If You Want Me To Stay
Sly & The Family Stone Lyrics
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I'll be around today
To be available for you to see
I'm about to go
And then you'll know
For me to stay here I've got to be me
You'll never be in doubt
That's what it's all about
Count the days I'm gone
Forget reaching me by phone
Because I promise I'll be gone for a while
When you see me again
I hope that you have been
The kind of person that you really are now
You got to get it straight
How could I ever be late
When you're my woman takin' up my time
Oh, how could you ever allow
I guess I wonder how
How could you get out of pocket for fun
How, how
When you know that you never number two
Number one gonna be number one
Oh, I'll be good
I wish I could
Get this message over to you now
When you see me again
I hope that you have been
The kind of person you really are now
I'll be so good
I wish I could
Get the message over to you now
The song "If You Want Me To Stay" by Sly & The Family Stone is a soul and funk classic about the importance of staying true to oneself and not taking someone for granted. The opening line proposes that the singer will stick around but only for a certain amount of time, implying that there are limitations to what the singer is willing to tolerate. Additionally, the lyrics suggest that the singer values their own individuality and won't compromise it for anyone else. The line "For me to stay here I've got to be me" emphasizes the importance of remaining true to oneself.
In the second verse, the singer speaks directly to their significant other, stating that they hope they have become the kind of person they always wanted to be. This suggests that the singer is willing to give their significant other a chance to grow and change as long as they continue to stay true to themselves. The line "How could you ever allow, I guess I wonder how, how could you get out of pocket for fun" implies that the singer is questioning why their significant other would ever put their relationship at risk for something trivial.
Overall, "If You Want Me To Stay" is a song about the importance of staying true to oneself and not taking someone for granted. It also emphasizes the importance of allowing others to grow and change while maintaining their individuality.
Line by Line Meaning
If you want me to stay
I'll stick around if you need me
I'll be around today
I'm available now to see you
To be available for you to see
I'm here for you
I'm about to go
I'll leave soon
And then you'll know
You'll realize what you had when I'm gone
For me to stay here I've got to be me
I can only stay if I can be myself
You'll never be in doubt
You'll always know where we stand
That's what it's all about
That's the most important thing
You can't take me for granted and smile
You can't ignore me and expect me to stay
Count the days I'm gone
You'll realize how much you miss me
Forget reaching me by phone
Don't try to call me
Because I promise I'll be gone for a while
I'll be away for some time
When you see me again
The next time we meet
I hope that you have been
I hope you've become
The kind of person that you really are now
The person you truly are
You got to get it straight
You need to understand
How could I ever be late
I wouldn't be late
When you're my woman takin' up my time
Because you're the center of my attention
Oh, how could you ever allow
How could you let it happen
I guess I wonder how
I'm curious
How could you get out of pocket for fun
How could you act out of character for enjoyment
How, how
Why, why
When you know that you never number two
When you know you're always the most important
Number one gonna be number one
The most important will always be the most important
Oh, I'll be good
I'll be alright
I wish I could
I wish I could
Get this message over to you now
Make you understand this right now
Lyrics © TuneCore Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Sentric Music, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Sylvester Stewart
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@gilval808
Unbelievable this song is 50 years old. 1973-2023. Thank you Sly for letting every music artist be themselves.
@muschikatze
👍👍👏👏🖖🇩🇪🖖
@funkrocker8011
Eric Benet did a cover of this song
@pjsretrogamesmusicandwrass5795
Timeless
@jenniferrootham4425
I truly appreciate & have much gratitude for the musicians who chose to release cover versions of this truly iconic song 🎶!! However, my forever favorite version will always be the original one 💃❤️
@jhoninocentes378
Hallelujah
@buicklincoln
One of THE best bass lines ever recorded in music history.
@wymellwilliams1543
Larry Graham the best baby
@ChrisBasdeo
@@wymellwilliams1543 Larry Graham had already left the band, believe it or not that's actually Sly playing the bass
@reainealgraham7139
That was Rusty Allen on the bass guitar on this track. Larry Graham was gone from the group .