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.
More Than Likely
P.M. Dawn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If all my senses say no place exists for you
What's the use in holding out my arms
I couldn't find reasons if I tried to
What's the use in floating
If all it does is tell you someone's under you
What's the use in being if I learn
To be neglectful to all the things that mean the most to most of you
But I can hear me say
More than likely, I'm the one you're living for
If I find out I am
Then I'll finally understand when I say
More than likely, I'm the one you're living for
More than likely
Living for
More than likely
Living for
What's the use in praying (tell me)
For all the things that mean so much to none of you
What's the use in pouring out my heart
Into situations I could cry through
Oh what's the use in closing
All the doors that let the loving into you
What's the use of loving if I learn
Not to feel anything at all even if it means the most to you
But I can hear me say
More than likely, I'm the one you're living for
If I find out I am
Then I'll finally understand when I say
More than likely, I'm the one you're living for
Oh, you're living for
I'm the one you're living for
Even if you find
That I'm transcending most of my mind
Through the often closing doors
Of what's to come and what's in store, oh yeah
Even if because
You find I'm sending most of my love
To the often closed minds
That must inquire, what you're living for
What you're living for
What you're living for, oh
What's the use in clinging (let go)
To all the hopes that leave you somewhere next to lies
What's the use in biding all my time
To try and figure out the frame that likes to
Communicate through signs
But I can hear me say
More than likely, I'm the one you're living for
If I find out I am
Then I'll finally understand when I say
More than likely, I'm the one you're living for
More than likely
What you're living for
More than likely
Living for
What you're living for
What you're living for, oh
More than likely, I'm the one you're living for
Oh, oh you're living for
What you're living for
Living for, yeah
I'm the one you're living for
In this song, P.M. Dawn reflects on the futility of trying to understand certain aspects of love and relationships. The lyrics suggest that despite the efforts to comprehend the motivations and desires of a partner, it may be impossible to do so. The first verse introduces this idea, with the singer asking, “What's the use in trying / If all my senses say no place exists for you?” This suggests that no matter how hard the singer tries, they can’t find a place where they fit with their partner. The same sentiment is carried through to the next verse when the singer asks, “What's the use in praying / For all the things that mean so much to none of you?” It seems that the singer feels unheard and that their efforts are in vain.
However, the chorus of the song offers a glimmer of hope. The singer says, “More than likely, I'm the one you're living for / If I find out I am / Then I'll finally understand when I say / More than likely, I'm the one you're living for.” The repetition of “more than likely” suggests that there is still some uncertainty, but the singer hopes that they are the one their partner is living for. This would bring understanding to the singer and provide them with a sense of purpose in the relationship.
The final verse explores the idea that sometimes it’s not worth holding onto hope or putting in effort when it ultimately leads to disappointment. The singer asks, “What's the use in clinging / To all the hopes that leave you somewhere next to lies?” This creates a sense of resignation and suggests that the singer may be ready to let go. However, the chorus remains hopeful and reinforces that the singer still wants to be the one their partner is living for.
Overall, "More Than Likely" is a contemplative exploration of the complexity of relationships. The song acknowledges the limitations of understanding another person's desires and motivations and expresses a sense of resignation, but also holds on to hope that the singer may be the person their partner is living for.
Line by Line Meaning
What's the use in trying
Why even bother trying
If all my senses say no place exists for you
If everything in me says there's no room for you
What's the use in holding out my arms
Why even bother reaching out
I couldn't find reasons if I tried to
I can't come up with any reasons to do so
What's the use in floating
What's the point of drifting around
If all it does is tell you someone's under you
If all it does is remind you that someone is below you
What's the use in being if I learn
What's the point of living if I learn
To be neglectful to all the things that mean the most to most of you
To disregard all the things that matter to most people
But I can hear me say
But I can hear myself say
More than likely, I'm the one you're living for
It's highly probable that I'm the person you live for
If I find out I am
If I discover that I am
Then I'll finally understand when I say
Then I'll finally comprehend what I mean when I say
Living for
The reason you exist
What's the use in praying (tell me)
Why even pray (let me know)
For all the things that mean so much to none of you
For all the things that are significant to none of you
What's the use in pouring out my heart
Why even express my emotions
Into situations I could cry through
Into situations that I could cry about
Oh what's the use in closing
Oh, what's the point of shutting
All the doors that let the loving into you
All the doors that allow love to enter your life
What's the use of loving if I learn
Why even love if I learn
Not to feel anything at all even if it means the most to you
To not feel anything, even if it's important to you
But I can hear me say
But I can hear myself say
Even if you find
Even if you discover
That I'm transcending most of my mind
That I'm going beyond what I normally think
Through the often closing doors
Through the doors that often close
Of what's to come and what's in store, oh yeah
Of what the future holds, oh yeah
You find I'm sending most of my love
You realize that I'm giving most of my love
To the often closed minds
To the people whose minds are often closed
That must inquire, what you're living for
Who must ask, what you're existing for
What's the use in clinging (let go)
Why even hold tight (let go)
To all the hopes that leave you somewhere next to lies
To all the dreams that leave you close to deception
What's the use in biding all my time
Why even wait patiently
To try and figure out the frame that likes to
To try and understand the perspective that likes to
Communicate through signs
Convey messages through signs
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, THE ROYALTY NETWORK INC., Royalty Network, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Attrell Stephen Cordes Jr.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
loveloses
people have underestimated the talent and versatility of Boy George. This collaboration is fantastic.
Ivy Vines
Don't know how I missed this song. I feel like I found a little treasure today. Just beautiful. ;-) ;-) ;-)
James Glenn
Better late than Never
awnb95
Just found this myself doing a dive Of PM Dawn after rembering Backstreet Boys did a remake of Set a Driff on Memory Bliss
Ariez
I believe it’s cause in youth we had to listen to what was put on for us.
TheoriginalSpaceboy
Their voices work so well together, match made in heaven.
Daina Marie
what a beautiful amazing song. ....always loved Boy George's voice and this song with the fabulous PM Dawn.....wowww....why can't they make songs like this today? ?? thank you so much for this! Saving to replay over and over! So much garbage today ): ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
Paulo Aquino
True!
Toby Langlois
Beautiful song from two of the best musical artists around.
SOS
this song will always be part of my life's soundtrack