Born in Detroit in 1942, Sixto Diaz Rodriguez came from a working-class background and dropped out of high school at the age of 16. Dividing his time between hanging around the university campus and playing assorted unconventional clubs and bars, he was introduced to Impact's Harry Balk, which led to the recording of his first single, "I'll Slip Away," in 1967. When Balk took off for a career as a creative director at , session players and ardent Rodriguez supporters and Mike Theodore put him under the direction of Clarence Avant. About to set up his label, the latter was genuinely impressed with the artist's take on Detroit street life and supplied Theo-Coff Productions with sufficient means to cut an album's worth of material. Naturally, Theodore and took up keyboard and guitar duties, in addition to employing second-wave for a rhythm section. Recording Rodriguez separately, they matched his voice and acoustic guitar afterwards to a sonic palette of various orchestrations and psychedelic effects. Being 's first release, the resulting Cold Fact was a stone-cold folk-rock classic with an otherworldly feel to it.
Though industry-wise it was met with positive reviews, commercially the album gathered only dust. Theories as to why it didn't catch on in the climate of socially conscientious albums like Cloud Nine and What's Going On range from either not being played by underground radio and thus not meeting its intended public, or insufficient marketing by , with whom had a promotion and distribution deal. Though subsequently concentrating on , Avant offered Rodriguez the chance to record a follow-up in London with Steve Rowland (renowned for Family Dog's "Sympathy"). When 1971's Coming from Reality met a similar fate as its predecessor, the artist left the music business to enroll at university when he wasn't working construction to support his family and wasn't heard from again until 1979, when, much to his surprise,
he was requested to do some small theater shows Down Under, coinciding with the chart success of Australian re-releases of his albums. Fast forward to 1998, when Rodriguez was even more amazed to find vast amounts of mainstream acceptance. Apparently, some South African fans had invested quite a bit of effort in tracking down their long-lost hero. Their excitement at finding him alive and well convinced Rodriguez to play arena-sized venues.
At last, in the 21st century, his genius was acknowledged across America and mainland Europe, his popularity re-sparked by hip-hop-loving-crate diggers like , whose mix compilation Come Get It, I Got It used Cold Fact's opening shot "Sugar Man" for its own eclectic musical journey. In 2008, Cold Fact became more easily available through a lovingly annotated re-release, followed in 2009 by Coming from Reality. To celebrate his umpteenth rediscovery, Rodriguez embarked upon a world tour, meeting old fans and a whole new generation of admirers. This renaissance was spurred by the 2012 Oscar-winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man and its compilation soundtrack. The success of the film earned Rodriguez a significant audience in the United States, and he began touring in North America, playing the songs he recorded in the '70s for a new and enthusiastic audience. Despite having a fan base in the United States, Rodriguez continued to live a quiet life in Detroit. He passed away on August 8, 2023, at the age of 81. ~ Quint Kik, Rovi
I Think Of You
Rodríguez Lyrics
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Brings memories back when you were here
Of your smile, your easy laughter
Of your kiss, those moments after
I think of you
And think of you
And think of you
Of the love we vowed would never
Melt like snowflakes in the sun
My days now end as they begun
With thoughts of you
And I think of you
And think of you
Down the streets I walked with you
Seeing others doing things we do
Now these thoughts are haunting me
Of how complete I used to be
And in these times that we're apart
I'll hear this song that breaks my heart
And think of you
And I think of you
And think of you
And think of you
And I do
The lyrics of Rodriguez's song "I Think of You" is a powerful reflection of a loved one who is no longer with the singer. The opening verse talks about how a simple melody can trigger memories of the person, particularly their smile, laughter, and kiss. These images bring the person back to life, even if only for a moment. The next verse talks about the dreams they shared and the love they thought would never fade away. However, time brought about change, and their relationship melted away like snowflakes in the sun. The singer's days now begin and end with thoughts of this person, intensifying his sense of loss and longing.
The verse that follows, 'Down the streets...' further emphasizes the nostalgia and longing for the person. The singer sees other couples doing things that they used to do together, haunting him with memories of how complete he used to be. The final verse speaks to the duration of these feelings- even when they are apart, the singer will hear the song and think of the person, highlighting how the memory of the person will always be present in his life. The repetition of 'And think of you' emphasizes the strength of these feelings.
Overall, the song is an emotional tribute to a love that was lost but not forgotten, a reflection of how powerful the memories of a person can be.
Line by Line Meaning
Just a song we shared, I'll hear
This song reminds me of you and our time together
Brings memories back when you were here
This song brings back memories of when we were together
Of your smile, your easy laughter
I remember your smile and how easily you could make me laugh
Of your kiss, those moments after
I remember the feeling of your kiss and the moments that followed
I think of you,
I can't help but think of you,
And think of you
Over and over again,
Of the dreams, we dreamt together
I remember the dreams we shared for our future
Of the love we vowed would never
The love we promised each other would never die
Melt like snowflakes in the sun
But it seems our love couldn't stand the test of time
My days now end as they begun
My days feel like they never really start or end without you
With thoughts of you,
With my mind constantly filled with you,
Down the streets I walked with you
I remember walking down these streets with you
Seeing others doing things we do
Seeing other couples doing the things we used to do together
Now these thoughts are haunting me
These memories are now tormenting me
Of how complete I used to be
I used to feel complete when I was with you
And in these times that we're apart
Now that we're apart,
I'll hear this song that breaks my heart
This song will continue to break my heart
And think of you
And I'll keep thinking of you
And think of you
And never forget you
And think of you
Until we're together again
And I do
And I will always love you.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Sixto Diaz Rodriguez
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind