After recording their debut single "Ode to a Forgetful Mind" in 1988, P.M. Dawn released their first album Of the Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross: The Utopian Experience in 1991 to critical acclaim. It achieved immediate commercial success because of its single "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss". Their 1993 follow-up The Bliss Album...? was also praised by critics and featured the hit singles "I'd Die Without You" and "Looking Through Patient Eyes". P.M. Dawn continued to receive strong reviews, but sold poorly with their subsequent albums Jesus Wept (1995) and Dearest Christian, I'm So Very Sorry for Bringing You Here. Love, Dad (1998).
The Cordes brothers' father died of pneumonia when they were children. Further family tragedy occurred when their baby brother, Duncan, drowned at the age of two. The two elder brothers were raised by their mother and their stepfather George Brown, a founding member of Kool & the Gang.
Prince Be began DJing parties and composing songs in ninth grade. Within a few years, he had determined to make a demo tape of some of those pieces with the $600 he had set aside from his after school job as a security guard at a homeless shelter. By then, he and his brother were putting in studio time as P.M. Dawn.
They first approached Tommy Boy Records, the rap music subsidiary of Warner Brothers, with their demo, but they were told that they were too much like alternative hip-hoppers De La Soul, and not hardcore or ghetto, and were turned away. Eventually, Warlock, an independent record label, issued a debut single, "Ode to a Forgetful Mind", in 1989, but it went unnoticed.
The record label that released the single in the United Kingdom, Gee Street Records, found greater success. Gee Street mixed and marketed the song so that it earned considerable attention from music reviewers, and P.M. Dawn found themselves courted not just by Gee Street's head, Jon Baker, but also by most of the major UK record labels. Gee Street brought the brothers to London in 1990 to record tracks for an album; however, the label found itself facing bankruptcy during the recording. The entire Gee Street operation, along with P.M. Dawn's recording contract, was sold to the highest bidder, Island Records. Island issued a few more singles in the United Kingdom before releasing their debut album, Of the Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross: The Utopian Experience.
Of the Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross featured the international hit "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss", which sampled the Spandau Ballet song "True", and featured a cameo by Spandau Ballet singer Tony Hadley in the music video of the song. "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" hit #1 the week of November 30, 1991, and holds the distinction of being the first #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart following the introduction of Nielsen SoundScan to the chart. The song also reached #3 in the United Kingdom. "Paper Doll", which was one of the early singles Island released in the United Kingdom, was released in the US as a follow-up to "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss", and peaked at #28 in early 1992. "Paper Doll" is said well over 100 times in the song, which makes it second only to MC Hammer's "Pray", which holds the record for the most times a title is repeated in a US Top 40 hit (147).
With the success of their debut album, the band parted company with their manager Nick Hemmings and embarked on a world tour. During this world tour, a statement Prince Be made in Details magazine led Boogie Down Productions' KRS-One and his crew to storm the stage during a P.M. Dawn concert, forcing the group off the stage and performing three BDP classics. To warrant this reaction from KRS-One, Prince B had asked, "KRS-One wants to be a teacher, but a teacher of what?" Defending his motives to USA Today's James T. Jones IV, KRS-One remarked, "I answered his question. 'A teacher of what?' I'm a teacher of respect."
In 1992, P.M. Dawn appeared on the Red Hot Organization's compilation CD Red Hot + Dance, contributing the Richie Rich Mix of "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss". The album, featuring George Michael and Madonna among others, was meant to raise money and awareness in support of the AIDS epidemic.
Before releasing their follow-up album, The Bliss Album…? (Vibrations of Love and Anger and the Ponderance of Life and Existence), P.M. Dawn contributed the single "I'd Die Without You" to the 1992 Eddie Murphy comedy Boomerang and its soundtrack. This #2 pop hit was also included on The Bliss Album…?, as was the Billboard #2 pop hit "Looking Through Patient Eyes".
"Looking Through Patient Eyes" featured backing vocals by Cathy Dennis and sampled George Michael's hit "Father Figure". The music video for the song was shot in a church, and featured Christian images throughout — most notably, Prince Be wore a T-shirt with "Thank you, Jesus" written across it in black lettering.
The Bliss Album…? featured the Boy George duet "More Than Likely" and a cover of The Beatles' "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)". The album also included "So On and So On," which led to a 1999 sampling lawsuit. In the lawsuit Batiste v. Island Records, Inc., Paul and Michael Batiste claimed that P.M. Dawn's song "So On and So On" used unauthorized samples from David Batiste & The Gladiators' "Funky Soul". The fifth Circuit Federal Appellate Court found that the Batistes point to no evidence in the record demonstrating that consumers were confused or deceived by either the use of a digital sample of "Funky Soul" in "So On and So On", or the attribution to David Batiste as a co-author of the track. The Batistes' claim that Paul and Michael Batiste were improperly excluded from the liner notes accompanying the album also failed to suggest that consumers were confused, especially because the liner notes do credit the name of the band in which both Paul and Michael Batiste performed. Though Island Records won the lawsuit, the song was removed from subsequent releases of The Bliss Album and is no longer available for purchase in their publishing catalog.
P.M. Dawn contributed a cover of "You Got Me Floatin'" to the 1993 compilation album Stone Free: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix. Artists ranging from Pat Metheny to Eric Clapton to Ice-T's Body Count were included.
Their 1995 album Jesus Wept was unable to attain the success of their first two albums. The album's highest charting single was "Downtown Venus", which contained a sample of Deep Purple's "Hush", and reached #48 on the Billboard chart. Also, in 1995, P.M. Dawn was credited with the remix of White Zombie's "Blood, Milk and Sky" (Miss September Mix) on the Supersexy Swingin' Sounds compilation album. In 1996, P.M. Dawn contributed "Non-Fiction Burning" to the AIDS benefit album Red Hot + Rio produced by the Red Hot Organization. In 1998, Prince Be contributed the tracks "Perfect for You" and "Gotta Be...Movin' on Up" to the Marlon Wayans and David Spade comedy Senseless, followed later in the year by P.M. Dawn's fourth album, Dearest Christian, I'm So Very Sorry for Bringing You Here. Love, Dad. It was less successful again, with the album's single, "Being So Not for You (I Had No Right)" being a minor chart hit.
In the same year, Jarret Cordes (DJ Minutemix) was accused of sexually abusing a 14-year old relative and was subsequently arrested in Burlington County. The girl is said to have been a "close relative".
In 2000, they released the compilation, The Best of P.M. Dawn. Through their website, they also began selling a mail-order-only album called Fucked Music on December 1, 2000. This was paired with a bonus CD, Unreleased Vol. 1, and a T-shirt.
Prince Be suffered a massive stroke in early 2005 that left him paralyzed on the left side of his body. Undeterred, P.M. Dawn appeared on NBC's Hit Me, Baby, One More Time, performing "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss", and covered Puddle of Mudd's "Blurry". Despite the fact that Prince Be was still suffering the effects of this stroke, they beat Animotion, Missing Persons, Juice Newton and Shannon to claim the $20,000 charitable prize, which they contributed to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, as Prince Be was a diabetic.
Following their appearance on Hit Me, Baby, One More Time, Minutemix was terminated for misconduct. This led to the introduction of the Cordes brothers' paternal first cousin, Gregory Lewis Carr II, known by his stage name Doc. G (also known as 'Dr. Giggles' or 'Blissboy #2'.)
On May 15, 2010, Prince Be's 40th birthday, Doc. G performed in Manila before an audience of 50,000 people and dedicated the performance to Guru of Gang Starr and Francis M.
On June 17, 2016, Prince Be died of renal disease at the age of 46.
Doc. G continues to perform and record music under the P.M. Dawn name. On April 6, 2018, Doc.G announced K-R.O.K. as a new member of P.M. Dawn.
A Watcher's Point of View
P.M. Dawn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He who thinks, thinks for himself
A woman on trip, is a hit for the mind
A true composer's hell between tears
Or PM Dawn makes cause for rewind
Megaline drops along upon a thought
A comatose nap might snatch a sandy
I'm so great I amaze myself
Explains, just how vain is vanity
The longest journey is based on a trip
But also starts with a single step
Because Pleasant Valley Sunday is
A grain of salt
But "now or never's" a bit hard to accept
Doncha' think?
Problems of the world, lovers, girls, and things of that nature bound
To break my heart
They all show different sides of me, they're all wrapped
Up inside of me
I feel certain awe for/but those who fall to find out they're in the
Shadows in the stars
Even from a watcher's point of view.
Yo the world doesn't pay for what a person knows
And rarely wants to pay for what a person does
But those who care show puzzle and stare
Singin' what it is, is what it was
'Cause he who learns the rules of wisdom
Without transforming it to daily life
Is a bad condition of contradiction
A rap like that can slap back afterlife
All this twists and spins in a whirlwind
And spots the mask as to where it remains
On the opposite lane of a fortress bridge
Or the thought that lives on the positive plane
Doncha' think?
Power to the world, Lover's gold, and bees and nature(?)
Not to break my heart
They all shrunk off inside of me, they're all wrapped
Up inside of me
I feel certain (?), of those who fall upon got the ring of shadow of
My heart
(?) But these are the watcher's point of view
Reality and Death be they accompany life
Eternity and Judgement accompany death
The simplest thing to remember, really
Clog the fog of "my forget"
Certain little mystery upon mankind lies
Certain arrogance, to the unexplained
Pure imagination is based on fact
Showing the confusion is made to contain
But the true definition of the phrase is a dream
A dream that encloses a question mark
The end of an era in the halls of a mind
That should've been watched and clocked from the start
Doncha' think?
Power to the world,
Lover's gold, and bees and nature(?)
Not to break my heart
They all shrunk off inside of me, they're all wrapped
Up inside of me
I feel certain (?), of those who fall upon got the ring of shadow of
My heart
(?) But these are the watcher's point of view
Maybe they just wanna twist my finger
Maybe they just wanna break my arm
Maybe they just wanna try and stop me
Maybe they just wanna do me harm
Maybe they don't want my mouth to speak this
Maybe they just wanna quiet momma
But the minute I step to the rhythm of the left
That's the minute that they don't wanna leave me alone
Doncha' think?
Power to the world,
Lover's gold, and bees and nature(?)
Not to break my heart
They all shrunk off inside of me, they're all wrapped
Up inside of me
I feel certain (?), of those who fall upon got the ring of shadow of
My heart
(?) But these are the watcher's point of view
The lyrics of "A Watcher's Point of View" by P.M. Dawn are complex and full of philosophical musings. The song explores the idea of perspective, specifically from the viewpoint of a watcher - someone who observes but does not necessarily take part in the world around them. The first verse describes the importance of thinking for oneself and the impact of experiences, particularly travel and music. The second verse delves into the idea of wisdom and the danger of knowing without acting on that knowledge. The chorus features references to power and love, and the idea that these concepts are wrapped up inside each person as a part of their identity.
Line by Line Meaning
(Oh la la la)
This line is a non sequitur, meaning it does not have a specific meaning within the song.
He who thinks, thinks for himself
Thinking for oneself is important and valuable.
A woman on trip, is a hit for the mind
Women who travel have unique and valuable experiences that broaden their minds.
A true composer's hell between tears
The creative process is often difficult and emotionally draining for artists.
Or PM Dawn makes cause for rewind
The artist PM Dawn creates music that is worth listening to multiple times.
Megaline drops along upon a thought
Great ideas often come from small initial inspirations.
A comatose nap might snatch a sandy
Taking a nap can be a refreshing break from the demands of everyday life.
I'm so great I amaze myself
The singer has a high level of confidence in their own abilities.
Explains, just how vain is vanity
The line is a commentary on the negative qualities of excessive self-love.
The longest journey is based on a trip
The longest journey begins with a small step, as in the saying by Lao Tzu.
But also starts with a single step
The artist repeats the previous line to emphasize its importance.
Because Pleasant Valley Sunday is
The title of a song by The Monkees that the artist references.
A grain of salt
This is an idiom that means something should be taken with a degree of skepticism.
But "now or never's" a bit hard to accept
The urgency of acting in the present can be difficult to reconcile with procrastination or hesitation.
Doncha' think?
The artist is asking the listener to reflect on what has been said.
Problems of the world, lovers, girls, and things of that nature bound
The problems of society, relationships, and life in general are inevitable and interconnected.
To break my heart
These problems can be emotionally difficult.
They all show different sides of me, they're all wrapped
Different life experiences reveal different aspects of a person's personality.
Up inside of me
These experiences become a part of the artist's identity.
I feel certain awe for/but those who fall to find out they're in the
The artist respects those who have to learn a lesson the hard way.
Shadows in the stars
This is a metaphor for difficult lessons that are hidden or obscured from view.
Even from a watcher's point of view.
These lessons can be observed and recognized, even from a distance.
Yo the world doesn't pay for what a person knows
Knowledge or intelligence is often undervalued in society.
And rarely wants to pay for what a person does
Actions or work are typically more important for financial success.
But those who care show puzzle and stare
People who care about intellectual pursuits or creativity may face scrutiny from others who do not appreciate those things.
Singin' what it is, is what it was
The present is a reflection of the past.
'Cause he who learns the rules of wisdom
Understanding philosophical or moral principles is important.
Without transforming it to daily life
Putting these principles into practice is just as important.
Is a bad condition of contradiction
Knowing the right thing to do but not doing it creates inner conflict.
A rap like that can slap back afterlife
Ignoring moral principles can have serious consequences.
All this twists and spins in a whirlwind
Life is chaotic and unpredictable.
And spots the mask as to where it remains
Amidst the chaos, the truth can still be found.
On the opposite lane of a fortress bridge
The truth is often found in unexpected or difficult places.
Or the thought that lives on the positive plane
Positive thinking can help overcome difficult circumstances.
Power to the world, Lover's gold, and bees and nature(?)
The artist is expressing a love of nature and the world.
They all shrunk off inside of me, they're all wrapped
These feelings have become a part of the artist's identity.
Up inside of me
The artist is emphasizing how these feelings have affected them.
I feel certain (?), of those who fall upon got the ring of shadow of
The artist empathizes with those who experience emotional pain.
My heart
These feelings are deeply personal and emotional.
(?) But these are the watcher's point of view
The artist sees the world from a unique perspective.
Reality and Death be they accompany life
The inevitability of death is a part of the human experience.
Eternity and Judgement accompany death
The idea of an afterlife and divine judgement is a common belief across many cultures.
The simplest thing to remember, really
The artist is about to summarize the main point of the song.
Clog the fog of "my forget"
The idea is to prevent oneself from forgetting the lessons learned in life.
Certain little mystery upon mankind lies
The artist believes there are still unknown mysteries in the world and in human existence.
Certain arrogance, to the unexplained
People can be arrogant about what they understand or do not understand.
Pure imagination is based on fact
Creative thinking can be based on real facts or experiences, and is not necessarily detached from reality.
Showing the confusion is made to contain
Creative expression can bring clarity to confusing or difficult situations.
But the true definition of the phrase is a dream
The artist is about to define a phrase that has not yet been stated.
A dream that encloses a question mark
The idea of a dream can lead to questions or uncertainties.
The end of an era in the halls of a mind
The end of one's perspective on a particular issue or idea can be a significant moment.
That should've been watched and clocked from the start
The artist suggests that it is important to pay attention to one's thinking and perspective on important issues from the beginning.
Maybe they just wanna twist my finger
The artist is describing potential negative intentions from others.
Maybe they just wanna break my arm
These negative intentions may involve physical harm.
Maybe they just wanna try and stop me
The artist believes others may try to prevent them from succeeding or making progress.
Maybe they just wanna do me harm
The artist believes these negative intentions are malicious.
Maybe they don't want my mouth to speak this
The artist believes others may want to silence them for expressing their opinions or ideas.
Maybe they just wanna quiet momma
The artist is using figurative language to describe attempts to suppress expression or creativity.
But the minute I step to the rhythm of the left
The artist feels motivated to continue expressing themselves creatively.
That's the minute that they don't wanna leave me alone
The artist believes that when they create something valuable, it becomes harder for others to silence them.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network
Written by: ATTRELL STEPHEN JR. CORDES, CHARLES THOMAS JOHNSTON, ATTRELL CORDES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind