Stephanie Mills first came to fame as "the little girl with the big voice" as the star of the hit Broadway play, The Wiz, an adaptation of L. Frank Baum's classic book, The Wizard Of Oz. She had many R&B hits such as "I Have Learned to Respect the Power of Love," "I Feel Good All Over," "(You're Puttin') A Rush On Me," "Something in the Way (You Make Me Feel)" and "Home" along with one certified million selling single, "Never Knew Love Like This Before." In addition, she also had five gold albums: Whatcha Gonna Do With My Lovin', Sweet Sensation, Stephanie, If I Were Your Woman and Home.
Mills honed her rich vocals singing gospel music at Brooklyn's Cornerstone Baptist Church as a small child. At age 9, she began appearing in the Broadway play Maggie Flynn. She was presented with first prize after winning "The Amateur Hour" talent contest six weeks straight at New York's famed Apollo Theater when she was nine. That success led to her being chosen as the opening act for The Isley Brothers, eventually becoming good friends with lead singer Ronald Isley. Many years later, Isley would manage and later marry singer/songwriter Angela Winbush, who co-wrote one of her number one R&B hits. Mills' début album, Movin' In The Right Direction was recorded for ABC Records in 1974. A year later, she won the role of Dorothy in The Wiz. Her rendition of the beautiful ballad "Home" was a showstopper, mesmerizing audiences nightly for a number of years. The original cast recording of The Wiz was produced by Jerry Wexler and issued by Atlantic Records in spring 1975. Curiously, when The Wiz was made into a full length feature film by Motown Records' film division and Universal Pictures, Diana Ross played the role of Dorothy instead of Mills. The film ended up being a major flop.
Singer Jermaine Jackson referred Mills to Motown head Berry Gordy, who signed her to the label. Her Motown debut was For the First Time, written and produced by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, being issued in October 1976. For the First Time is a sweet affair with Mills convincingly covering Bacharach/David standards, most of which were originally recorded by Dionne Warwick. In 1978, she signed to 20th Century Records and was teamed with the hit production duo of James Mtume — later leader of Mtume, who had a gold single with "Juicy Fruit" — and Reggie Lucas. Her first LP for the label, Whatcha Gonna Do With My Lovin', went gold, going to number 12 R&B and number 22 pop on Billboard's charts in summer 1979 and spawned the singles, "Whatcha Gonna Do With My Lovin'" and "You Can Get Over." Her next LP, Sweet Sensation (#3 R&B, #16 Pop, spring 1980) yielded "Sweet Sensation," "Never Knew Love Like This Before," and the radio-aired LP track, "Try My Love." Around this time, she briefly married former Soul Train dancer Jeffrey Daniels of the group Shalamar. Next came the LP titled Stephanie in spring 1981, which also was a huge hit, peaking at #3 R&B and #30 Pop. The album included notable songs such as "Two Hearts" — a midtempo duet with Teddy Pendergrass — "Night Games" and the radio-aired LP cut, "Don't Stop Doin' What Cha Do."
In 1981, Mills switched to Neil Bogart's Casablanca Records. Her LPs for the label included Tantalizingly Hot, Merciless and I've Got The Cure. During 1983, she had her own NBC-TV daytime talk show and reprised on role in a Broadway revival of The Wiz. She also signed with MCA Records, where she released her Stephanie Mills album.
The first single from the Stephanie Mills album was "Stand Back," in late 1985, which also included the passionate ballad "I Have Learned To Respect The Power Of Love." "I Have Learned To Respect The Power Of Love" was initially written by Rene Moore and Angela Winbush — best known as the hit singing duo Rene & Angela — as a gospel song and originally was recorded by Alton McClain and Destiny on their self-titled 1978 Polydor LP. The original version is available on Polygram's Power of Love: Best of Soul Essentials Ballads. Because of its massive radio play as an album track, Mills' version of "I Have Learned To Respect The Power Of Love, — produced by Philly Soul keyboardist Ron Kersey — was reissued as an A side holding the #1 R&B spot for two weeks in spring 1986. Its follow-up, "Rising Desire" reached #11 R&B in summer 1986.
Her next LP's title cut was the Clay McMurray/Gloria Jones/Pam Sawyer song, "If I Were Your Woman," originally a 1971 #1 R&B, #9 Pop smash for Gladys Knight and the Pips. Philly-based producer Nick Martinelli gave Mills her second #1 R&B hit with "I Feel Good All Over," written by husband and wife songwriting duo, Gabriel Hardeman and Annette Hardeman. The song held the #1 R&B spot for three weeks in spring 1987. Originally submitted to Mills' fellow MCA labelmate Patti Labelle by the Hardemans, the track was included on Mills' LP If I Were Your Woman, issued June 1987 and peaked at #30 Pop in summer 1987. Paul Laurence produced and co-wrote with Timmy Allen the chugging '"(You're Putting) a Rush On Me" giving the singer her third #1 R&B hit in fall 1987. The single made it to #85 Pop and was followed by "Secret Lady," which landed at #7 R&B in late 1987. Her covers of "If I Were Your Woman" and "Where Is The Love" followed. All were included on her If I Were Your Woman album, which peaked at #1 R&B, #30 Pop in summer 1987. Following these hits, Mills contacted Ronald Isley about working with singer/songwriter/producer Angela Winbush who had hits as half of Rene and Angela and was forging a hit-filled career as a recording artist and producer for the group Body among others. The collaboration between Mills and Winbush resulted in another #1 R&B single, "Something In The Way You Make Me Feel," in summer 1989.
Having starred for five years in the smash Broadway show The Wiz and recorded the song "Home for the play's 1975 original cast soundtrack album, she wanted to record the song again as a posthumous tribute to the play's producer, Ken Harper, and the song's composer, Charlie Smalls. On her new version of "Home," Take 6 sung the background vocals. The song went to #1 R&B in late 1989 and was followed by "Comfort Of A Man" and "Real Love." The Home LP ended up peaking at #5 R&B, #82 Pop in summer 1989. She then recorded a charting single with J.T. Taylor titled "Heart To Heart" in late 1991. Her final MCA album, Something Real included the hit "All Day All Night" and "Never Do Wrong." Following this album, she recorded a gospel album, Personal Inspirations, for Interscope Records and recorded several tracks at Philadelphia International Records with Bunny Sigler among others in the late '90s.
After a hiatus from recording Mills returned with sixteenth album, "Born For This" in 2004. It includes the singles "Can't Let Him Go" and "Healing Time." Mills is currently working on her seventeenth album titled "Breathless." The lead single chosen is a song called, "Yesterday."
Keep Away Girls
Stephanie Mills Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This one's all mine
This one's all mine
I understand when you look at my man
It's a physical, mmm, attraction, yeah'ooh'ooh?
Friendship ceases, desire increases
Oh I don't think you could fit
In my shoes
If we're gonna be friends, don't you know
Here, here's the best rule
This one's all mine
You better, better keep away girls
This one's all mine
Ooh don't get me wrong, I'm not calling no names
But I recognize a woman's game, yeah ooh ooh?
We try to better clever, witty and wise
Ain't no telling what we'll do or try
Oh so don't knock on my door
Thinking I'm not at home, yeah
Don't think I'd be dumb enough
To leave this man alone, oh, no
This one's all mine
You better, better keep away girls
This one's all mine
Oh'I know there are things we have in common
I've been dying to be friends with someone
We can dish the dirt, shop Bloomingdales
And hang around to catch the sales
Have tea, the social life is fine in me
We'll be friends forever, girl scouts too
But hands off my guy, don't be fool enough to try
I'm warning you, I'm warning you, you, you
This one's all mine
Ooh you better, better keep away girls
This one's all mine
(Leave him alone, leave him alone)
This one's all mine (Don't come around my door)
Keep away girls (Keep away)
This one's all mine (I ain't telling you no more)
Keep away girls (Keep away)
This one's (Keep away) all mine (This one is all mine)
Keep away girls (Ooh, ooh)
This one's (Ooh, ooh) all mine (Keep away)
Keep away girls (This one)
This one's all mine (I'm telling you now, I'm telling you now)
Keep away girls (Keep away)
This one's all mine (This one is all mine)
This one's all mine (Leave him alone, leave him alone)
This one's all mine (Oh, leave him alone)
Keep away girls (Leave him alone)
This one's (Ooh?) all mine (Ah, 'cause he's all mine)
Keep away girls (Ooh?)
This one's all mine (Hee hee heeh hee hee?)
Keep away girls (Ooh?)
This one's (This one) all mine (This one is all mine)
Keep away girls (Ooh, ooh)
This one's (This one) all mine (This one, baby, this one is all mine)
The song "Keep Away Girls" by Stephanie Mills is an uptempo R&B tune about a possessive woman who warns other women to stay away from her man. The lyrics suggest that the singer understands the physical attraction that her partner may hold for other women but makes it clear that her man belongs to her alone. She warns other women not to try to steal her man away.
The singer also recognizes common interests that she might share with other women and expresses a desire to form friendships with them. However, she makes it clear that her man is off-limits and should not be pursued by anyone else. The song's catchy chorus emphasizes the message of possession and warns that the man in question is "all mine."
Overall, "Keep Away Girls" highlights the possessive nature of relationships and the territorial behavior that can arise when someone perceives a threat to their relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
This one's all mine
The singer is possessive and protective of her man and wants everyone to know that he belongs to her alone.
I understand when you look at my man
It's a physical, mmm, attraction, yeah'ooh'ooh?
The singer acknowledges that her man is attractive, but warns other women not to pursue him.
Friendship ceases, desire increases
And you want him back, oh, so bad
Oh I don't think you could fit
In my shoes
The singer knows that once desire takes over, any remaining friendship will quickly deteriorate, and other women will want her man, but she warns them that they cannot handle the consequences of trying to take him.
If we're gonna be friends, don't you know
Here, here's the best rule
The artist lays down a clear rule for any potential female friends: her man is off-limits.
Ooh don't get me wrong, I'm not calling no names
But I recognize a woman's game, yeah ooh ooh?
The artist acknowledges that women can be cunning and deceptive, but insists that she is not looking to start a fight with anyone in particular.
We try to better clever, witty and wise
Ain't no telling what we'll do or try
Women will use any means at their disposal to try and win a man's affections, but the singer is certain that none of them will succeed.
Oh so don't knock on my door
Thinking I'm not at home, yeah
Don't think I'd be dumb enough
To leave this man alone, oh, no
The singer is not naive and will not leave her man alone long enough for anyone else to take a shot at him, no matter how devious their intentions may be.
Oh'I know there are things we have in common
I've been dying to be friends with someone
We can dish the dirt, shop Bloomingdales
And hang around to catch the sales
The artist would like to make friends with other women and do fun things together, but they cannot pursue her man.
Have tea, the social life is fine in me
We'll be friends forever, girl scouts too
But hands off my guy, don't be fool enough to try
I'm warning you, I'm warning you, you, you
The artist reiterates that she is open to friendships with other women, but they must understand that her man is strictly off-limits and there will be consequences for anyone who tries to take him.
This one's all mine (Leave him alone, leave him alone)
Keep away girls (Keep away)
This one's all mine (I ain't telling you no more)
The artist repeats her warning several times, insisting that her man is hers alone and other women must stay away from him.
This one's (Keep away) all mine (This one is all mine)
Keep away girls (Ooh, ooh)
This one's (Ooh, ooh) all mine (Keep away)
The singer continues to emphasize that her man is hers alone and that other women should not even think about trying to pursue him.
This one's (This one) all mine (This one is all mine)
Keep away girls (Ooh, ooh)
This one's (This one) all mine (This one, baby, this one is all mine)
The artist asserts her possessiveness over her man and is confident that no other woman can match her claim on his heart.
Contributed by Arianna H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.