Nu Flavor is a R&B quartet from Long Beach, California consisting of Jacob … Read Full Bio ↴Nu Flavor is a R&B quartet from Long Beach, California consisting of Jacob Ceinceros (baritone), Anthony Dacosta (tenor), Rico Luna (alto), and Frank Pangelinan (tenor/lead). Soon after forming the band, they found "Latin Urban Idolmaking Guru" Bruce Johnson, and enlisted him as Manager and under his direction, they created a cover of Journey's hit song, Open Arms, and eventually the recording found it's way to Reprise president Howie Klien. After singing a capella in his office, he signed the group on the spot. Their first album debuted in 1997, launching two "gold" singles (500,000 units) "Heaven" and "Sweet Sexy Thing". Their second album It's On appeared two years later, which yielded the hit singles "Sprung", "3 Little Words" and "Beautiful Girl".

Tell me Why
Nu Flavor Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[Chorus:]
Tell me, tell me, tell me why
Why you tell me lies even after all I do for you?
And tell me, tell me, tell me why I try
Try to be your guy even after all you put me through?

Enough's enough my dear
No longer can I take this pain inside

You know the truth is that you took me for a ride
I guess I never did enough to to keep you satisfied

It's a cruel deception
You told me that you loved me when it wasn't' even true
In spite of all the love I give to you
Nothing in the world I wouldn't do
To keep you happy, to make you happy
Oh, tell me why

[Chorus]

The sun shines bright again
And all the tears I've cried for you have been washed away
Because all the things I did for you just seemed in vain
Tell me what game you play, oh baby

I've been so true to you
Gave you all the things in a man could ever give to you
And when you were down my love was there to see you through
Baby, what am I to do?
Someone tell me why

[Chorus]

Oh girl
I tried giving you the best of me
I was so blind but baby now I see
You tell me all the time, that everything is fine
When you know that's a lie, lie, lie

[Chorus]

Overall Meaning

The Nu Flavor song "Tell me Why" is about a relationship that has reached its breaking point due to the actions of one partner. The song's narrator is questioning why his partner continues to lie to him despite all he has done for her. He has given her everything he can, and yet she still deceives him. He realizes that he needs to move on from the pain she has caused him and that his efforts to keep her happy were not enough to sustain the relationship. The lyrics express the singer's frustration and pain as he questions why he even tried to make the relationship work.

The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "tell me why," which emphasizes the singer's confusion and desire for answers. He is struggling to understand why his partner would continue to lie to him even though he has been so devoted to her. The song's verses describe the singer's efforts to be a good partner and the disappointment he feels in return. He realizes that his partner was only deceiving him and that his attempts to make her happy were fruitless. Overall, the song is a raw and emotional exploration of heartbreak and the difficulty of letting go of a relationship that has become toxic.

Line by Line Meaning

Tell me, tell me, tell me why
Asking for an explanation as to why things are the way they are.

Why you tell me lies even after all I do for you?
Wondering why the other person is still lying despite all the efforts that the singer has put in the relationship

And tell me, tell me, tell me why I try
Questioning why the singer is still trying hard for the relationship despite everything

Try to be your guy even after all you put me through?
Questioning why the singer is still trying to be the other person's guy after all the hardships and struggles in the relationship

Enough's enough my dear
The singer has had enough of the relationship and is addressing the other person as 'my dear'

No longer can I take this pain inside
The singer is tired of the pain and hurt they have been experiencing in the relationship

You know the truth is that you took me for a ride
Accusing the other person of taking advantage of the singer's love and trust and betraying them

I guess I never did enough to keep you satisfied
Feeling that all efforts made to keep the other person happy and satisfied weren't enough

It's a cruel deception
Referring to the painful lie told by the other person about their love for the singer

You told me that you loved me when it wasn't' even true
Revealing that the other person was dishonest about their love, and that the feelings were not mutual

In spite of all the love I give to you
Despite giving all their love to the other person

Nothing in the world I wouldn't do
The singer is willing to do anything for the other person

To keep you happy, to make you happy
The singer is committed to making the other person happy

Oh, tell me why
Asking for an explanation regarding the other person's actions

The sun shines bright again
Metaphorically referring to a new beginning, a fresh start after the pain and hurt experienced in the relationship

And all the tears I've cried for you have been washed away
The singer has moved on and is no longer crying for the other person.

Because all the things I did for you just seemed in vain
Feeling that all the efforts made in the relationship were pointless and unappreciated

Tell me what game you play, oh baby
Questioning the other person's intentions and motives in the relationship

I've been so true to you
The singer has been loyal and honest to the other person throughout the relationship

Gave you all the things in a man could ever give to you
The singer has given the other person everything possible to make them happy

And when you were down my love was there to see you through
The singer has supported the other person in their tough times and helped them out

Baby, what am I to do?
A plea for help or advice on how to handle the situation

Someone tell me why
Asking for an explanation from anyone who may know or understand

Oh girl
Addressing the other person as 'girl'

I tried giving you the best of me
Putting in the best effort to make the relationship work

I was so blind but baby now I see
Realizing the truth after being blinded by the love for the other person

You tell me all the time, that everything is fine
The other person has been lying about the status of the relationship and pretending everything is okay

When you know that's a lie, lie, lie
The singer is aware that the other person has been lying, and it's not alright

[Chorus]
The repeated chorus conveys the main message of the song - asking for an explanation and wondering why things are the way they are

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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