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.
Filthy Rich
P.M. Dawn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
[Chorus]
I don't wanna be like you, filthy rich
I don't wanna be like you, filthy rich
I don't wanna be like you, filthy rich
I don't wanna be like you, filthy rich.
If you tried to explain, I wouldn't understand
Even if you twist my arm I won't know
I'm falling through five different frames of distortion.
Knowing me, disturbing its flow
I'm using blind, I'm using fault.
I'm using all that's within my reach
What conducts patterns of electricity
That leave me wandering oblivion's beach
OK, wait a minute, what's the big deal
I'm not allowed to be composed of lust.
Consider questions of a lonely man.
From clashes to ashes and greed to dust,
Okay, fine,where's the big wall,
It surpasses me, but its the cave through time.
Consider quotes from the understand what it takes.
To conditions your mind to be filthy rich.
[Chorus]
I'm entering never, confusing the elements
Pondering all that needs to be done
Shamen life is performing an exorcism.
To rid me of all my guns
At innocence best its simply wild,
As intense as it is it can only crawl
I see my mind, its still descending,
At least for now I'm controlling its fall
OK, hold it, why the big smiles
It scrambles warnings and signals touch
Consider the passion for a thousand miles,
When the shady strides become a bit too much
OK, stop, where's the big find
I'm waiting for someone to tell me the deal
Consider yourself so wealthy
Without ever knowing how it feels to be filthy rich
[Chorus]
Finding you, fighting you, and pleasing.
All that gives me mine
It's getting dark, its time to go.
When facts to feathers destroy the lines
OK, kool, but what's the big reason.
Tell me the tricks to having loads of Fli.
Consider the silence of the soul
'Cause filthy rich is just what it is, filthy rich
[Chorus]
In the song Filthy Rich by P.M. Dawn, the artist expresses his refusal to conform to society's expectations of material success and wealth. The chorus repeats the line "I don't wanna be like you, filthy rich," indicating the artist's rejection of the pursuit of money and wealth. The lyrics suggest that the pursuit of wealth leads to greed and corruption, as exemplified in lines such as "Consider the passion for a thousand miles, when the shady strides become a bit too much." The artist also acknowledges his own confusion and lack of understanding about the wealthy lifestyle, expressing that "even if you twist my arm, I won't know."
The song also touches on the themes of control and power, as the artist muses on the manipulation of electricity and the mind. He also acknowledges a sense of loss of innocence and purity in the pursuit of wealth, as expressed in the line "At innocence best it's simply wild, as intense as it is it can only crawl."
Overall, the song underlines the artist's rejection of societal expectations of wealth and the corrupting nature of the pursuit of money and power.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't wanna be like you, filthy rich
The singer does not desire to have the wealth of the person being referred to
If you tried to explain, I wouldn't understand
Even if the person tried to explain how they obtained their wealth, the singer wouldn't comprehend
Even if you twist my arm I won't know
Even if there was physical pressure applied, the singer would still not understand
I'm falling through five different frames of distortion.
The artist is having trouble understanding what is happening due to the distortion they are experiencing
Knowing me, disturbing its flow
The artist's presence is causing disruption to something
I'm using blind, I'm using fault.
The singer recognizes that their actions may not be rational or correct
I'm using all that's within my reach
The singer is utilizing everything that is available to them
What conducts patterns of electricity
The artist is questioning what factors control the flow of wealth
That leave me wandering oblivion's beach
The artist is lost and unsure in a situation where they don't have understanding
OK, wait a minute, what's the big deal
The artist is questioning why the situation is significant
I'm not allowed to be composed of lust.
The singer feels that they cannot be motivated purely by desire and temptation
Consider questions of a lonely man.
The artist is asking for the listener to imagine the perspective of a lonely person
From clashes to ashes and greed to dust,
The singer is referencing the possible negative consequences associated with greed
Okay, fine,where's the big wall,
The singer is asking where the obstacle is that is preventing them from having wealth
It surpasses me, but its the cave through time.
The singer does not understand the cause of the wealth but believes it may be related to the passage of time
Consider quotes from the understand what it takes.
The artist wants the listener to consider advice from those who understand what it takes to be rich
To conditions your mind to be filthy rich.
The artist believes that the mind must be conditioned in order to achieve wealth
I'm entering never, confusing the elements
The singer is entering a situation they don't understand
Pondering all that needs to be done
The singer is thinking about what actions are necessary
Shamen life is performing an exorcism.
The artist is metaphorically referencing the removal of negative influences or thoughts from their life
To rid me of all my guns
The artist wants to be rid of any potential harm or danger in their life
At innocence best its simply wild,
In a state of innocence, the artist is reckless and uncontrolled
As intense as it is it can only crawl
The intense desire for wealth is slow-moving and may not be achievable
I see my mind, its still descending,
The artist's thoughts are still negative and becoming worse
At least for now I'm controlling its fall
The singer is currently able to control their negative thoughts
OK, hold it, why the big smiles
The singer is asking why the person with wealth is so happy
It scrambles warnings and signals touch
The acquisition of wealth may prevent the person from being able to understand danger or hardship
Consider the passion for a thousand miles,
The artist wants the listener to think about the intense ambition required to achieve wealth
When the shady strides become a bit too much
When actions taken to achieve wealth become morally questionable, they may be too much for the artist
OK, stop, where's the big find
The singer is asking where the payoff is for taking such risky or unethical actions
I'm waiting for someone to tell me the deal
The singer wants to have a clear understanding of what is happening
Consider yourself so wealthy
The artist is asking the listener to imagine that they are wealthy
Without ever knowing how it feels to be filthy rich
This is a reference to the fact that the listener may not be able to empathize with the burden of wealth
Finding you, fighting you, and pleasing.
The artist is struggling to find, fight, and be content with something
All that gives me mine
The singer's possessions and achievements are their own
It's getting dark, its time to go.
The artist is acknowledging that the situation is coming to an end
When facts to feathers destroy the lines
When reality is distorted, the truth may be lost
OK, kool, but what's the big reason.
The singer is questioning the purpose or motive behind something
Tell me the tricks to having loads of Fli.
The singer is sarcastically asking for advice on how to become wealthy
Consider the silence of the soul
The artist believes that inner peace is more important than wealth
'Cause filthy rich is just what it is, filthy rich
Wealth may not bring fulfillment or happiness
I don't wanna be like you, filthy rich
The singer is wishing to distance themselves from the person being referred to
I don't wanna be like you, filthy rich
Repeating the desire to not become like the person with wealth
I don't wanna be like you, filthy rich
Continuing to distance themselves from wealth accumulation
I don't wanna be like you, filthy rich.
Finalizing the sentiment of not wanting to become wealthy like the person being referred to
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, THE ROYALTY NETWORK INC., Royalty Network, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: ATTRELL CORDES, TERUO NAKAMURA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind