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.
Reality Used To Be A Friend Of Mine
P.M. Dawn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Reality used to be a friend of mine
Reality used to be a friend of mine
Maybe "why?" is the question that's on you mind
But reality used to be a friend of mine
Reality used to be a friend of mine.
Reality used to be a friend of mine
Please don't ask me 'cause I don't know why,
I used to be friends with reality
She used to be a pal real close to me
But she tried to hide from me what was in store
Tried to house me but a house has doors
I was insane and the picture was crazy
So the relevance here seems to be a bit hazy
But I tried to explain this in the simplest terms
But she let the cross burn and it was my turn to say,
"The roses are red, and violets are blue,j
and things are gonna stay that way, too"
And I was the nut to believe all of this
I figured life would just hand me bliss
Now I have to worry about certain doom
Or will I be here tomorrow afternoon
Now ask me about the future.
[Chorus]
I remember Sandy gave me a hand.
Now I'm known as the maniac man
Looking and searching for a shred of proof
Knowing any time this world could go poof
Now what might happen without me knowin'
That's why I find myself always tip-tip toeing
She tried to let prophecy sneak ip on me
But I woke up, I told her "Yo step off me"
What you want me to do?
You want me to sweat blood,
And hang up on your strings like a marionette does?
Go to the PM on the dock of the bay, sit
You need a clue. Go back to the basics.
She needs to learn her ABC's
Her and I sail on different seas.
She sees different from what I sees.
{Do you believe? Hell no}
[Chorus]
I lost touch with reality.
I keep it as far as I can from Prince Be
I just didn't run with the way she flowed,
To where I just said "Yo, I gots to go"
But my heart wasn't ill or mad at her
I just chose to laugh at her
And disregard everything she tells me
Believe in her and she's happy and healthy
What is real, a positive plane
Reality and life are no the same
as to her equivalent to what is real
She doesn't appeal to how I feel
Maybe I should try transchanneling her
{Prince, you're taking this trip to far}
Okay, fine, nevermind
But reality used to be a friend of min
[Chorus x2]
Chase the blues away
Take your mind off reality and leave her alone
The lyrics to P.M. Dawn's song Reality Used To Be A Friend Of Mine reflect the disillusionment with reality that the singer is experiencing. They were once close to reality, but it now seems confusing and overwhelming. The singer appears to be searching for understanding and proof, but their attempts are constantly thwarted. They express frustration with the fact that reality seems to be changing constantly and without warning. The chorus repeats the idea that reality was once a friend, but the singer is being forced to confront the fact that it may no longer be on their side.
The theme of the song could be interpreted as a critique of how society forces people into rigid structures, putting them into boxes and labels. The singer is confused because they believed that reality and life were the same, but now they are realizing that they are not the same. They are struggling to find their place, becoming disillusioned with the strict structure that has been imposed upon them, and want to escape from reality altogether.
Line by Line Meaning
Reality used to be a friend of mine
I used to have a good relationship with reality
Reality used to be a friend of mine
I used to have a good relationship with reality and it was important for me.
Maybe "why?" is the question that's on your mind
If you're wondering why I'm talking about reality like this, then I'm sorry, I don't have an answer.
But reality used to be a friend of mine
As I said earlier, I had a good relationship with reality.
Reality used to be a friend of mine.
I cannot emphasize enough that having a good relationship with reality is important to me.
Please don't ask me 'cause I don't know why,
I don't know why I've lost touch with reality and why our relationship went sour.
but reality used to be a friend of mine.
It's unfortunate that I lost touch with reality because it used to be really important to me.
I used to be friends with reality
I used to have a good relationship with reality.
She used to be a pal real close to me
Reality was someone who was very close to me, like a friend.
But she tried to hide from me what was in store
Reality tried to hide from me the unpleasant things that might happen in the future.
Tried to house me but a house has doors
Reality tried to protect me, but I realized that I needed to face the world myself.
I was insane and the picture was crazy
I was in a bad place and things were not going well for me.
So the relevance here seems to be a bit hazy
I know this might not make sense to some people, but it's how I feel.
But I tried to explain this in the simplest terms
I tried to explain my situation as clearly and simply as possible.
But she let the cross burn and it was my turn to say,
Things got worse and I had to speak up for myself.
"The roses are red, and violets are blue,
I'm trying to say that things are not going well for me.
and things are gonna stay that way, too"
I feel like things are not going to improve for me.
And I was the nut to believe all of this
I was foolish to think that everything would work out for me.
I figured life would just hand me bliss
I thought life would be easy and that everything would fall into place.
Now I have to worry about certain doom
Now I'm worried about bad things happening to me.
Or will I be here tomorrow afternoon
I'm not sure what the future holds for me.
Now ask me about the future.
I'm not sure what the future holds for me and I don't want to talk about it.
I remember Sandy gave me a hand.
Someone named Sandy helped me in the past.
Now I'm known as the maniac man
Now people think I'm crazy or unstable.
Looking and searching for a shred of proof
I'm searching for evidence that things will get better for me.
Knowing any time this world could go poof
I'm aware that anything can happen at any time and my life could end suddenly.
Now what might happen without me knowin'
I'm worried that something bad might happen without me knowing.
That's why I find myself always tip-tip toeing
I'm always careful and cautious because I'm afraid of what might happen.
She tried to let prophecy sneak up on me
Reality tried to warn me that something bad might happen, but I didn't listen.
But I woke up, I told her "Yo step off me"
I realized that I needed to stop ignoring reality and face my problems.
What you want me to do?
I don't know what to do.
You want me to sweat blood,
Do you want me to work really hard?
And hang up on your strings like a marionette does?
Do you want me to be controlled by others, like a puppet?
Go to the PM on the dock of the bay, sit
I don't know what this means.
You need a clue. Go back to the basics.
You don't understand what I'm going through. I need to focus on the basics and take care of myself.
She needs to learn her ABC's
Reality needs to understand what I'm going through.
Her and I sail on different seas.
Reality and I are not on the same page anymore.
{Do you believe? Hell no}
I don't believe that things will get better for me.
I lost touch with reality.
I have lost my grip on reality.
I keep it as far as I can from Prince Be
I'm trying to distance myself from reality and the problems it brings.
I just didn't run with the way she flowed,
I didn't agree with how reality was treating me.
To where I just said "Yo, I gots to go"
I realized that I needed to leave my old life behind.
But my heart wasn't ill or mad at her
I didn't hate or blame reality for my problems.
I just chose to laugh at her
I tried to find humor in my situation.
And disregard everything she tells me
I stopped listening to reality's warnings.
Believe in her and she's happy and healthy
If I listen to reality and face my problems, then everything will be okay.
What is real, a positive plane
Reality is what is true and factual.
Reality and life are not the same
Reality is not the same as living a good life.
as to her equivalent to what is real
Reality defines what is true and real.
She doesn't appeal to how I feel
I don't like or agree with how reality is treating me.
Maybe I should try transchanneling her
Maybe I should try to understand reality better.
{Prince, you're taking this trip too far}
Someone is telling me that I'm taking things too far.
Okay, fine, nevermind
I'll stop talking about it.
But reality used to be a friend of mine
I used to have a good relationship with reality, but things have changed.
[Chorus x2]
This is the chorus of the song
Chase the blues away
Try not to worry or be sad.
Take your mind off reality and leave her alone
Try not to focus on reality too much and take a break from your problems.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: ATTRELL STEPHEN JR. CORDES, Attrell Cordes
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mike Hunt
Lyrics
Reality used to be a friend of mine
Reality used to be a friend of mine
Maybe 'Why?' is the question that's on you mind
But reality used to be a friend of mine
Reality used to be a friend of mine
Reality used to be a friend of mine
Please don't ask me 'cause I don't know why
But reality used to be a friend of mine
I used to be friends with reality
She used to be a pal real close to me
But she tried to hide from me what was in store
Tried to house me but a house has doors
I was insane and the picture was crazy
So the relevance here seems to be a bit hazy
But I tried to explain this in the simplest terms
She let the cross burn and it was my turn to say
"The roses are red, and violets are blue
And things are gonna stay that way, too"
And I was the nut to believe all of this
I figured life would just hand me bliss
Now I have to worry about certain doom
Or will I be here tomorrow afternoon?
Now ask me about the future
Reality used to be a friend of mine
Reality used to be a friend of mine
Maybe 'Why?' is the question that's on you mind
But reality used to be a friend of mine
Reality used to be a friend of mine
Reality used to be a friend of mine
Please don't ask me 'cause I don't know why
But reality used to be a friend of mine
I remember Sandy gave me a hand
Now I'm known as the maniac man
Looking and searching for a shred of proof
Knowing any time this world could go poof
Now what might happen without me knowin'
That's why I find myself always tip-tip toeing
She tried to let prophecy sneak up on me
But I woke up, I told her "Yo step off me"
What you want me to do? You want me to sweat blood
And hang up on your strings like a marionette does?
Go to the PM on the dock of the bay, sit
You need a clue, go back to the basics
She needs to learn her ABC's
Her and I sail on different seas
She sees different from what I sees
Do you believe? Hells no
Reality used to be a friend of mine
Reality used to be a friend of mine
Maybe 'Why?' is the question that's on you mind
But reality used to be a friend of mine
Reality used to be a friend of mine
Reality used to be a friend of mine
Please don't ask me 'cause I don't know why
But reality used to be a friend of mine
I lost touch with reality
I keep it as far as I can from Prince Be
I just didn't run with the way she flowed
To where I just said "Yo, I gots to go"
But my heart wasn't ill or mad at her
I just chose to laugh at her
And disregard everything she tells me
Believe in her and she's happy and healthy
What is real, a positive plane
Reality and life are not the same
As to her equivalence to what is real
She doesn't appeal to how I feel
Maybe I should try trans channeling her
Prince, you're taking this trip to far
Okay, fine, never mind
But reality used to be a friend of mine
Reality used to be a friend of mine
Reality used to be a friend of mine
Maybe 'Why?' is the question that's on you mind
But reality used to be a friend of mine
Reality used to be a friend of mine
Reality used to be a friend of mine
Please don't ask me 'cause I don't know why
But reality used to be a friend of mine
Oh reality
Oh reality
Chase the blues away
Take your mind off reality and leave her alone
Chase the blues away
Take your mind off reality and leave her alone
Chase the blues away
Take your mind off reality and leave her alone
Chase the blues away
Take your mind off reality and leave her alone
Chase the blues away
Take your mind off reality and leave her alone
Chase the blues away
Take your mind off reality and leave her alone
vgoth100
Used to listen to this PM Dawn album nearly every day for a year in the 90s....awesome stuff, never gets old.
Maureen Falcon
The Black Shadow I still get stuck on a Nocturnal drunk and it 2020 Goth4ever
Dalton Voss
Best decade of my lifetime
Brandon Bence
Facts! This was the first CD I ever bought. Looong time ago in a galaxy not to far from here. Lol.
Fallen Night
Holy holy w4@ kno.???¿!!¿.
RockoJulian
This is one of the few hip hop albums that is strong enough to bring tears with impression. A masterpiece at its time and it's a shame that this album didn't earn the full recognition it deserved.
YoumustbeBornAgain!keepaRepentiveHeart.
I believe you are correct.
David Middleton
Big Facts
Thomas J. Foolery
Prince Be, it’s been 4 years since you passed on but your music still moves me and makes me happy. Like it first did in 1991. Thank you and rest peacefully.
AA Barbone
He dead?