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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Keep Marchin'
Raphael Saadiq Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh
Oh
Well there's nothing you can do
Well there's nothing you can say
'Cause everything just ain't gon' go your way
If you're feeling kind of strange
If it's hard for you to keep your feet on solid ground
You better keep on, keep marchin'
Oh-oh keep marchin' on
You just gotta keep on, oh yeah, keep marching on
Oh-oh keep marchin' on
Keep, keep, keep marchin'
When a poor girl shines
And a rich girl cries
And the clown is wearing no make up
You got to get up and run
You got to get up your stride
You got to put all your pride into makin' it
You gotta keep on, keep marchin'
Oh-oh, keep marchin' on
You gotta keep on, come on now, keep marchin'
Keep on marchin' now
Keep marchin' on
You gotta keep, keep, keep marchin'
You gotta keep, keep, keep marchin'
Keep, keep marchin'
Keep marchin'
Keep marchin'
Keep marchin'
You gotta keep on, you gotta keep on, keep marchin' on
That's all we gotta do today is keep on marchin', oh-oh
Don't let nobody tell you no different, oh no, keep marchin' on
In the song Keep Marchin', Raphael Saadiq encourages listeners to keep pushing through life's hardships and never give up, even when things don't seem to be going their way. Saadiq suggests that rather than dwelling on the past or feeling sorry for oneself, it's critical to keep moving forward and stay focused on our goals. This idea is emphasized through the lyrics "there's nothing you can do, nothing you can say...everything just ain't gon' go your way" and "you gotta put all your pride into makin' it".
Saadiq uses vivid and relatable imagery to drive home the song's message. He highlights the contrast between a rich girl crying while a poor girl shines, and how the clown wearing no makeup is symbolic of the facade that people put on to hide their true emotions. Saadiq is urging his listeners to break away from these societal norms and stay true to themselves as they navigate life's challenges.
Overall, Keep Marchin' is a song about perseverance, resilience and never giving up, despite the odds against you. It's a message of hope and resilience that resonates with listeners all around the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Well there's nothing you can do
There are some situations where there's no solution or answer to solve the problem.
Well there's nothing you can say
In some circumstances, you can't communicate any solution or message to solve the problem.
'Cause everything just ain't gon' go your way
Not all things work according to your plan or preference
If you're feeling kind of strange
If you are experiencing something unusual or unfamiliar
And he wanna lay it down
When someone tries to control or put you down
If it's hard for you to keep your feet on solid ground
If you find it challenging to remain stable and strong in problematic scenarios
When a poor girl shines
When a disadvantaged individual outshines an advantaged one
And a rich girl cries
When someone with access to resources is unhappy and displaying sorrow
And the clown is wearing no make up
When someone is acting as if everything is good while pretending to be happy but genuinely isn't
You got to get up and run
You must take prompt action to escape from the current situation.
You got to get up your stride
You need to maintain your motivating force and pace
You got to put all your pride into makin' it
You need to utilize your ego and self-respect for finding a way to thrive
That's all we gotta do today is keep on marchin', oh-oh
The only way of paving the way to success is to keep on striving.
Don't let nobody tell you no different, oh no, keep marchin' on
Don't allow anyone to influence you by discouraging or distracting you from your goals. You should keep on pursuing them.
You just gotta keep on, oh yeah, keep marching on
You need to maintain your positive attitude and keep moving forward despite any obstacles.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RAPHAEL SAADIQ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind