Taking an interest in music from the age of 6, joining gospel groups and attending Young Musicians Program at Berklee during middle school, Saadiq got the chance phone call of a lifetime, when Sheila E. called one day looking for touring musicians to join Prince on his Parade tour. Saadiq spent two years on the road, a time he called "My University".
Saadiq made a name for himself as the lead vocalist in the rhythm and blues and dance trio Tony! Toni! Toné!. He went by his birth name during the beginning of Tony! Toni! Toné!, where he was joined by his brother Dwayne Wiggins, and his cousin Timothy Christian. He adopted the name of Raphael Saadiq in the mid-1990s.
After the 1996 Tony! Toni! Toné! album, House of Music, (when he performed under his current name) Saadiq started his solo career. He produced a few solo tracks, but Saadiq's next big project became the R&B supergroup Lucy Pearl. He recorded the self-titled album with Dawn Robinson (En Vogue) and Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest). This group only lasted for one album. His solo album Instant Vintage, released in 2002, also earned 5 Grammy nominations.
Saadiq released his third solo album, The Way I See It, on September 16 2008, featuring collaborations with Stevie Wonder and Joss Stone. Saadiq acknowledges the album's old school soul sound, which he says includes nods to Gladys Knight & The Pips, Al Green, The Four Tops, The Delfonics and The Stylistics.
Various artists have tapped Saadiq to produce their work through the years. Some of Saadiq's most notable work has been with D'Angelo. The 2000 collaboration "Untitled" won D'Angelo a Grammy award for Best R&B Album. In 2007, Saadiq was called on to produce the whole third album from UK Soul singer Joss Stone. Other artists he has collaborated with include The Roots, Macy Gray, Snoop Dogg, Kelis, Q-Tip and Young Bellz.
In 2002, Saadiq founded his own record label, Pookie Entertainment. Among the artists on the label are Joi and Truth Hurts.
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Body Parts
Raphael Saadiq Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We gon' do some thangs
I won't tie you down
Let's just move around
It's been a long time
We haven't kissed each other
No one can interrupt us
I wanna watch you baby and everything you show
Shake your body parts
Let me be the dark
Stay low to the ground
I got you now
Don't let it be so long, before I get to see you
You know I'll really treat you
Now I know we try, never to call each other
Now we knew that wouldn't, last forever
Go upstairs and change
We gon' do some thangs
The song "Body Parts" by Raphael Saadiq is about two people who reunite after a long time of not seeing each other. The lyrics suggest that they have a strong physical attraction to one another, but they are not necessarily interested in tying each other down with a commitment. The singer encourages the other person to change into something more comfortable and then suggests that they just "move around" without any specific plans.
The chorus of the song expresses the singer's desire to see the other person's "body parts" and to "be the dark" for them. It's a sensual and somewhat mysterious line, suggesting that the two people are exploring each other in a way that is focused on pleasure and physical satisfaction. The singer also promises to treat the other person well and not to let so much time pass before seeing them again.
Overall, the lyrics of "Body Parts" are focused on the idea of enjoying physical relationships without the constraints of traditional romance or commitment. The song suggests that sometimes it's important to simply focus on pleasure and attraction, without worrying about the future or long-term plans.
Line by Line Meaning
Go upstairs and change
Let's go to a private space and begin to engage.
We gon' do some thangs
We're going to engage in sexual activity without restrictions or constraints.
I won't tie you down
I won't restrict or limit your movements, let's keep it free and spontaneous.
Let's just move around
Let's be active and creative in how we interact with each other.
It's been a long time
It's been a while since we've been intimate.
We haven't kissed each other
We haven't shared any physical intimacy in a while.
No one can interrupt us
We are in a space where no one can disturb us while we reconcile.
Now you can walk slow
Now, you can take your time moving slowly and seductively.
I wanna watch you baby and everything you show
I desire to take the time to watch and appreciate every detail of your body during our intimate moment.
Shake your body parts
Move and sway your body seductively for me.
Let me be the dark
Let me be your provider of pleasure and of carnal desires.
Stay low to the ground
Keep your movements close and intimate.
I got you now
I understand you, and I already have you in my grasp - let's continue to explore one another's desires.
Don't let it be so long, before I get to see you
Let's not go so long again without being intimate with one another.
You know I'll really treat you
I'll take care of you and sate your desires.
Now I know we try, never to call each other
We both agreed to keep our distance and not be emotionally attached.
Now we knew that wouldn't, last forever
We knew it was bound to change and our desire for each other would resurface.
Writer(s): Raphael Saadiq, Glenn Don Ii Standridge, Robert C.Ozuna Jr
Contributed by Anna V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.