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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Save Us
Raphael Saadiq Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Save us, save us
Save us, save us
Save us, save us
No one know the day, nor the hour
No one know the day, nor the hour
No one know the day, nor the hour
Save us, save us
Save us, save us
Save us, save us
Save us, save us
Oh, save us
No one know the day, nor the hour
No one know the day, nor the hour
In Raphael Saadiq's song "Save Us," the repeated refrain of "save us" is a plea for help and salvation. The song explores the uncertainty of the future, as no one knows the day, nor the hour when disaster or tragedy can strike. The repetition of these lines reinforces the feeling of urgency and desperation for someone to come and save them.
The song can also be interpreted as a broader call for societal change and leadership. The repeated plea for someone to save them can be seen as a cry for political leaders or community figures to step up and address the issues that are plaguing society. The uncertainty conveyed in the lyrics is a reflection of the unstable and often unpredictable world we live in, and the need for someone to bring order and stability.
Line by Line Meaning
Save us, save us
A plea for help and salvation
Save us, save us
Reiteration of the plea for help and salvation
Save us, save us
Continued plea for help and salvation
Save us, save us
Final plea for help and salvation
No one know the day, nor the hour
No one knows when a life-changing event will occur
No one know the day, nor the hour
Reiteration of the fact that nobody knows when an event will happen
No one know the day, nor the hour
Continued emphasis on the unknown timing of an event
No one know the day, nor the hour
Final emphasis on the fact that nobody knows when an event will happen
Oh, save us
An emotional and urgent plea for help and salvation
No one know the day, nor the hour
Reiteration of the fact that nobody knows when an event will happen
No one know the day, nor the hour
Final reiteration of the unknown timing of an event
Contributed by Keira E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.