In 1989, at age 22, Bona moved to Paris and soon began working with such leading French musicians as violinist Didier Lockwood and bassist Marc Ducret as well as such African stars as Manu Dibango and Salif Keita. During his seven years in Paris, Richard refined his writing skills while further immersing himself in the music of jazz greats like Miles Davis, Chet Baker and Ben Webster.
Since arriving in New York in 1995, bassist-vocalist-composer Richard Bona has been one of the most sought-after talents on the scene.
Good Times
Richard Bona Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They always have the greatest personalities
You like having them around when you're feeling down and incomplete
Knowing the right things to say at the right time
And if they don't know the answers they will find them
You become attracted to their wisdom, virtue, state of mind
We're empty when alone, lost when friends are gone, and you can't stay on your mind, you just need to know that
Good times (oh, oh)
Good times
Waiting there for you (oh yeah)
All you gotta do (believe)
Believe (release)
Release
You will make it through
You will make it through
You become someone whose mind has been set free
Others will notice your great personality, yeah
They'll notice your heart is pure, that you're not insecure or incomplete, mhmm
You'll know all the right things to say at the right time
And if you don't know the answers you will find them
They'll become attracted to their wisdom, virtue, state of mind
Understand it's up to you to finally face the truth and check out all the signs
We're empty when alone, lost when friends are gone, and you can't stay on your mind, you just need to know that
Good times (good times)
Good times (waiting)
Waiting there for you (oh, oh)
All you gotta do (believe)
Believe (and release)
Release (mhmm)
You will make it through (yeah)
You will make it through (singing good times)
Good times (yeah)
Good times (yeah)
Waiting there for you (oh oh)
All you gotta do (you gotta believe)
Believe (and release what's on your mind)
Release
You will make it through (you will make it through)
You will make it through (oh oh oh)
Hey, you just need to know that
Good times (good times)
Good times (waiting there for you)
Waiting there for you (yeah yeah)
All you gotta do (gotta believe)
Believe (and release)
Release (oh oh)
You will make it through
You will make it through (you need to know that)
Good times (good times)
Good times (waiting on you)
Waiting there for you (waiting there for you, yeah)
All you gotta do (gotta believe)
Believe (and release your mind, yeah)
Release
You will make it through
You will make it through
The song Good Times by Richard Bona is a song about the importance of choosing freedom, being authentic and staying true to oneself. The song highlights the beauty of free-spirited people, who are always happy and have great personalities. Such people bring joy and happiness to others, and they know how to lift others up when they are feeling down or incomplete. The song emphasizes that true happiness comes from within us and that it is up to us to face the truth and find our way back when we feel lost.
The lyrics also depict that being free-spirited comes with knowing the right things to say at the right time and always being open-minded to learn and grow. It is filled with hope for the future, and the belief that anyone can overcome life’s challenges and make it through.
In conclusion, the song Good Times by Richard Bona is a great reminder of the importance of staying true to oneself and the people around us. It encourages us to be free-spirited, open-minded and to never give up when life becomes challenging.
Line by Line Meaning
Happy are those people who choose to be free
People who choose to be free are happier in life
They always have the greatest personalities
Free people have great personalities
You like having them around when you're feeling down and incomplete
Free people help others feel better when they're down and incomplete
Knowing the right things to say at the right time
Knowing what to say at the right time is important
And if they don't know the answers they will find them
Free people will find answers if they don't know them already
You become attracted to their wisdom, virtue, state of mind
People are attracted to the wisdom, virtue, and state of mind of free people
Understand it's up to you to finally face the truth and check out all the signs
It's important to face the truth and look for signs yourself
We're empty when alone, lost when friends are gone, and you can't stay on your mind, you just need to know that
We feel empty when alone and lost when friends are gone, but we need to know that we can make it through
Good times (oh, oh)
There are good times waiting
Good times
There are good times waiting
Waiting there for you (oh yeah)
The good times are waiting for you
All you gotta do (believe)
All you have to do is believe
Believe (release)
Believe and release your mind
Release
Release your mind
You will make it through
You will make it through
You become someone whose mind has been set free
If you free your mind, you become someone with great personality and wisdom
Others will notice your great personality, yeah
Others will notice your great personality
They'll notice your heart is pure, that you're not insecure or incomplete, mhmm
They'll notice your pure heart and that you're not insecure or incomplete
You'll know all the right things to say at the right time
If you free your mind, you'll know what to say at the right time
Understand it's up to you to finally face the truth and check out all the signs
You must face the truth and look for signs yourself
Good times (good times)
There are good times waiting
Good times (waiting)
There are good times waiting
All you gotta do (believe)
All you have to do is believe
Believe (and release)
Believe and release your mind
Release (mhmm)
Release your mind
You will make it through (yeah)
You will make it through
Good times (yeah)
There are good times waiting
Good times (yeah)
There are good times waiting
Waiting there for you (oh oh)
The good times are waiting for you
All you gotta do (you gotta believe)
All you have to do is believe
Believe (and release what's on your mind)
Believe and release what's on your mind
You will make it through (you will make it through)
You will make it through
Good times (good times)
There are good times waiting
Good times (waiting on you)
There are good times waiting for you
Waiting there for you (waiting there for you, yeah)
The good times are waiting for you
All you gotta do (gotta believe)
All you have to do is believe
Believe (and release your mind, yeah)
Believe and release your mind
Release
Release your mind
You will make it through
You will make it through
You need to know that
You need to know that
Contributed by Bella G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
George Nyavor
on Dunia E
omg!!! I have been looking for the meaning of this masterpiece that hits my spirits so hard and yet so comforting. Thanks Nathaniel for what you are doing. i am a Ghanaian and since I discovered Richard Bona, he assumed some sort of revered status in my mind. The guy is good and talented! Thanks so much for bringing the meaning of Suninga too. I wish I can pay you cos at some I linked up with a few friends from Cameroon. They didn't help much since they said the language of the song is not what they speak. I am grateful for this.
Nguebeh Collyn
on Souleymane
Mulema is a name
Yeikete is another name and means something unknown or undefined
They talk about us but we don't know what they're saying
It's a secret language that they're using
They talk about us but we can feel the energy of the gossip
We are not part of their discussion
There is a lot of drama and intrigue surrounding us
We try to stay grounded and not let their gossip affect us
We are caught in the middle of something we don't fully understand
We are not part of their conversation
We are surrounded by people who talk about us, and it makes us feel uncomfortable
We feel small and insignificant in the face of their gossip
Their gossip is like a snake that creeps up on us from behind
We feel helpless and vulnerable to their criticism
Mulema is still a part of this gossip
Yeikete is still here too
They are still talking about us
Their secret language still leaves us in the dark
We are still trying to absorb their negative energy
We still don't really know what they're saying
The drama and intrigue still surround us
We are still trying to stay grounded
We are still in the middle of something that is confusing and uncomfortable
Their conversation is about to come to an end
There is an interruption in their conversation
Someone is trying to change the subject or end the conversation
A car comes to a screeching halt nearby
The conversation comes to a complete stop
Someone interrupts to ask who we are
Our name is Souleymane, and we introduce ourselves
We repeat our name to make sure they understand
We are still part of this discussion but now we're taking control of the conversation
We are no longer in the dark about what they're talking about
We repeat our name with confidence
We are proud of who we are, even though others might not understand us
We are the ones who decide what we want to say
Our words are like flames that cannot be extinguished
We speak with authority and power
Our words echo like the beating of a drum
We are still part of this conversation, but now we are leading it
We know what they're saying, and we're not afraid
We are using our words to bring people together
Our words are a call to action
Our words are fierce and powerful
We are inspiring others to find their own voice
Our name is Souleymane, and we are taking control of this conversation
We are confident and empowered
We are no longer just part of this conversation, but leading it
We are no longer in the dark about what they're saying
We are unafraid and proud of who we are
We are taking control and making our voices heard
We are leading this conversation with power and authority
We have taken control of this conversation and will not be silenced
We are proud of who we are and will never be silenced
We are unafraid to speak up and make our voices heard
We are the ones who control the conversation now
We are the ones who will be remembered, not those who gossip about us
Our words have power and will inspire others to speak up too
Claudio
on Invocation
Lyric of Invocation is wrong. The lyric is from other song called "Dina Lam" and is the chorus of that song, from 2'47''. You can see that.