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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Heart Attack
Raphael Saadiq Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Girl I want you back
I just cant stand it no more
You giving me a heart attack
Girl I want you back
My heart cant take it no more
Do you know how it feels
It just knocks you to the floor
She screams your name like shes next door
It gets you down to your knees
Got me screaming baby come on please
You giving me a heart attack
Girl I want you back
I just cant stand it no more
You giving me a heart attack
Girl I want you back
I just cant stand it no more
Well I found myself talking to myself
(to myself)
Looking for love from somebody else
(somebody else)
But then I figured out that's its not you
(It's not you)
My heart drops to my shoes
(to my shoes)
See I heard you not coming back
(back for another)
From some other cat
You giving me a heart attack
Girl I want you back
I just cant stand it no more
You giving me a heart attack
Girl I want you back
I just cant stand it no more
You giving me a heart attack
Oh yes you are
You giving me a heart attack
You giving me a heart attack
And I want you back now now
Oh yeah
In Raphael Saadiq's song "Heart Attack", the lyrics express the intense pain and anguish after a heartbreak. The repetition of the phrase "you giving me a heart attack" emphasizes the emotional turmoil that the singer feels as a result of the separation. The line "when the pain feels like it could kill" highlights the physical and emotional toll that heartbreak takes on a person. The lyrics also touch on the sense of desperation and need for closure, with the singer begging for the girl to come back.
The bridge of the song suggests that the singer turns to other people to try and fill the void left by the girl, however, ultimately it is a futile effort. The realization that the girl is not coming back is like a punch to the stomach, and the singer experiences a physical drop in their heart. The repetition of the phrase "I just can't stand it no more" conveys the feeling that the singer is at their breaking point and cannot handle the pain any longer.
Saadiq's vocal delivery throughout the song is powerful as he soulfully sings his emotions. The blues-influenced guitar riffs and driving beat add to the intensity of the emotional state that the singer is in. "Heart Attack" is a poignant representation of the emotional journey that people go through after experiencing heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
You giving me a heart attack
The situation and uncertainty you create in our relationship is causing me so much stress and anxiety that it feels like I'm having a heart attack.
Girl I want you back
Despite the pain you're causing me, I still want to restore our relationship and be with you again.
I just cant stand it no more
I've been enduring this pain for a while, and it has become unbearable. I'm at my wits' end.
My heart cant take it no more
The emotional and psychological burden of this situation is taking a heavy toll on me, and I feel that I can't handle it any longer.
Do you know how it feels
I want you to understand the emotional turmoil I'm going through, and how much I am hurting because of this situation.
When the pain feels like it could kill
The emotional pain I am experiencing is so intense that it feels like it could be life-threatening.
It just knocks you to the floor
The intensity of the emotional pain is so strong that it feels like a physical blow that could knock someone off their feet.
She screams your name like shes next door
Her presence and influence on my life is so powerful that I can hear her screaming my name even if she's not physically present with me.
It gets you down to your knees
The pain and suffering become so intense that it feels like you're collapsing to your knees, unable to bear it any longer.
Got me screaming baby come on please
I'm calling out to her, begging for her to stop causing me so much pain and to come back to me.
Well I found myself talking to myself (to myself)
The weight of the emotional pain is causing me to have a conversation with myself as I try to make sense of the situation.
Looking for love from somebody else (somebody else)
I've started to look for love and comfort from other people because I feel alone and abandoned by the person I love.
But then I figured out that's its not you (It's not you)
I've come to the realization that the love and comfort I've been seeking is not something that someone else can provide, and that I can only find that with her.
My heart drops to my shoes (to my shoes)
The realization hits me hard, and I feel my heart sink down to my feet, leaving me feeling devastated.
See I heard you not coming back (back for another)
I've heard rumors that she may not be considering coming back to me, which adds to the pain and suffering I'm already experiencing.
You giving me a heart attack
Reiterating the fact that the situation is causing me intense emotional and psychological pain.
Oh yes you are
Confirming that she is the cause of the pain I'm experiencing.
And I want you back now now
Despite everything, I still deeply love her, and my heart longs to be back in her arms.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RAPHAEL SAADIQ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind