Alan Thicke married actress Gloria Loring, known for starring in programs such as 'Days of Our Lives', in 1970, and he had the two sons Brennan Thicke and Robin Thicke. Half-brother Carter Thicke would become another member of the clan years later after Alan Thicke divorced and remarried. Brother Robin grew up in a household filled with music, with his dad being a singer (of tracks such as "Thicke of the Night") as well as a co-composer for several TV show theme songs and a seminal actor on both the big and small screens (examples being the shows 'Growing Pains' and 'How I Met Your Mother').
The young Robin Thicke taught himself to play piano at the age of twelve. Even at the age of fourteen, he found that he could play just about anything that he heard on the radio, feeling a drive to keep going further. Before his days as a singer-songwriter performing his own material,Robin Thicke wrote songs for the soul and pop groups 3T (with 1995's "Sexual Attention" bringing Thicke alongside Damon Thomas), Brownstone (with 1997's "Around You"), and Color Me Badd (an example being 1996's "Sexual Capacity"). He also collaborated with the acclaimed production duo of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis on several songs for Jordan Knight's 1999 self-titled album. Thicke seemed to receive a great omen when Knight's album was certified Gold and gained huge fan acclaim.
In 2000, Thicke went to work on material for his debut album, which ended up being titled 'A Beautiful World'. The album focused more on blue-eyed soul than his pop-centered offerings for other artists, and he mixed in influences from eclectic funk (in the vein of the British group Jamiroquai) and and modern neo-soul music (in the vain of Canadian crooner Remy Shand). Thicke hoped that he was primed for huge things by late 2002 when the album became ready for release.
Thicke's lead single, called "When I Get You Alone", had a distinctive music video made for it. The disco and slick rnb fueled track sounded rather unlike the commercial pop ethos of the time, having a distinctive sampling of Walter Murphy's 70s dance music hit "A Fifth of Beethoven" (which itself had been inspired by Beethoven's Fifth Symphony). The video featured an unshaven Thicke, with long, grungy hair, as a courier racing through the streets of Manhattan on a bicycle. It received some rotation on MTV 2 and BET's "Rated Next", the song being spun moderately on urban radio. On the Hot 100, it reached #29 quite quickly, yet it fell out the chart just as fast. Globally, however, the song was quite popular. With his single peaking at #17 in Australia, #15 in Belgium, #15 in Italy, #8 in New Zealand, and #5 in the Netherlands, Thicke felt that he wanted another shot at the 'big time' in the U.S.
Devising the re-release of this album, which it then gaining its final title of 'A Beautiful World', Thicke added a few extra songs that he seemed confident of. Yet the album received very little corporate promotion, irritating Thicke despite the release of a second single, a Prince-like groove mixing funk with rock called "Brand New Jones". The album debuted at #152 in the Billboard 200 and didn't do much from there, selling a mere 59,000 copies. Still, his work ended up being received well by many critics and musical peers, with Trevor Nelson and Lil' Wayne (Weezy's 2005 release 'Tha Carter, Vol. 2' would even include some of Thicke's work) lauding Thicke's music, as well as many fans.
In 2004, artist Pharrell Williams asked Jimmy Iovine, CEO of Interscope, “What are you doing with Robin Thicke?” A few months later, Robin was recording a new single, titled “Wanna Love You Girl” with Pharrell in Miami, as a newly signed artist on Pharrell’s label, Star Trak Records. With the two musicians sharing the same love for genre-hopping, deliberately 'retro' music, the single immediately attracted the attention of radio and club DJs across the world after its August 2005 release. The song often given revamped names such as "Wanna Love U Girl", "Wanna Love You Girl (Feat. Pharrell)", and the like, it ended up doing very well in the U.K. in particular, hitting #5 on Trevor Nelson's BBC Radio 1 "Soul Nation" chart.
Now appealing more to the mainstream, Thicke cut off his trademark long hair in an attempt to further recreate himself. By October 2006, when his second album, titled 'The Evolution of Robin Thicke', came out in its entirely, he had built up a ton of momentum, and his work paid off. Thicke earned the #1 slot on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and additional singles such as "Got 2 Be Down" and "Lost Without U" saw huge fan responses. As the months went by, his album even earned platinum certification by the RIAA.
Having 'made it' in the truest sense commercially as well as critically, Thick remarked, "My greatest desire with this album was to write songs that were completely honest and sing them with the emotion I was feeling when I wrote them, so that whoever listens to my music is brought as close to my experiences and life as possible."
With this intention, Robin created songs such as, “Lost without You” (the second single). An instant classic, this song is about Robin’s insecurities and his need to be desired and loved. With sweeping vocals over rhythmic Spanish guitar, this song takes you away and makes you sing along.
On the psychedelic, “High School Man” is where Robin infuses rock and hip-hop and poetically admits “I’m a hater” as he hates on those with more success than him realizing, ironically, he just wants what they have.
Finishing off The Evolution of Robin Thicke is the hopeful and encouraging “Thank You.” On this gospel inspired, piano ballad Robin sings, “maybe I’m the one who never gets up ‘till he falls,” making the discovery that he has to be thankful for everything that comes into his life…the tears, the joy, the failures and the successes.
Always carrying a heavy heart, Robin taught himself to play piano at the age of twelve so he could have an outlet to express himself. By the age of fourteen, he could play anything he heard on the radio. At sixteen, with no formal training, Robin began professionally writing and producing music for recording artists like Brandy and Brian McKnight. Over the years he has amassed dozens of gold and platinum records with artists including Usher, Mary J. Blige, Michael Jackson and Christina Aguilera.
Reflective, redemptive, passionate and etched with a soulfulness that is undeniable, The Evolution of Robin Thicke is an imaginative and heart-felt album that you cannot help but be moved by, bob your head to and smile throughout.
The album was released on October 3rd, 2006 and includes songs with Lil Wayne and Faith Evans, as well as Pharrell. The song "Got 2 Be Down" featuring Faith Evans was recently leaked (June '06). There will be two to three more videos released before the album comes out. Lately, there was a Busta Rhymes remix video shot for "Wanna Love You Girl," a Lil’ Wayne feat Robin Thicke "Shooter" video, and Robin has released the video for "Lost Without You," making that song the official 2nd single of the album.
Cherry Blue Skies
Robin Thicke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Black mans chasing the red
War in these streets
No talkin' bout peace
The dog's off the leash, under pressure
All of this violence
And hate crime is rising
AAh
But its never too late to try
To get on the same side
Get on the same side
It's cherry Blue skies
Where there's Cherry blue skies
Everything's a struggle
But freedoms worth a fight
And love is sitll the consuier at all times
Your friends and lovers
Your sisters and brothers
All love the same from the moon
But its never too late to try
To get on the same side
Get on the same side
It's cherry blue skies
Where there's cherry blue skies
It's never gonna be to late to try
A place where there's hope
A place where there's peace
It's never to late to try
For the cherry blue skies
The lyrics of Robin Thicke's song Cherry Blue Skies addresses themes of racial tension, violence, and the need for unity. The lyrics describe a world where racial conflict is rampant, with the white man killing the black man, and the black man chasing the red. The imagery of cherry blue skies is used to represent hope and peace in a world that is struggling. The chorus of the song encourages unity, stating that it is never too late to get on the same side and work towards a world where there is hope and peace.
The song also touches on the theme of love, as the lyrics suggest that love is the answer to the world's problems. Thicke sings that love is the "conqueror at all times," and encourages people to love their friends, lovers, sisters, and brothers, regardless of their differences.
Overall, the song Cherry Blue Skies is a call for unity, hope, and love in a world that often feels overwhelming and hopeless. The lyrics ask us to come together and work towards a better world, where peace and love can flourish.
Line by Line Meaning
White man's killin' the black man
Racial violence is rampant, with white people often being the aggressors.
Black mans chasing the red
Black people are trying to attain their own version of success and prosperity.
War in these streets
There is constant conflict and unrest, leading to a state of war.
No talkin' bout peace
There is little to no discussion around finding peace and ending violence.
The dog's off the leash, under pressure
People are acting recklessly, and the tension and stress is causing it to become worse.
All of this violence
The amount of violence is overwhelming and significant.
And hate crime is rising
Acts of hatred and intolerance are on the rise and causing concern.
The world ain't the same as it was
The world has changed, and not necessarily for the better.
But its never too late to try
It is never too late to work towards making a difference and improving the situation.
To get on the same side
People need to unite and work together to make change happen.
It's cherry Blue skies
The future can be bright and full of hope, with positivity and happiness.
Where there's Cherry blue skies
In a place where things are good and people treat each other with respect and kindness.
Everything's a struggle
It can be difficult to make progress and see improvement, but we must keep fighting.
But freedoms worth a fight
The right to freedom is worth standing up and fighting for, even in the face of adversity.
And love is still the consuier at all times
Love is always important and should guide people's actions and decisions.
Your friends and lovers
The people in your life, both romantically and platonically, are worth fighting for and protecting.
Your sisters and brothers
All people are connected and should work together to create a better world.
All love the same from the moon
No matter where people are from or who they love, everyone deserves to be treated with love and respect.
A place where there's hope
A place of positivity and optimism, where people believe in a better future.
A place where there's peace
A place where people live in harmony and treat each other with kindness and understanding.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: JAMES D. GASS, ROBERT BRADFORD KEYES, ROBIN A. THICKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind