Sade was formed in 1982, when members of Latin soul band Pride — Sade Adu, (real name Helen Folasade Adu - born 16 January 1959 in Ibadan, Nigeria) Stuart Matthewman and Paul Spencer Denman — together with Paul Cook formed a splinter group and began to write their own material. Sade made their debut in December 1982 at Ronnie Scott's Club in London, England, in support of Pride. Later, in 1983, Andrew Hale joined Sade. In 1984 Paul Cook left the band.
Sade Adu, the band's singer, is the daughter of a Nigerian father and an English mother. After her mother returned to England, Sade grew up on the North End of London. Developing a good singing voice in her teens, Sade worked part-time jobs in and outside of the music business. She listened to Ray Charles, Nina Simone, Al Green, Aretha Franklin, and Billie Holliday. Sade studied fashion design at St. Martin’s School of Art in London while also doing some modeling on the side.
Around 1980, Adu started singing harmony with a Latin funk group called Arriva. One of the more popular numbers that the group would perform was a Sade original co-written with bandmember Ray St. John, “Smooth Operator,” that would later become Sade’s first stateside hit. The following year Adu joined the eight-piece funk band Pride as a background singer. The band included future Sade band members guitarist/saxophonist Stuart Matthewman (a key player in ’90s urban soul singer Maxwell’s success) and bassist Paul Denman. The concept of the group was that there could shoot-offs. In essence, a few members within the main group Pride formed mini-groups that would be the opening act. Pride did a lot of shows around London, stirring up record company interest. Initially, the labels wanted to only sign Adu, while the group members wanted a deal for the whole band. After a year, the other band members told Adu, Matthewman, and Denman to go ahead and sign a deal. Adding keyboardist Andrew Hale, the group signed to the U.K. division of Epic Records.
In May 1983, Sade performed at Danceteria Club in New York, NY, United States. It was the first US Sade show. They received more attention from the media and record companies and separated finally. On 18 October 1983 Sade Adu signed with Epic Records. The rest of the band signed in 1984. All Sade albums were released through this label.
Their debut album, Diamond Life (with overall production by Robin Millar), went Top Ten in the U.K. in late 1984. January 1985 saw the album released on CBS’ Portrait label and by spring it went platinum off the strength of the Top Ten singles “Smooth Operator” and “Hang on to Your Love.” The second album, Promise (November 1985), featured “Never As Good As the First Time” and arguably her signature song, “The Sweetest Taboo,” which stayed on the U.S. pop charts for six months. Sade was so popular that some radio stations reinstated the ’70s practice of playing album tracks, adding “Is It a Crime” and “Tar Baby” to their play lists. In 1986, Sade won a Grammy for Best New Artist.
Sade’s third album was 1988’s Stronger Than Pride and featured their first number one soul single “Paradise,” “Nothing Can Come Between Us,” and “Keep Looking.” A new Sade album didn’t appear for four years. 1992’s Love Deluxe continued the unbroken streak of multi-platinum Sade albums, spinning off the hits “No Ordinary Love,” “Feel No Pain,” and “Pearls.” While the album’s producer Mike Pela, Matthewman, Denman, and Hale have gone on to other projects, the new millennium did spark a new scene for Sade. She issued Lovers Rock in fall 2000 and incoporated more mainstream elements than ever before. Debut single “By Your Side” was also a hit among radio and adult-contemporary listerners. The following summer, Sade embarked on their first tour in more than a decade, selling out countless dates across America. In early 2002, Sade celebrated their success of the tour by releasing their first ever live album and DVD, Lovers Live.
Sade made a great contribution to development of modern music. They dismantled many of the old music business ways and quite promptly became a fully functioning autonomous unit with a firm grip on every aspect of the recording process.
Sade is first and foremost a live act. Sade Adu said in one of her interviews: "When we play I know that the people love the music. I can feel it." Throughout their history, Sade have always attracted a diverse, multi-racial audience who are drawn by the band's open-minded approach to music. "And that's the best thing we've achieved."
Soldier of Love, Sade's first official studio album since the multi-platinum release of Lovers Rock in 2000, was released on 8th February, 2010.
Discography:
Studioalbums:
1984 - Diamond Life
1985 - Promise
1988 - Stronger Than Pride
1992 - Love Deluxe
2000 - Lovers Rock
2010 - Soldier of Love
Livealbums:
2002 - Lovers Live
2012 - Bring Me Home - Live 2011
Compilations:
1994 - The Best Of Sade
2011 - The Ultimate Collection
Bullet Proof Soul
Sade Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You rarely see a love that true
Wasn't that enough for you?
Wasn't that enough for you?
I would climb a mountain
I wouldn't want to see you fall
Rock climb for you
You kept on thinking
You were the only one
Too busy thinking
Love is a gun
Hit me like a slow bullet
Like a slow bullet
It took me some time to realize it
You kept on thinking
You were the only one
Too busy thinking
Love is a gun
I know the end before the story's been told
It's not that complicated
But you're gonna need a bulletproof soul
You kept on thinking
You were the only one
Too busy thinking (you were too busy thinking)
Love is a gun
I know the end before the story's been told
It's not that complicated
But you're gonna need a bulletproof soul
You were trigger-happy, baby
You never warned me, let me free
It's not that complicated
But you're gonna need a bulletproof soul
They got it, but you got all the trouble you need
I came in like a lamb
But I intend to leave like a lion
It hit me like a slow bullet
It hit me like a slow bullet
In "Bullet Proof Soul," Sade reflects on a past love that was all-consuming but ultimately destructive. She loved deeply and completely, believing that her love was enough to sustain the relationship, but her partner was too self-centered and obsessed with power to reciprocate her feelings. Sade reveals her disappointment and hurt at the end of the relationship when she sings, "You were trigger-happy, baby / You never warned me, let me free."
In the chorus, Sade uses a metaphor comparing her former lover's love to a gun, saying, "Too busy thinking / Love is a gun / Hit me like a slow bullet / Like a slow bullet / It took me some time to realize it." By comparing love to a weapon, Sade suggests that her partner's love was destructive and harmful to her.
The last verse, however, shows Sade regaining her power and making a decision to leave the relationship with strength and pride: "I came in like a lamb / But I intend to leave like a lion / It hit me like a slow bullet / It hit me like a slow bullet." She will not be a victim of her former lover's manipulation and violence anymore.
Line by Line Meaning
I was so in love with you
I loved you deeply.
You rarely see a love that true
My love for you was rare and authentic.
Wasn't that enough for you?
Didn't you feel satisfied with my love?
I would climb a mountain
I was willing to do anything for you.
I wouldn't want to see you fall
I never wanted to see you hurt.
Rock climb for you
I was ready to face difficult challenges for you.
And give you a reason for it all
I had a purpose in doing all of this - to make you happy.
You kept on thinking
You always believed
You were the only one
That you were the only one for me.
Too busy thinking
And wouldn't listen to me.
Love is a gun
You treated our relationship like a weapon prone to conflict.
Hit me like a slow bullet
The realization came to me gradually but painfully.
It took me some time to realize it
I needed some time to figure out the truth about our relationship.
I know the end before the story's been told
I had foreseen how it would end.
It's not that complicated
It was simple to understand why things failed.
But you're gonna need a bulletproof soul
To overcome the pain, you need to be emotionally strong.
You were trigger-happy, baby
You acted impulsively and without thinking.
You never warned me, let me free
You never told me what was on your mind or gave me the freedom to decide.
They got it, but you got all the trouble you need
Others can see your faults, but you can't let them go.
I came in like a lamb
I was innocent and trusting.
But I intend to leave like a lion
I will leave with strength and courage.
It hit me like a slow bullet
The pain of our failed relationship hit me slowly but powerfully.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Andrew Hale, Helen Adu, Stuart Matthewman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@belindaantoine7506
[Verse 1]
I was so in love with you
You rarely see a love that true
Wasn't that enough for you?
Wasn't that enough for you?
I would climb a mountain
I wouldn't want to see you fall
Rock climb for you
And give you a reason for it all
[Hook]
You kept on thinking
You were the only one
Too busy thinking
Love is a gun
[Bridge]
Hit me like a slow bullet
Like a slow bullet
Took me some time to realize it
[Hook 2]
You kept on thinking
You were the only one
Too busy thinking
Love is a gun
I know the end before
The story's been told
It's not that complicated
But you're gonna need a bullet proof soul
You kept on thinking
You were the only one
Too busy thinking
Love is a gun
I know the end before
The story's been told
It's not that complicated
But you're gonna need a bullet proof soul
[Verse 2]
You were trigger happy, baby
You never warned me, let me free
It's not that complicated
But you're going to need a bullet proof soul
Think you got it but you got all the trouble you need
I came in like a lamb
But I intend to leave like a lion
[Outro]
It hit me like a slow bullet
It hit me like a slow bullet
@diek3844
2024 still coming back to this soulfull masterpiece to heal myself from heartache
@DjangoBones
Indeed...a irresistible song
@geeacai6431
❤ mee too brings me back to my childhood and yet still so relevant TODAY
@Lebo-Aaliyah
“I came in like a lamb.
But I intend to leave like a lion.” -Sade Adu
@latoyadebose8162
After a heartbreak this statement is keeping me strong
@Lebo-Aaliyah
@@latoyadebose8162 stay strong my sister. This helped me too when I thought I would die from the heartbreak I was experiencing at the time. It was all-consuming pain. But believe me, it gets better. Please be kind and gentle to yourself. This too shall pass. ❤️You shall emerge the lioness that you are.
@mkokovuselelo7268
😭😭
@Adam-vp1cl
Jesus first came as a lamb and left as a lion. This is a biblical reference and it's beautiful
@Lebo-Aaliyah
@@Adam-vp1cl yes. Pain is transformative. Pain is the catalyst for metamorphosis.
@eddiereno5236
I had to mature to really appreciate and love her music. Beautiful Voice.