Cheatham then signed for MCA Records as a solo singer. He worked with Al Hudson of the band One Way on his first album, The Boss. His first chart success came in 1983 with "Get Down Saturday Night", co-written by Cheatham and One Way's Kevin McCord, which reached no.37 on the Billboard R&B chart, and also reached no.38 on the UK singles chart. The album, Saturday Night, produced by Al Perkins, was released the same year. In 1986, he moved to the Critique label, and had further success in the US with the singles "S.O.S." (R&B chart no.35), and "Celebrate (Our Love)". Other Cheatham singles included "Mama Said," "Put a Little Love in Your Heart," "Things to Make U Happy," and "Wish on a Star." After moving to the New York-based Warlock label, he recorded "Turn Out the Lights" and "Mindbuster" with Jocelyn Brown. He spent much of the 1990s working as a backing singer with artists including Leo Sayer, and released his final album, Stand for Love, in 2002.
He returned to the charts in 2003, when he was featured in Room 5's UK #1 single, "Make Luv", which sampled "Get Down Saturday Night", though Cheatham re-recorded his vocal parts for later releases. The track was featured on a commercial for Lynx deodorant on British TV. Its success in the UK led Cheatham to relocate to Surrey, England, and he recorded in London for the Native Soul record label.
Elements of "Get Down Saturday Night" were also used in Michael Gray's 2004 hit, "The Weekend", and the track was sampled for Daft Punk's song "Voyager." It also featured in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
Cheatham died on November 29, 2013, at the age of 65, following a heart attack in his sleep.
Mindbuster
Oliver Cheatham Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Crime and drugs in the streets
No one ever really knows
They just questioning me
People crying, children dying
How can this be
When there is plenty of food upon this earth
Oh, oh, it′s an overdose
Overload
Mindbuster
Yes, it is
Oh, oh, oh
We've got to learn to love again
Show our loved ones that we care
Do it today
′Cause we might not have a second chance, oh, no
This is the only world we have
Let's go back to peace and love
Sweet dreams, hugs and kisses
And true romance...
Oh, oh, it's an overdose
Overload
It′s a mindbuster
Yes, it is
Oh, oh, oh
Wake up, everybody (We can teach them)
Stand up, everybody (Everybody, yeah)
Wake up, everybody
Stand up, stand up, wake up
Overdose
Overload
Well, it′s a mindbuster
Yes, it is
Oh, oh, oh (Yeah)
Overdose (Well)
Overload (Oh, oh)
Mindbuster
Yes, it is
Oh, oh, oh (Well, well)
Overdose (Hold on, sir)
Overload (You know what it is)
Mindbuster
Yes, it is
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Overdose
Overload
Mindbuster
Yes, it is
Yes, it is, yeah, yeah
Don't you know that it′s
Overdose
Well, well, it's a
Overload
Oh, lord, it′s a
Mindbuster
Yes, it is
Yes, it is, yes, it is
Wake up, everybody (We got to)
Stand up, everybody (We got to)
Wake up, everybody (We all live the, all live the same)
Stand up, stand up, wake up
Overdose (Oh, lord, it's a)
Overload (Yeah)
Mindbuster
Yes, it is
Yes, it is, yeah, yeah
Overdose (Well, well, well)
It′s an overload (Oh, oh)
Mindbuster
Yes, it is
Yes, it is
Yes, it is
Yes, it is (Oh, oh)
Overdose (Well)
Overload (Yeah, yeah)
Mindbuster (Come on, people)
Yes, it is
Stand up, stand up, stand up
Overdose (Hold on, it's a)
Overload (Yeah, oh)
Mindbuster (Yeah)
Yes, it is
The lyrics to Oliver Cheatham's song "Mindbuster" express concern about the state of the world, particularly in relation to crime, drugs, and violence that have become pervasive in society. The first verse describes a sense of unease and uncertainty in the community, with no one having answers as to why people are suffering and dying. The second verse offers a plea for people to come together and show love and care to those around them, as life is fleeting and there may not be another chance to do so.
The chorus repeats the phrase "mindbuster" in a somewhat ambiguous way, but it seems to suggest that the problems facing the world are overwhelming and difficult to overcome. The urgent call to "wake up" and "stand up" in the second half of the song hints at a desire for action and change, rather than just words of hope or despair.
Line by Line Meaning
Coming home and everywhere
Everywhere I go, whether it's coming home or going out, there's crime and drug activity in the streets.
Crime and drugs in the streets
I see a lot of criminal activity and drug use on the streets.
No one ever really knows
No one truly understands the reasons behind the crime and drug use, so we just keep questioning why it happens.
They just questioning me
People are asking me, but I don't have an answer for them.
People crying, children dying
It's a heartbreaking reality that people are crying and children are dying due to the violence and drug activity.
How can this be
It's hard to understand or comprehend why such violence and tragedy are happening.
When there is plenty of food upon this earth
Despite the sorrow and violence, there's still an abundance of resources and food available for people to live without struggle in this world.
For you and I to eat?
Despite this abundance, many people still go hungry or lack the basic needs for a comfortable life.
Oh, oh, it's an overdose
The violence and tragedy that we're seeing is too much and it's overwhelming to process emotionally.
Overload
There's an excessive amount of violence and tragedy happening in our society.
Mindbuster
This is a strain on our mental health and it's hard to keep up with the constant negative news and events.
We've got to learn to love again
Instead of violence and hate, we should focus on cultivating love and compassion in ourselves and others.
Show our loved ones that we care
We need to remind those closest to us that they are loved and supported.
Do it today
There's no time to waste in showing love and support, we need to do it now.
′Cause we might not have a second chance, oh, no
We should seize the moment to show love and compassion because we never know what the future holds.
This is the only world we have
We should protect and cherish our world because it's the only one we have.
Let's go back to peace and love
We should strive to live in a peaceful world and focus on spreading love and compassion.
Sweet dreams, hugs and kisses
We should focus on the simple and warm gestures of love and compassion towards one another.
And true romance...
We should focus on building genuine and honest relationships with others.
Wake up, everybody (We can teach them)
We should spread the message of peace and love to our communities and teach others about the importance of compassion.
Stand up, everybody (Everybody, yeah)
We should stand up for what's right and what we believe in, uniting together as a community.
Hold on, sir
There's hope in this world and we should keep holding on.
Writer(s): Jocelyn Brown, Peter Yellowstone, Philip Jeremy Radford, Ekim Stone, Oliver Cheatham, Stefan Lukas
Contributed by Peyton M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@nisanasaf
Very powerful song with a very powerful message
@AustinDallasPictures
It sure is.
@True2Bill
Amazing!! Loved it!
@omarmccray3282
Love it
@nisanasaf
Coming home and everywhere
Crime and drugs in the streets
No one ever really knows
They just questioning me
People crying, children dying
How can this be
When there is plenty of food upon this earth
For you and I to eat?
He is the man for penning this down.
@eddychristiaens8710
what voicesi"m speechless
@funkyswede62
Love Jocelyn and Oliver (RIP)
@katemcanergney4456
🥰