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
Why Can't We Live Together
Sade Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why can't we live together?
Tell me why, tell me why, mmh
Why can't we live together?
Everybody wants to live together
Why can't we be together?
No more war, no more war, no more war, mmh
No more war, no more war, all we want
Is some peace in this world
Everybody wants to live together
Why can't we be together?
No matter, no matter what color, mmh
You are still my brother
I said no matter no matter what color, mmh
You are still my brother
Everybody wants to live together
Why can't we be together?
Everybody wants to live
Everybody's got to be together, ooh
Everybody wants to live
Everybody's got to be together
Ooh, ooh, ahh, la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
Everybody's got to be together
Everybody wants to be together
I said no matter, no matter what color, mmh
You are still my brother
I said no matter, no matter what color
You are still my brother
Everybody wants to live together
Why can't we be together?
Mhm
Mhm
Gotta live together
Together
The lyrics to Sade's song "Why Can't We Live Together" speak to the universal desire for peace and harmony among people, despite differences in race, color or background. The repetition of the phrase "why can't we live together" highlights the frustration and confusion of not being able to understand why humans cannot coexist peacefully. The lyrics suggest that war and conflict exist due to a lack of tolerance and acceptance of diversity. The message is clear that we are all human beings and should act accordingly.
The line "No more war, no more war, all we want, is some peace in this world" supports the idea that the song is a plea for humanity to put aside differences and work towards a peaceful existence. This line also emphasizes the emotional pain caused by conflict and violence, and the need for all people to put their efforts together to bring an end to it.
The lyrics also make a strong statement about the importance of brotherhood, and emphasize that everyone is part of one human family. "No matter what color, you are still my brother" stresses the unity of all humans, regardless of skin color, and encourages us to see each other with empathy, love, and a shared sense of humanity.
Line by Line Meaning
Tell me why, tell me why, tell me why, mmh
Why is it that we can't seem to live together? I want to know the reason behind this.
Why can't we live together?
What is stopping us from coexisting peacefully? Why can't we simply live together?
Everybody wants to live together
Every single person desires to live in harmony, to coexist peacefully with one another.
Why can't we be together?
What is the reason we can't coexist in peace, live in harmony, communicate with respect and understanding?
No more war, no more war, no more war, mmh
Let's put an end to any violent confrontations, conflicts, and hostilities. It's time to move beyond all that.
Just a little peace
All we are asking for is a small measure of tranquility, a little bit of harmony that can grow into something bigger.
No more war, no more war, all we want
What we really need is to say goodbye to conflict and aggression completely. We just want to live in a peaceful world.
Is some peace in this world
The only thing we truly crave is some much-needed calmness amidst all the chaos and turmoil in this world.
No matter, no matter what color, mmh
It doesn't matter what skin color you have, what ethnicity you belong to - we are all part of the same human race.
You are still my brother
We are all a family, connected by our shared humanity. Bonded by the same hopes and dreams.
Everybody's got to be together, ooh
It is imperative that we stand together, united. Together, we are stronger and better equipped to tackle the challenges facing us.
Everybody wants to be together
There is not one person on this planet who desires isolation, disconnection, or loneliness. We all crave to be part of a community.
Gotta live together
It's not enough to just want to live together. We have to actively pursue this goal, make it a reality by working together.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Timmy Thomas
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@garyh4100
Never more relevant than today . An incredible, beautiful song.
@marks497
Relevant every day of every year
War…war…war…..etc..etc and on and on and on till the end of days…
@MarlonMuzic
Its not her song she just resing it
@marks497
@@MarlonMuzicwho said it was her song?
@eyesopen66
@@MarlonMuzic
That's right
@ianmorton4136
What a great intro. What a great song. What a great singer. What a great band !!!
@Smayser
What a processing (cover)!
@hbgoldylox
Sade, the QUEEN of all....I saw you at your last show that you performed in Orange county, California & I thought I had died & went to Heaven....that show was beyond words ...I shed some tears during that show. A friend of mine that you use as a drummer sometimes said you're working on more music & I can't wait 🙏🌠💝🇳🇬
@user-ok2fu4hc3f
Dedicated to Everyone Around the World 🌎❤❤❤ May we Live in Peace ✌️✌️✌️
@lazynezumi7818
This song is a masterpiece.