In the late 1990s, she had major dance hits with the songs "In a Dream," "When I'm Gone," and "Can't We Try" (a duet with Collage and remake of the Dan Hill and Vonda Shepard 1987 hit song). All of these tracks appeared on her 1998 debut album entitled What Are You Lookin' At?. She released a second album, Instant Pleasure, in 2000. Instant Pleasure included the single "What U Did 2 Me" which reached #101 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2001. Her best charting success is in Canada, where she is still active performing shows at clubs. Her debut single "I Fell in Love" distributed by the then BMG Canada reached #1 on the Canadian Singles Chart while the follow-up "In a Dream" was at #6.
In 1996, "I Fell In Love" peaked at #61 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1997. It hit the #1 spot on the Canadian Singles Chart singles chart during that year, making it the most successful freestyle dance music single of the decade in Canada.[citation needed] The single also peaked at #9 on the Hot Dance Singles Sales chart in the USA.
The follow-up to "I Fell In Love," peaked at #72 on the Billboard Hot 100 in late 1997. It was #6 on the Hot 100 Canadian Singles Chart and solidified Rockell's position on the artist roster of the then BMG Music Canada. It also peaked at #13 on the Hot Dance Singles Sales chart.
"Can't We Try" with Collage peaked at #59 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1998. The single peaked at #11 on the Hot Dance Singles Sales chart.
"When I'm Gone" failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1999, but appeared on the Hot Dance Airplay and Hot Dance Music/Club Play charts. It also peaked at #21 on the Hot Dance Singles Sales chart.
Rockell's lead-off single to her second album Instant Pleasure, "What U Did 2 Me," was her best selling single and it garnered her a music video. It fared well on Hot Dance Airplay and Hot Dance Music/Club Play charts.
She also released "The Dance" (a cover of the Garth Brooks hit) and "Tears," but neither of these singles charted on the Hot 100. Both singles performed well on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play and Hot Dance Airplay charts. "The Dance" peaked at #27 on the Hot Dance Singles Sales chart and "Tears" peaked at #16 on the Hot Dance Singles Sales chart.
In 2005, she came back with "L.O.V.E.", produced by DJ Mickey Bono of the Beat Thrillerz. A limited independent release that had a trance remix by Lenny "Linus" Douglas and freestyle remixes by Russ Castella and Randy Taylor-Weber, the original writer/producer of "In a Dream". It became a modest Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart hit. It also received some dance radio airplay.
In spring 2007 Rockell recorded a new single, "Playing My Love." It was released to Dance/Rhythmic format radio in July 2007. A freestyle remix by Salsation 3 was released in November 2007. A nationwide tour with several dance artists including Joe Zangie was announced as well.
In November 2007, Rockell released a new dance single with Canada's Odeon Records, "You Keep Me Hanging On," a remake of the Supremes' original.
In 2009, Rockell released a dance cover of Donna Summer's "On The Radio" with several remixes.
Can't We Try
Rockell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And your eyes have lost their shine
You whisper something softly I'm not meant to hear
Baby, tell me what's on your mind
I don't care what people say
About the two of us from different worlds
I love you so much that it hurts inside
Please listen to me, girl
Can't we try just a little bit harder?
Can't we give just a little bit more?
Can't we try to understand
That it's love we're fighting for?
Can't we try just a little more passion?
Can't we try just a little less pride?
Love you so much baby
That it tears me up inside
I hear you on the telephone with God knows who
Spilling out your heart for free
Everyone needs someone they can talk to
Girl, that someone should be me
So many times, I tried to tell you
You just turned away
How did I know?
My life is changing so fast now
Leaves me lonely and afraid
Don't be afraid, no
Can't we try just a little bit harder?
Can't we give just a little bit more?
Can't we try to understand
That it's love we're fighting for?
Can't we try just a little more passion?
Can't we try just a little less pride?
Love you so much baby
That it tears me up inside
Don't let our love fade away
Don't let our love fade away
No matter what people say
No matter, no matter what they say
I need you more and more each day
Don't let our love fade away
No matter what people say
No matter, no matter what they say
Can't we try just a little bit harder?
Can't we give just a little bit more?
Can't we try just a little bit harder?
Can't we give just a little bit more?
Can't we try just a little more passion?
Can't we try just a little less pride?
Love you so much baby
That it tears me up inside
Can't we give a little bit, little bit?
Just a little bit harder
Can we give wow wow wow wow
Can't we try
Can't we give a little bit more
Can't we try, baby
Can't we give wow
We could try just a little bit harder
Can we give a little bit more
Can't we try just a little bit, can we give just a little bit more
The lyrics to Rockell's song Can't We Try convey the desperation of a person who is trying to save a failing relationship. The first two stanzas describe how the person can see the sadness and pain on their partner's face, and can sense that something is wrong. The singer pleads for their partner to open up to them, to confide in them and let them help. They reassure their partner of their love and explain that they are willing to do whatever it takes to make the relationship work.
The chorus continues this theme, as the singer begs their partner to try just a little bit harder to make things work. They ask for more understanding and passion, and for their partner to let go of their pride. The repeated line "Love you so much baby that it tears me up inside" shows the depth of the singer's feelings and how much they are hurting. The song continues with the singer asking their partner not to let their love fade away, and to ignore what other people might say about their relationship.
Overall, the song is a plea for communication and effort in a relationship that is struggling. The singer is willing to do whatever it takes to keep their love alive, but they need their partner to meet them halfway.
Line by Line Meaning
I see your face cloud over like a little girl's
I notice your expression change to one that resembles a young, vulnerable girl
And your eyes have lost their shine
Your eyes don't have their usual bright, lively appearance
You whisper something softly I'm not meant to hear
You say something quietly that you may not intend for me to hear
Baby, tell me what's on your mind
Please share with me what's been weighing on your thoughts
I don't care what people say
Regardless of others' opinions,
About the two of us from different worlds
Even though we come from different backgrounds
I love you so much that it hurts inside
The intensity of my love for you is causing emotional pain
Are you listening?
Are you actively listening to what I'm saying?
Can't we try just a little bit harder?
Can we attempt to make a greater effort?
Can't we give just a little bit more?
Can't we offer a little more than we currently are?
Can't we try to understand
Let's attempt to comprehend
That it's love we're fighting for?
Our goal is to fight for our love
Can't we try just a little more passion?
Can't we add more fervor to our love?
Can't we try just a little less pride?
Can't we decrease our level of pride?
Love you so much baby
I have an immense amount of love for you
That it tears me up inside
My strong emotions for you are causing me emotional distress
I hear you on the telephone with God knows who
I overhear you having conversations with an unknown person
Spilling out your heart for free
You express your innermost emotions openly and freely
Everyone needs someone they can talk to
Everyone requires an individual they can confide in
Girl, that someone should be me
I should be the one you confide in
So many times, I tried to tell you
There have been multiple instances where I attempted to share with you
You just turned away
Your reaction was to ignore or reject what I was saying
How did I know?
I wasn't aware of your thoughts or feelings
My life is changing so fast now
My life is moving at a rapid pace
Leaves me lonely and afraid
This change has left me feeling isolated and scared
Don't be afraid, no
There's no need to feel scared
Don't let our love fade away
We should make an effort to avoid losing the love we share
No matter what people say
Regardless of others' opinions
I need you more and more each day
My need for you increases daily
We could try just a little bit harder
We have the ability to make a little more effort
Can we give a little bit more
Can't we offer a little more than we currently are?
Can't we try, baby
Can't we attempt to fix things, my love?
Can we give wow
Can we offer our all?
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bev Hill, Daniel Grafton Hill
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind