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.
Look at Me
Robin Thicke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I used to be the answer and the cure
I used to be the life you thought for sure and oh you’re sure on me now
And even though the sun is shining the raging fires are slowly dying
My walls have got me rattling my cage
Look at me look at me again
Set me free Look at me again
I thought you would protect me from the loneliness and shame
and you being gone reminds me of nobody being there
Oh I’m sure
And even though your eyes are shining I cant stop my own from crying
I cant stop what’s running through my head
Look at me look at me again
Set me free Look at me again
I can’t
Girl you don’t have to worry I won’t get in your way
I just want to be with you and I just want to hold you
I just want to be next to you every morning
When you look into my eyes you see everything I hide
and if I’ve changed or am I still the same
Look at me look at me again
Look at me save me set me free look at me
Girl I want to be with you want to hold you want to be with you in the morning
I miss you I miss you so much baby
The song "Look At Me" by Robin Thicke is about the feeling of being left behind and forgotten by someone who was once a significant part of the singer's life. The lyrics express a sentiment of desperation and helplessness, as the singer tries to make the other person look at him and see what he is going through. He is looking for validation, attention, and affirmation that he still matters, that he is still seen and heard.
At the same time, the lyrics also reveal the singer's own journey of self-discovery and acceptance. He realizes that he had relied too much on the other person to define him and give him purpose, and that he needs to find his own way now. He acknowledges his own weaknesses and vulnerabilities and how they contribute to his sense of loneliness and shame. He also shows a willingness to make amends and to be there for the other person, despite their differences and the pain they both have gone through.
Overall, the song's message is about the importance of human connection, empathy, and self-awareness. It speaks to the universal experience of feeling lost and disconnected, and to the resilience and courage it takes to find one's way back to love and meaning.
Line by Line Meaning
It feels like you don’t need me anymore
I feel like you have moved on and don't require my presence anymore
I used to be the answer and the cure
Previously, I was the solution to your problems and the source of your happiness
I used to be the life you thought for sure and oh you’re sure on me now
You once believed that I was vital to your happiness and now you are confidently sure that I am not
And even though the sun is shining the raging fires are slowly dying
Despite the outside appearance of everything being okay, the intense emotions and struggles within me are slowly dissipating
My walls have got me rattling my cage
I feel trapped within my own emotional walls and it's causing me distress
Look at me look at me again
Set me free Look at me again
Please pay attention to me and see me for who I am. Help me break free from my emotional turmoil.
I thought you would protect me from the loneliness and shame
I believed that you would be my shelter from negative emotions like loneliness and shame
but now I see its part of who I was and who I am
and you being gone reminds me of nobody being there
I've come to realize that feeling lonely and ashamed is just a part of who I am, and your absence accentuates that feeling of having nobody there for me
And even though your eyes are shining I cant stop my own from crying
I cant stop what’s running through my head
Even though you may seem happy, I can't help but cry and be consumed by my own negative thoughts
I can’t
I'm unable to cope with my emotions on my own
Girl you don’t have to worry I won’t get in your way
I just want to be with you and I just want to hold you
I just want to be next to you every morning
Even though our relationship might not be the same, I still desire to be close to you and feel your presence in my life
When you look into my eyes you see everything I hide
and if I’ve changed or am I still the same
You can see past my facade and into my true emotions. I wonder if I've grown or if I'm still the same person.
Look at me look at me again
Look at me save me set me free look at me
I need you to see me and save me from my emotional distress. Please set me free from my negative thoughts and feelings.
Girl I want to be with you want to hold you want to be with you in the morning
I miss you I miss you so much baby
I ache to be close to you and share everyday moments together. I miss you more than anything, my love.
Contributed by Annabelle V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.