Regina Belle was born in Englewood, New Jersey. Her early musical experience was in gospel music. She also studied trombone, tuba and steel drums and graduated from Dwight Morrow High School. In college at Rutgers University, she studied opera and jazz.
She met the Manhattans and began working as their opening act. She even recorded a duet with them, "Where Did We Go Wrong." her hard work earned her a record deal with Columbia Records.
In 1987, she released her album All By Myself which featured the hit single "Show Me The Way" which reached #2 on the R&B charts. In 1989, Belle released her sophomore album, "Stay With Me". Going gold, the album was packed with several strong and catchy songs. "Baby Come To Me", the album's first single, topped the R&B charts at # 1 and was followed by "What Goes Around" which reached #3. The album featured two additional popular singles, "This Is Love" which reached #7 and "Make It Like It Was" which was another #1 single on the R&B charts and #5 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
Belle recorded a duet in 1991 with singing superstar Johnny Mathis, "Better Together" which appeared on his album Better Together: The Duet Album. Continuing her success with duets, Belle teamed up with Peabo Bryson for the song "A Whole New World" from the Aladdin Soundtrack. The song went gold and won the Grammy Award in 1993 for "Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. Unfortunately, the duet did not catapult Regina into Pop superstardom as Peabo's duet with Celine Dion, "Beauty and the Beast" did.
During the same year, Belle released her third album, "Passion". Going Gold, the album featured the previously mentioned "A Whole New World", "Dream In Colour and "If I Could" which reached #9 on the R&B charts. Both did well on the A/C chart. A fouth single, "The Deeper I Love" was released but it did not chart.
After a five year hiatus without any original content released, Belle put out the album "Believe in Me" in 1998. If was much more of a commercial Urban contemporary album than any of her other albums. Although the album had two hit singles, the lead single being "I've Had Enough" (it was also remixed into a sizable dance music hit), the album didn't met MCA Records sales goal. She was droped by MCA Record in 1999. In 2001, she released the album "This Is Regina!" which featured the sensual hit single, "Ooh Boy". Another single was not lifted from the album. "This Is Regina!" went Gold.
Belle is still active in the music industry and in 2004, released the album, "Lazy Afternoon". In 2005, she had several successful concerts and apprances singing both new songs and older favourites. Regina Belle is not a well known figure by the Caucasion music audiences but should be since she is one of the highest quality Adult Contemporary/Pop singer to arise in recent times.
in 2008, Belle released her first Gospel album, "Love Forever Shines" on Pendulum Records. The album peaked at #115 on the Billboard 200, #15 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and #3 Top Gospel Albums chart. The albums' single, "God Is Good" became a hit, peaking at #34 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, #36 Hot Adult R&B Airplay and #2 on the Hot Gospel Songs chart. She continues to tour. She also also become a regular on the Gopsel music circuit since then.
I
Regina Belle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'd protect you from the sadness in your eyes
Give you courage in a world of compromise
Yes, I would
If I could
I would teach you all the things I never learned
And I'd help you cross the bridges that I burned
Yes, I would
If I could
I would try to shield your innocence from time
But the part of life I gave you isn't mine
I watched you grow
So I could let you go
If I could
I would help you make it through the hungry years
But I know that I can never cry your tears
But I would
If I could
If I live
In a time and place
Where you don't want to be
You don't have to walk along this road with me
My yesterday
Won't have to be your way
If I knew
I'd have tried to change the world I brought you to
Through there wasn't very much that I could do
But I still would
If I could
If, if I could
I would try to shield your innocence from time
But the part of life I gave you isn't mine.
I watched you grow
So I could let you go
If I could
I would help you make it through the hungry years
But I know that I can never cry your tears
But I would
If I could
Yes, I would
Yes, I would
If I could
Regina Belle's song "If I Could" is a moving tribute from a caregiver to the person they care for. The sender conveys their desire to shield their loved one from the harsh realities and challenges of life. They wish to be a source of strength, wisdom, and experience for their loved one that they never had. They seek to provide guidance and support as they navigate life's bridges and crossroads. The sender's intentions are pure and selfless, wanting nothing in return, but instead seeking to instill their experiences and knowledge to the person they care for.
The sender acknowledges that they can't protect their loved one from everything, nor can they take away their pain. There are times when their loved one may have to walk alone, and there's nothing they can do about it. They still yearn for their loved one to be spared from the harshness of life, but they accept their limitations as a person. Ultimately, they allow their loved one to be their own person and go through the "hungry years," which are a metaphor for life's trials and tribulations. Knowing full well that they can never fully understand their loved one's struggles, they still express deep empathy and a willingness to help if they could.
Overall, "If I Could" is a touching and powerful expression of love, protection, selflessness, and understanding. It shows how difficult caregiving can be and how it's often a delicate balance between protecting and enabling those we care for. The song is a reminder that despite our limitations, we can still make a difference in the lives of those we care for and love.
Line by Line Meaning
If I could
If there was any way that I could do what I'm about to say, I would.
I'd protect you from the sadness in your eyes
I would shield you from any heartbreak, pain or sorrow that you may experience.
Give you courage in a world of compromise
I would fill you with the bravery you need to face the challenges and difficult decisions that come your way in a world full of compromises.
Yes, I would
I absolutely would do those things for you if I had the power.
I would teach you all the things I never learned
I would give you the wisdom and knowledge that I wish I had learned earlier in my life.
And I'd help you cross the bridges that I burned
I would be your support and guide as you navigate through difficult situations that I once mishandled and perhaps even destroyed beyond repair.
I watched you grow
I had been a witness to your growth and progress.
So I could let you go
And because I had watched you grow, I am now ready to let you go, knowing that you are ready to face the world on your own.
I would try to shield your innocence from time
I would protect you and keep you innocent for as long as I could but I know that time and experiences will eventually strip that innocence away.
But the part of life I gave you isn't mine
Although I gave you life, I know that your journey and your experiences in life are your own and not mine to control or influence.
I would help you make it through the hungry years
I would support and provide for you during the difficult, lean and hungry times.
But I know that I can never cry your tears
I am aware that even though I can empathize with your feelings and emotions, I cannot experience them in the same way that you do and thus cannot truly understand them fully.
If I live in a time and place where you don't want to be
If I am in a different time or place than you, one that you do not want to be in, I understand that you do not have to follow down the same path as I did.
You don't have to walk along this road with me
You are free to choose your own path and make your own decisions, even if they're not the same as mine.
My yesterday won't have to be your way
The way I lived my life does not have to be the same way that you choose to live yours.
If I knew, I'd have tried to change the world I brought you to
If I had known that the world I brought you into would be difficult, I would have tried to make it better for you.
Through there wasn't very much that I could do
Even though I recognize the challenges of the world and would like to change it, the reality is that there is not much that I can do alone to change it.
Yes, I would
Overall, I would do anything in my power and ability to care for and support you to the best of my ability.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: KENNETH HIRSCH, RON MILLER, MARTI SHARRON, KENNY HIRSCH, RONALD NORMAN MILLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@theoster
If you're listening to this in 2024 and beyond, you're super cool and have style.
@victorianicolehughes4291
I sure am super cool with style. Listening in 2020.
@divinegoddessvalinda1460
Why, thank you. How did you know :)
@tashandrethomas3643
I’m 23 😝 and it’s moms daily why I like old music
@monicamclean2324
This is my favorite song from she
@nashathegeorgiapeach3908
Why, thank you! But u HAVE to Bluetooth it in your ride to get the full ORCHESTRALS!!l
@SandraVINGADAPATY-td5ki
If you're listening to this song in 2024 your taste in music is remarkable!!❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉
@mariobyrd4311
I'm here
@ProLevelAVG
No autotune. No gimmicks. Just heart & soul. Real music as an art needs to make a comeback in 2024
@beat3276
Certainly