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.
air
P.M. Dawn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nothing lasts forever
We are at middle of no where
Fly in the crimson air
光に灼かれて 曇った瞳
そびえ立つ塔に 囚われたままで
痛む手で纏った 茨は絶やさぬ祈り
Still stay 空を染め上げてく
運命さえも赦さない
Still higher 誇り高く 紅く
燃えて 揺れて crimson air
荒野へと続く 嘆きの丘に
始まりを示す 十字架を立てる
スペアのない鍵は
何処かに投げ捨てられて
後戻りの出来ない 真実を告げたい
Still stay 偽られた愛も
純粋さえも鮮やかに
Still shinin' 熱を従わせて
終える 消える crimson air
Still stay 空を染め上げてく
運命さえも赦さない
Still higher 誇り高く 紅く
燃えて 揺れて crimson air
I know, we'll scream in pain
Nothing lasts forever
We are at middle of no where
Fly in the crimson air ...
The song "Air" by P.M. Dawn mixes elements of hip-hop, rock and R&B, and explores themes of rebellion, drug culture, and street life. The opening lines of the song set the tone for a hard-edged, celebratory track, with the rapper announcing himself in bullish terms - M.O.P. is a reference to Brooklyn hip-hop duo M.O.P., known for their aggressive, high-energy style. The chorus encourages listeners to put their hands in the air and get with the hard-partying, carefree attitude of the song, as the singer talks about getting drunk, high and fired up.
The verses feature a number of references to drug culture, including puffing green (marijuana), "totin Bernie Macs" (guns), and being double-toasted. The lyrics also allude to violent confrontation and gang culture, with references to "split rounds" and a sense of being in control in club settings. The chorus hooks are catchy and repetitive, with calls to put middle fingers and index fingers in the air, while the beat is propulsive and full of energy, with a driving bassline and distorted guitars.
Overall, the song is a celebration of a particular type of hedonistic lifestyle, one that is all about partying hard, rebelling against authority, and letting off steam. The lyrics are deliberately provocative, with a sense of aggression and defiance running through the track, and the music is a mix of different styles that seamlessly blend together to create something original.
Line by Line Meaning
Yo! see'mon, see'mon
An enthusiastic greeting to the audience
It's the M, dot O, dot P, ohh!
Introducing the artist and main subject of the song (M.O.P)
M, dot O, dot P, ohh!
Repeating the main subject of the song
FIYAH! FIYAH!
An exclamation of excitement
Now, fill yo' cups up (PUT IT IN THE AIR)
Encouraging the audience to fill their cups and raise them in the air
Lift yo' drinks up and (PUT IT IN THE AIR)
Encouraging the audience to lift their drinks and raise them in the air
Get your hand dapped baby (PUT IT IN THE AIR)
Encouraging the audience to give a high five and raise their hands in the air
I'm feelin like fuck the world, is you wit me?
Expressing a desire to rebel against societal norms and asking if the audience is on the same page
Middle fingers up! (PUT IT IN THE AIR)
Encouraging the audience to flip off the world and raise their middle fingers in the air
Yeah, middle fingers up (PUT IT IN THE AIR)
Repeating the previous encouragement to raise middle fingers in the air
Now, show me the hand you pop that thang with
Asking the audience to raise the hand they use to hold their drink
Index fingers up (PUT IT IN THE AIR)
Encouraging the audience to raise their index fingers in the air
Bust down, bust any mic you hand to me
Confidently stating the ability to perform and kill any rap performance
I'm Fitzroy nigga (what) First Family
Identifying with the Fitzroy area of Jamaica, Queens known as First Family
Mo P's, guns mo' bigga
Having more properties and guns than before
B.K. up in this bitch, what nigga?
Identifying with Brooklyn and saying that's what's up
(STOMPDASHITOUTU!) Don't mess with I
Violently threatening anyone who messes with M.O.P
Just relax yourself pah, you don't want to
Cautioning the audience to calm down and not start a fight
Get your Mets hat twisted, gets fo-fifted
Threatening to shoot someone if they mess with the New York Mets
Hot blow poppin, get forklifted
Warning others that things are about to pop off and chaos will ensue
I was a fiend, you can ask my home team
Admitting to being previously addicted to drugs and other vices
Before I fell in love with the 'gnac, I puffed green
Saying that before becoming a connoisseur of cognac, weed was the drug of choice
Always focused and double toasted
Being drunk and stoned but still able to perform and stay alert
When the shit pop off in the club, we ownzed it
Claiming responsibility for making things happen in the club
So now, why'all niggaz get down (LAY DOWN)
Telling others to get on the ground, perhaps anticipating violence
And stay down (WE RIP POUNDS) and split rounds (OH!)
Declaring that M.O.P will keep them down, beat them up and shoot them
Spark it (M) dot (O) dot (P) dot
Encouraging others to light up and smoke weed, making an acronym with the artist's name
We rock, hip-hop, awkward, stompin
Claiming to rock at performing hip-hop music, even if the style is strange and not typical
Roll up your trees and (PUT IT IN THE AIR)
Encouraging the audience to roll up and smoke more weed
Puff puff, pass (PUT IT IN THE AIR)
Encouraging the audience to share their weed with others
Fuck why'all, we rude, call dick, in the middle of Times Square
Disregarding any criticisms of the artist and claiming that they will always be rude and vulgar, even in the famous Times Square
Get down or lay down, bitch boy, this our year
Confronting those who don't support the artist, saying that it's their year to shine and others can either follow suit or get out of the way
Last summer we jammed, but this summer we hittin
Reflecting on previous success but saying that this summer they will achieve even greater things
Totin Bernie Macs for all why'all summabiches
Claiming to be carrying guns as a way to threaten others who oppose them
In the hood where it's ugly (it's ugly!)
Acknowledging that the neighborhood can be dangerous and violent
I'm sick with the pen, fuck it just call me Iceberg Charlie
Boasting about the ability to write well by making a metaphorical comparison to an iceberg and giving himself a nickname
The illest the realest Brownsvillest the shit'll never stop
Branding themselves as the best and most authentic in Brownsville, saying that their influence will never cease
It's (Brooklyn) home of the hot blocks
Paying homage to the Brooklyn neighborhood known for violence and crime
You can find me on the back block, e'rybody know me
Stating that they are well-known and respected in the neighborhood
I'm admired by the homey that's runnin the crack spot
Boasting that even drug dealers respect and admire them
I love to see the shorties with a little G in 'em
Enjoying seeing younger people emulate their style and swagger
It's like lookin in the mirror I see a little me in 'em
Saying that the younger generation is like a reflection of themselves
Stop buggin, the homey said dig him (I never dug him)
Telling others to stop exaggerating about someone they know, saying they never cared for that person
He disrespected this family long enough so I'll slug him
Stating that anyone who disrespects the artist's family deserves a physical punishment
(WARRIORZ!) We earn our respect (SHIT)
Claiming that the artist and others in their circle are real warriors who deserve respect
Cut through your projects with shiny objects (NOW)
Boasting about being able to move through the neighborhood, cutting through projects, with flashy possessions and wealth
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Inoue Akio
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@pmdawnwept
Strictly 4 the famz: https://bit.ly/fuckedmusic
@juniorfraser2832
Great group.Thanks Prince be and Eternal
@sammyhooligan803
Awesome, ♾️
@Machell
Love you too fearless 💗💗💗
@les907
One of my favorite songs on this released but not released album