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
Lover's Rock
Sade Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You are in the music
In the man's car next to me
Somewhere in my sadness
I know I won't fall apart completely
When I need to be rescued
And I need a place to swim
When no one can hear me calling
I have you I can sing to
And in all this
And in all my life
You are the lovers rock
The rock that I cling to
You're the one
The one I swim to in a storm
Like a lovers rock
I am in the wilderness
You are in the music
In the man's car next to me
Somewhere in my sadness
I know I won't fall apart completely
And in all this
And in all my life
You are the lovers rock
The rock that I cling to
You're the one
The one I swim to in a storm
Like a lovers rock
You are the lovers rock
The rock that I cling to
You're the one
The one I swim to in a storm
Like a lovers rock
When I need to be rescued you're there
When I need a place to swim to in a storm
I sing to you
And all my life
And in all my life
You are the lovers rock
The rock that I cling to
You're the one
The one I swim to in a storm
Like a lovers rock
The lyrics to Sade's song "Lover's Rock" are simple and straight to the point, yet deeply meaningful. The opening lines of the song, "I am in the wilderness, You are in the music," creates a sense of distance between the singer and their lover. The next line, "In the man's car next to me," suggests that the singer is traveling and perhaps feeling alone, as the void between them and their lover is evident in the world around them. However, the singer finds solace in the fact that they will not "fall apart completely" because they have their lover's rock to cling to in times of turmoil.
The singer goes on to describe their lover as the "lovers rock" and the rock they cling to in the storm. They are the one they turn to when they need to be rescued or need a place to swim to in a storm. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes the importance of the lover's rock and their significant role in the singer's life. The song conveys a deep sense of love and admiration towards the lover and their ability to provide stability and comfort in times of need.
Overall, "Lover's Rock" portrays the essence of a love that provides a sense of security and support that allows the singer to face the world with confidence. The song speaks to the idea of finding that one person who you can always go back to, who will always be there for you, and who will always provide that sense of stability and shelter in the midst of chaos.
Line by Line Meaning
I am in the wilderness
I feel lost and alone
You are in the music
You are my source of comfort and joy
In the man's car next to me
I am surrounded by people, but still feel alone
Somewhere in my sadness
I am struggling with depression
I know I won't fall apart completely
But I have hope that I will overcome my struggles
When I need to be rescued
When I am struggling and need help
And I need a place to swim
When I need a safe haven
I have a rock to cling to in the storm
You are my rock, my constant support
When no one can hear me calling
When I feel like no one is listening
I have you I can sing to
You are always there for me, and I can turn to you for comfort
And in all this
Despite all my struggles
You are the lovers rock
You are my one constant in life, the one thing that brings me joy
The rock that I cling to
You are my support, my safe haven
You're the one
You are the only one I turn to for comfort and love
The one I swim to in a storm
You are my refuge in times of trouble
Like a lovers rock
Like the one constant in a romantic relationship
When I need to be rescued you're there
You are always there to help me through difficult times
I sing to you
I express my feelings to you and find comfort
And all my life
Throughout my entire existence
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PAUL DENMAN, STUART MATTHEWMAN, HELEN ADU, ANDREW HALE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
and
on Tar Baby
The lyrics to Sade's song Tar Baby are full of emotional depth and metaphorical meaning. The song seems to tell the story of a woman who is loved by her grandmother but is perceived as naive and has made a mistake that the grandmother cannot believe. The title "Tar Baby" is derived from an African-American folk tale about a doll made of tar, which represents a trap. The grandmother seems to think that her granddaughter has fallen into a trap and is going down the wrong path. However, the woman has found love, represented by the "tar baby" who has shared a secret with her.
Sade's lyrics seem to convey the power of love to overcome obstacles and healing pain. The song refers to how the woman's love is like a sharp blade that cut through two decades of pain like hot coal on ice. The lyrics also suggest that the woman's love has transformed her life, leading to a golden thread inside the web that she was caught in. The words are full of gratitude and wonder for this love, represented by the magical ability to charm the birds out of the skies with the Tar Baby's magic.
Overall, Sade's song is a testament to the power of love to transform our lives and help heal our pain. The metaphors and allusions used in the lyrics give the song a rich depth of meaning.