Richard Noel Marx (born September 16, 1963 in Chicago, Illinois) is a singe… Read Full Bio ↴Richard Noel Marx (born September 16, 1963 in Chicago, Illinois) is a singer-songwriter best known for his adult contemporary music. He had a string of successful hit singles in the late 80s and early 90s such as "Right Here Waiting," "Hazard," and "Hold on to the Nights." Although most of his successful songs are slow ballads like these, many of his songs have an upbeat, classic rock style, examples being "Don't Mean Nothing," "Should've Known Better," "Satisfied," and "Wait for the Sunrise". Marx placed himself in the record books by being the first solo artist to have his first seven singles hit the top 5 on the U.S. top singles charts.

Marx was born to Dick and Ruth Marx. Marx grew up in a mixed faith household where father was Jewish and his mother was a Christian. His father was a jingle writer for commercials for popular products such as 'Chicken of the Sea', which is where Marx got his start writing at the tender age of five. His father also was talented jazz musician, well-known in the Chicago area.

At the age of 17, Marx created a demo to showcase his talents, which landed in the hands of soul artist Lionel Richie. Richie invited Marx to Hollywood saying, "I can't promise you anything, but you should come to L.A." Marx would eventually appear as a background singer in Richie's songs "You Are" and "Running With The Night" as well as on Richie's follow-up album, which included the smash hit "All Night Long".

*Richard Marx*
Marx's first album, a self-titled work, went multi-platinum, selling nearly 4 million copies. He also earned his first #1 single, "Hold on to the nights", which he told Songfacts.com was inspired by a friend who had the dilemma of having met the love of his life when both the friend and the girl in question were already in relationships. He also had several other top five hits including "Don’t Mean Nothing" (#3), "Should've Known Better" (#3) and "Endless Summer Nights" (#2). He later revealed in an interview on 'VH-1 Classic' that his favorite song that he performed from his first album was "Have Mercy."

*Repeat Offender*
Repeat Offender eventually moved into the #1 spot and gave Marx two more #1 hit singles.

*Rush Street*
Rush Street's "Hazard" (#1), which depicted a man's rejection in a fictional version of Hazard, Nebraska. He released Paid Vacation in 1994, Flesh & Bone in 1997, Days in Avalon in 2000 and My Own Best Enemy in 2004.

Richard Marx also sang with Donna Lewis, best known for her hit "I Love You Always Forever", on the track "At the Beginning" of the Anastasia soundtrack. He has sung background vocals for Madonna in her True Blue album.

He has served as a writer/producer for an extensive list of other recording artists, including Barry Manilow, Barbra Streisand, Keith Urban, 98 Degrees, Kenny Loggins, Emerson Drive, Luther Vandross, Michael Bolton, *NSYNC, Olivia Newton-John, Sarah Brightman, SheDaisy, John Farnham and Vince Gill.

Marx has been married to Cynthia Rhodes, who starred in the 1987 blockbuster Dirty Dancing and is a former lead singer for 80s pop band Animotion, since 1989. The couple has three sons: Brandon, Lucas, and Jesse. Brandon is the eldest followed by Lucas then Jesse.

One of Marx's most recent works is a song titled "Remember When", composed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Disneyland. Performed by LeAnn Rimes, the song may be heard on the park's official 50th Anniversary album, as well as selected times in the park.

Over My Head
Richard Marx Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Baby, I'[m tryin' to make some sense
Of all we should've learned from experience
We win, we lose, we conquer and we fail
One part serious, do or die
Another part crush in junior high
I'm chasing my emotions like a tail
I can still move my fingers
But I can't seem to let go

The cold winds are blowing, I should be goin'
I'm in over my head
Without even blinkin', you've got me thinkin'
I would be better off dead
Yeah? I'm in over my head

You made me weak, I made you laugh
Driving through the rain in a yellow cab
The taste of your kiss is with me even now
But this thing we've got goes by different names
Never two days in a row the same
I wanna stop feelin' this, but don't know how

I see my legs and they're moving
But I just can't walk away

The cold winds are blowing, I should be goin'
I'm in over my head
Without even blinkin', you've got me thinkin'
I would be better off dead
Yeah? I'm in over my head

I'll say goodbye, but talk is cheap
I count the memories in my sleep
I've had enough, but I want more

Makin' me weak, makin' you laugh
Driving through the rain in that yellow cab
Baby, your kiss is with me even now

The cold winds are blowing, I should be goin'
I'm in over my head
Without even blinkin', you've got me thinkin'

I would be better off dead
Yeah? I'm in over my head

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Richard Marx's song "Over My Head" reveal the difficulty of making sense of a relationship. The singer is grappling with the paradoxical nature of love, which can be both serious and playful, conquer and fail, and involve deep emotions that are difficult to control. Despite the ups and downs, the singer finds themselves deeply entangled in the relationship, unable to let go even though they know they should.

The use of metaphors like "chasing my emotions like a tail" and "I can still move my fingers/But I can't seem to let go" reveal the singer's struggle to come to terms with their feelings. They are unable to resist the taste of their partner's kiss or the memories they've shared, even though the relationship might not be healthy for them. In the end, the singer admits that they've had enough but still want more, highlighting the complex and all-consuming nature of love.

Line by Line Meaning

Baby, I'm tryin' to make some sense
I am trying to understand the confusing situations and events that we have experienced together.

Of all we should've learned from experience
We should have gained knowledge and understanding from our past experiences.

We win, we lose, we conquer and we fail
We have experienced different outcomes in various situations- some successes, some failures.

One part serious, do or die
One part of our relationship is very important and serious, with high stakes.

Another part crush in junior high
Another part of our relationship is like a crush from the innocence of our youth.

I'm chasing my emotions like a tail
I am trying to keep up with and understand my own emotions, but it is difficult and confusing.

I can still move my fingers
Physically, I am capable of movement and action.

But I can't seem to let go
Emotionally, I am struggling to detach myself from this situation.

The cold winds are blowing, I should be goin'
I should be leaving and moving on from this situation, as if being pushed by the cold winds.

Without even blinkin', you've got me thinkin'
Without any effort or intention, you are occupying my thoughts and causing me to consider things I hadn't before.

I would be better off dead
I feel so trapped and overwhelmed by this situation that I am questioning if it is even worth going on living.

Yeah? I'm in over my head
I am in too deep and don't know how to extricate myself from this situation.

You made me weak, I made you laugh
You have power over me in some ways, while I have the ability to bring you happiness.

Driving through the rain in a yellow cab
We've been through difficult times together (like driving through a rainstorm), but found moments of lightness and hope (like being in a yellow cab).

The taste of your kiss is with me even now
I am still affected by the memories and emotions associated with our physical intimacy.

But this thing we've got goes by different names
Our relationship is complex and multifaceted, and is understood or described in different ways by different people.

Never two days in a row the same
Our relationship is always changing and unpredictable, without any consistent patterns or routines.

I wanna stop feelin' this, but don't know how
I am tired of experiencing these intense emotions and desires, but am unsure of how to change or move on from them.

I see my legs and they're moving
I am physically moving and taking steps, but still feel emotionally stuck and unable to escape my situation.

But I just can't walk away
Despite my desire to leave this relationship, I am struggling to actually do so and feel trapped in it.

I'll say goodbye, but talk is cheap
I may verbally announce my intentions to leave, but actually following through will be much more difficult than just speaking about it.

I count the memories in my sleep
I am constantly revisiting my past experiences with you, even in my dreams.

I've had enough, but I want more
I feel like I have reached my limit with this relationship, yet still find myself wanting to hold onto it in some way.

Lyrics © OLE MEDIA MANAGEMENT LP, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Richard N. Marx

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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