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.
Looking Through Patient Eyes
P.M. Dawn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I have a love for you that nothing hides.
Whatever it is I do, I'm always thinking of you.
I hope you look at me through patient eyes.
I've become amused.
I've become blind.
I've become what I know not breathes.
You seem illiterate to all my emotions.
I stand corrected, how well you read.
You speak the truth, you speak the me.
You fell the love I have yet to find.
I know it's there, I know it's there.
But I let the sandcastles kill my mind.
Pathetic me, I long to be you.
They think I'm close but i stand so fat.
The turbulent one sheds a turbulent tear.
I'm Mr. Love only 'cause they starve.
Oil and water, lust and sympathy.
I'll life and death my way through the sun.
Where originates all the pain that leaves.
My memory a traumatic sponge and sings to you.
Well define my love and attitude.
Open up your mind and it will sing to you.
You can always tell.
But I know remorse so well.
I left reality early due to the lack of love... reason.
Whatever I do, I try to think about you.
I seek the sympathy and I can't lie.
Whatever it is I do, I'm always thinking of you.
I hope you look at me through patient eyes.
The channel, a professional liar.
How I long to contradict those vibes.
Joni help me, I think I'm falling.
It's not the love and I quest the why.
I don't know, If I'm right, I'm right.
But if I'm wrong then show me I'm wrong.
The fear of pity is always awake.
But infinite sympathy completely gone.
It's the windows, the doors, the passageway to the truth.
Oh my god, it echoes the mind.
In total recall as wild as the deuce.
It's so deceiving is the clouded heart.
So superficial is the open wound.
I caress the infinite light.
That even at night. Overshadows the moon and sings to you.
Well, define my love, that lives with you.
Even when I die, it will still sing to you.
You can always tell if remorse has done you well...
The misconstrued my answers due to the
Lack of love...reason.
Whatever I do, I try to think about you.
I seek the sympathy and I can't lie.
Whatever it is I do, I'm always thinking of you.
I hope you look at me through patient eyes.
The lyrics to P.M. Dawn's song "Looking Through Patient Eyes" describe the singer's love for someone and how they constantly think about them, even when they are doing everyday activities. Despite their love being evident, the singer also acknowledges that they have become blinded and confused, unable to fully express or understand their emotions. The person they love seems to be able to read them better than anyone else and knows their true self. The singer admits to being self-pitying and longing to be like the person they love. The song highlights the struggle to understand and express love, and the fear of being misunderstood or rejected.
The lyrics also touch on the themes of truth, fear, and memory. The singer seems to be afraid of being vulnerable and pitied, stating that "the fear of pity is always awake." They also mention their memory being a "traumatic sponge," indicating that they carry emotional scars that affect how they perceive and express love. The search for truth and understanding is also evident in the lyrics, with the windows and doors representing the "passageway to the truth." Overall, "Looking Through Patient Eyes" is a heartfelt song about the complexities of love, and the difficulty of expressing and understanding it fully.
Line by Line Meaning
Whatever it is I do, I try to think about you.
I constantly think of you and try to include you in my daily activities.
I have a love for you that nothing hides.
My love for you is pure and open.
Whatever it is I do, I'm always thinking of you.
My thoughts are always consumed with you.
I hope you look at me through patient eyes.
I hope you have a forgiving and understanding perspective of me.
I've become amused.
I have become easily entertained.
I've become blind.
I am unable to see things clearly.
I've become what I know not breathes.
I have transformed into something unfamiliar to myself.
You seem illiterate to all my emotions.
You seem unable to understand my feelings.
I stand corrected, how well you read.
I admit that you are good at understanding me.
You speak the truth, you speak the me.
You are honest and able to express my inner self.
You fell the love I have yet to find.
You are able to sense the love I have not yet experienced.
I know it's there, I know it's there.
I am certain that love exists.
But I let the sandcastles kill my mind.
I allow insignificant things to cloud my judgment.
Pathetic me, I long to be you.
I feel inferior to you and wish to be like you.
They think I'm close but I stand so fat.
Others think I am successful but I am actually stuck in one place in life.
The turbulent one sheds a turbulent tear.
I, who am unstable and always in chaos, cry emotionally.
I'm Mr. Love only 'cause they starve.
I am only considered loving because others lack love in their lives.
Oil and water, lust and sympathy.
Different things cannot mix or coexist.
I'll life and death my way through the sun.
I will go through the highs and lows of life.
Where originates all the pain that leaves.
The source of pain and hurt in life.
My memory a traumatic sponge and sings to you.
My memories are traumatic and have an impact on our relationship.
Well define my love and attitude.
Understand my love and behavior towards you.
Open up your mind and it will sing to you.
If you have an open mind, our love can thrive.
You can always tell.
You can always sense what I am really feeling.
But I know remorse so well.
I am familiar with feeling regretful.
I left reality early due to the lack of love... reason.
I left reality and disconnected from the world because I lacked love and affection.
The channel, a professional liar.
The source of information is often unreliable.
How I long to contradict those vibes.
I want to go against the negative feelings that surround us.
Joni help me, I think I'm falling.
I need help because I feel like I'm losing control.
It's not the love and I quest the why.
I am searching for answers because love is not enough.
I don't know, If I'm right, I'm right.
I don't know the answer, but if I am right, then I am right.
But if I'm wrong then show me I'm wrong.
If I am incorrect, please correct me.
The fear of pity is always awake.
I am always afraid of being pitied.
But infinite sympathy completely gone.
There is no more sympathy.
It's the windows, the doors, the passageway to the truth.
The truth can be seen through various channels.
Oh my god, it echoes the mind.
The realization of the truth has a powerful impact on the mind.
In total recall as wild as the deuce.
I remember everything vividly and chaotically.
It's so deceiving is the clouded heart.
A heart that is unsure is deceiving.
So superficial is the open wound.
An open wound is superficial and easily noticed.
I caress the infinite light.
I embrace the endless light and hope.
That even at night. Overshadows the moon and sings to you.
The light and love that I have for you is constant and overwhelming.
Even when I die, it will still sing to you.
My love will endure even after I am gone.
The misconstrued my answers due to the Lack of love...reason.
My answers have been misunderstood because of my lack of love in life.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GEORGE MICHAEL, ATTRELL STEPHEN JR CORDES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MattsARocknRolla
Man music is in the 90s just hits differently. There will never be another era that had it all for all genres
@aar1978
What ?
@jettyjet420
This song just hit me watching the video and breaking things down... Is about God!
@aggrovixen231
One of my favorite song for the 90s!
@jamielissau8541
Me too!
@Ran7X
I can see the bro in a fast food line, "looking through patient eyes." he can't wait to get his hand on a burger. Bro, be patient, and you get your burger. Look at the size of the the bro you know food alway on his mind.
@JohnSwift
"Whatever it is I do, I try to think about you.
I have a love for you that nothing hides.
Whatever it is I do, I'm only thinking of you.
I hope you look at me through patient eyes."
Dope AF!!
@donkeygat93
I can’t stop listening to this. I was browsing songs from my birth year and stumbled on this. It’s gotten to my soul. Rip btw
@lionsdencoaching6457
Welcome to the '90s, man.
@HarryToeface
Making a 90s playlist, you DEFINITELY belong on there PM Dawn ❤ R.I.P Prince Be!