Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967 in Chicago, Illinois), better … Read Full Bio ↴Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967 in Chicago, Illinois), better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is a Grammy award winning American R&B singer-songwriter, rapper, actor and record producer. Debuting in 1991 with the group Public Announcement, Kelly went solo in 1993, starting off a successful career with the release of the album 12 Play. He has since released a further nine studio albums, collaborated with Jay-Z on two albums and has had many successful singles including Bump N' Grind, I Believe I Can Fly, Ignition, The World's Greatest and the hip-hopera Trapped in the Closet.

Kelly has also produced and performed in many tracks by other R&B and hip-hop artists. In 1994, Kelly produced and wrote the debut album of R&B singer Aaliyah and in 1995, Kelly co-produced and wrote the song "You Are Not Alone" for Michael Jackson, which was included on Jackson's album, HIStory. Kelly has sung the hooks for many notable hip-hop songs, such as "Fuckin' You Tonight" by The Notorious B.I.G., "We Thuggin'" by Fat Joe, "Gigolo" by Nick Cannon, and "Go Getta" by Young Jeezy, and has collaborated for two albums with Jay-Z.

Did You Ever Think
R. Kelly Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[Chorus]
Did you ever think that you would be this rich
Did you ever think that you would have these hits
Did you ever think that you would be the don
Have a crib with a fifty acre lawn
Did you ever think that you would be this paid
Were there times when your ass was real afraid
Did you ever think that you would sell out tours

Have a show with fifty million viewers

I used to think about how I was gonna make it
Struggling day to day just trying to get this paper
Hoping the day would come when things would go my way
But now I'm living lavish and all I do is hear them say

[Chorus]

Now I've been around the world and seen so many things
Partied in every club nothing but VIP
I never take for granted these luxuries I have
Just try my best to answer all of these questions that I ask

[Chorus: x2]

I used to play the game, at night the same old same
Dreamin' 'bout city lights it was my only lie
And now it's world wide shows
As if I can fly on over
Now I can't go nowhere without, before I do two more

[Chorus]

I used to dream about this life
Now I'm sitting on first class flights
Now they all wanna know

[Chorus]

Overall Meaning

In R. Kelly’s song “Did You Ever Think”, the lyrics depict the story of a protagonist who started out having nothing but his dreams and aspirations. He talks about how he used to think about how he was going to make it, struggling day to day and hoping for a better future. Eventually, he made it big and became successful, but he never takes his success for granted. In the chorus, the singer asks if the listener ever thought that they would be rich, have hit songs, or perform in front of millions of viewers.

The lyrics not only relay the singer’s story but also connect with listeners who have dreamed of becoming successful in their own right. The chorus serves to inspire listeners to believe that they too can achieve great things, no matter how impossible it may seem. Additionally, by asking the listener if they ever thought they would make it big, R. Kelly is indirectly urging them to acknowledge that anything is possible if they work towards their dreams. The song serves as a reminder that success is a journey that requires a lot of hard work, focus, and dedication.

Overall, “Did You Ever Think” is a reflection of R. Kelly’s journey to success and an inspiration for anyone who has been dreaming of achieving greatness. The lyrics are relatable, and the message is clear: success is achievable if one never gives up and works hard towards their goals.

Line by Line Meaning

Did you ever think that you would be this rich
Have you ever imagined yourself being wealthy like this

Did you ever think that you would have these hits
Have you ever anticipated achieving such a level of success

Did you ever think that you would be the don
Did you ever envision yourself as a leader in your field

Have a crib with a fifty acre lawn
Living in a lavish estate on an extensive property

Did you ever think that you would be this paid
Have you ever thought you would earn such a high income

Were there times when your ass was real afraid
Were there moments when you were genuinely scared

Did you ever think that you would sell out tours
Have you ever imagined having a fully-booked tour

Have a show with fifty million viewers
Performing in front of millions of viewers

I used to think about how I was gonna make it
I used to ponder on how I could attain success

Struggling day to day just trying to get this paper
Fighting every day to collect money

Hoping the day would come when things would go my way
Wishing for a time when my efforts would pay off

But now I'm living lavish and all I do is hear them say
But now that I'm living large, people's admiration is all I hear

Now I've been around the world and seen so many things
I have traveled extensively and experienced a lot

Partied in every club nothing but VIP
Partying in exclusive clubs as a VIP guest

I never take for granted these luxuries I have
I never fail to appreciate my luxurious lifestyle

Just try my best to answer all of these questions that I ask
Just attempting to provide answers to the questions I ponder

I used to play the game, at night the same old same
I used to play the same routine, day in and day out

Dreamin' 'bout city lights it was my only lie
Daydreaming of a life with bright city lights was my only escape

And now it's world wide shows
Now, I'm holding shows all over the world

As if I can fly on over
I'm able to travel as if I can fly over any obstacles

Now I can't go nowhere without, before I do two more
Now I can't go anywhere without doing two more tasks

I used to dream about this life
I used to imagine having a life like this

Now I'm sitting on first class flights
And now I'm sitting on luxurious first class flights

Now they all wanna know
Now everyone wants to know about my success

Lyrics © TuneCore Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ROBERT S. KELLY, CURTIS MAYFIELD, SAMUEL J. BARNES, JEAN CLAUDE OLIVIER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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