After appearing in a school talent show in 1984, Patterson auditioned for the television show Kids Incorporated. Proving to be "a natural," he undoubtedly landed the part and was cast as "The Kid", remaining on the show for a number of years. Onward and upward, Patterson continued to evolve, gaining experience as a backup vocalist for several artists (including Kids co-star Martika). Following his vocal contributions on Colour Club's self-entitled album, as well as writing for other artists (his credits include Brandy's platinum Top 5 smash "Baby", and Tevin Campbell's hit "Back to the World"), Patterson signed with MCA Records. Collaborating with Keith Crouch and Jamey Jaz, among others, he released his own self-entitled debut in 1997.
Stirring rave reviews, the album launched Patterson into an even larger limelight (with the single "Where You Are" receiving widespread airplay on R&B radio). Patterson, soon after, developed global recognition, as well as a loyal following in the United States and abroad.
Patterson went to work, handcrafting his followup, Love in Stereo, with Jaz and new collaborators such as Van Hunt. When Love in Stereo was released in late 1999, its reviews topped those of its predecessor, slating Patterson as one, of few artists, whose vocal ability was classified as so "distinctive," he need not rely solely on the mainstream music market to gain his footing in the film and music industry, nor afford his music massive, worldwide, international appeal..
Although Patterson's path eventually diverged from MCA's, he remained indispensable amongst industry affiliates, continuing to perform live, working as a session singer, and contributing to both soundtracks (Brown Sugar) and compilation albums (Steve Harvey's Sign of Things to Come), while working on his next album.
After Hours, Patterson's third album, was released internationally early in 2004, again garnering positive reviews. Now, with the conception of his own label, the album released in the United States during late October 2004. Wine & Spirits followed in the Fall of 2007. Wine & Spirits, not only spoke to Patterson's consistency as a versatile, smooth-crooning performer, known for his scintillating, sultry provocative vocal style; but it also, signified, for Patterson, a career of longevity, divinely masterminded from his childhood endeavors to crossing the threshold as a multi-level, music mogul, independently signed, produced and operated. The project further evidenced Patterson's "musical muscularity," spawning itself in such diverse arrangements as the reflective lamentation of "Stars," to the smooth-jazz contours in one of the album's many "feel-good" hits, entitled "Feels Good," to Patterson's resident, high-frequency, timbres, echoing in the uptempo, "Higher Love," which, inevitably, served as the artist's professional and personal testimony of growth, triumph and spiritual ascension.
Patterson's next project, the highly anticipated CD, BLEUPHORIA, is scheduled to drop in the fall of 2010. It is expected to be nothing short of what Patterson's proud fanbase has always enjoyed from him: an astronomical, stellar work of art.
Tears Ago
Rahsaan Patterson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Seein' you after all this time
It brings back memories
But that was tears ago
Remember when our love
Was so strong that neither one of us could do no wrong
Believed in you with all my heart, that's when the pain began
Loved you girl, tears ago
I used to love you, tears ago
Loved you girl
But that was tears ago
Never satisfied
Always thought the grass was greener on the other side
But now you've finally found the love was right before your eyes
You want me now but it's too late, I love
Loved you girl, tears ago
I used to love you, tears ago
Loved you girl
But that was tears ago
There's no more trust in this heart of mine
A new love, I'll have to find, yes
The one thing that I still know
Is that I loved you girl
But that was tears ago
Loved you girl, tears ago
Loved you girl, tears ago
I used to love you, tears ago
Loved you girl
But that was tears ago
Loved you girl, tears ago
I used to love you, tears ago
Loved you girl
But that was tears
'Cause I loved you baby
But that was tears ago, yeah
The song "Tears Ago" by Rahsaan Patterson reflects on a past relationship that was once strong but ended in heartbreak. The opening lines set the scene for an emotional reunion between two former lovers, with the singer's heart pounding at the sight of the person after all this time. As memories flood back, the song hints at a backstory of a relationship that once had limitless potential, with the dancers "believing in each other with all their hearts." But then the pain strikes, and the person leaves for another lover.
As the song moves forward, it becomes clear that the relationship has ended permanently. With an air of sadness and resignation, the singer says that he once loved the person who broke his heart, but that love has since faded into history. The chorus echoes this sentiment, as the singer repeats "Loved you girl, tears ago" multiple times to drive home the point that this relationship is nothing more than a distant memory. The final lines of the song include the line "I loved you baby, but that was tears ago," providing a note of finality to a heartbreaking story.
Line by Line Meaning
Hearts poundin' like crazy
My heart is beating rapidly as I see you after such a long time
Seein' you after all this time
It's been a long time since I last saw you
It brings back memories
Seeing you reminds me of our past moments together
But that was tears ago
But those moments are in the past and I have moved on
Remember when our love
Do you recall the time when we were in love?
Was so strong that neither one of us could do no wrong
Our love was so strong and unbreakable that we believed in each other blindly
Believed in you with all my heart, that's when the pain began
I trusted you completely, but that trust was broken when you left me for someone else
You left me for another lover
You broke my heart by leaving me for someone else
Loved you girl, tears ago
I was in love with you, but that was a long time ago
I used to love you, tears ago
I used to have strong feelings for you, but that was in the past
Never satisfied
You were never content with what you had
Always thought the grass was greener on the other side
You believed that everything would have been better if you were with someone else
But now you've finally found the love was right before your eyes
Now you realize that the love you had before was the right one for you
You want me now but it's too late, I love
Even though you want me back, it's too late since I have already moved on and found new love
There's no more trust in this heart of mine
I have lost trust in people, and my heart is broken
A new love, I'll have to find, yes
I'll have to find new love to heal the pain of the past
The one thing that I still know
The only thing that's certain is that I loved you before
Is that I loved you girl
I had strong feelings for you
But that was tears ago
But that was a long time ago
I used to love you, tears ago
I used to be in love with you, but that's in the past
Loved you girl
I had feelings for you
But that was tears
But that was a long time ago
'Cause I loved you baby
I loved you in the past
But that was tears ago, yeah
But that love is in the past, and I have moved on
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRISTOPHER ALLEN BOLDEN, TONY M. BOHRER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind