I guess its just my loss
Accepting the potential outcome of the situation
Can I get a second chance
Asking for another opportunity to make things right
Can I get one more dance
Asking for one more chance to connect with the other person
Now I realize that I need you in my life
Understanding the importance of the other person in their life
I made it so complicated, and now shes jaded
Admitting to having made the situation difficult, and recognizing how it has negatively affected the other person
Cause I procrastinated I never meant to do her wrong
Acknowledging fault for causing harm as a result of inaction
I regret that it took me so long
Expressing regret over not having taken action sooner
To see you that I was hurting my baby
Realizing how actions have affected the other person
I think I'm getting faded
Feeling emotional and overwhelmed
You see I took her for granted and I couldn't have planned it much worse
Admitting to neglecting the other person, and realizing the negative consequences that have resulted from past actions
But sugar I gotta know
Expressing a need for an answer to the question asked in the chorus
Give me a try, give me a try
Asking for a chance to make things right and reconcile the relationship
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: EDDIE FERRELL, DARREN LIGHTY, CLIFTON LIGHTY, BALEWA MUHAMMAD, MONTY POWELL, ANNA WILSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind