… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least four different artists who recorded under this name:
1. Sylvia Jane Hutton Kirby (born December 9, 1956), also known mononymously as Sylvia, is an American country music and country pop singer and songwriter. Her biggest hit (a crossover chart topper), was her single "Nobody" in 1982. It reached number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 5 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, number 9 on the Cashbox Top 100, and number 1 on the Billboard Country Singles chart. The song earned her a gold record certification and a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. Her other country chart hits include "Drifter" (number one in 1981), "Fallin' in Love", "Tumbleweed" and "Snapshot". She was named Female Vocalist of the Year by the Academy of Country Music for 1982. She is also credited with making the first "concept" music video clip to air on Country Music Television (CMT), with "The Matador".
When her contract with RCA ended, Sylvia took a break from touring and recording to focus on developing as a songwriter. In 1988 and 1989, she guest-hosted TNN's Crook and Chase show and her own Holiday Gourmet cooking special. Sylvia's first independent album, The Real Story, was released in 1996 on her own label, Red Pony Records. In a May 1998 People magazine review, Ralph Novak wrote, "Sylvia always sang with more intensity and resonance than most country singers... and she can still sing a story song better than almost anyone around."
In 2002, she followed with Where in the World, a set that marked the culmination of an 11-year musical collaboration with John Mock. Songwriter Craig Bickhardt contributed the song "Crazy Nightingale". Bickhardt had previously performed with Sylvia from 1984, and wrote the title cut to One Step Closer. Also in 2002, Sylvia released, A Cradle in Bethlehem, her first Christmas album. In 2016, the album, It's All in the Family, was released on Red Pony Records. In 2018, Sylvia released Second Bloom: The Hits Re-Imagined, an album of some of her hits she re-recorded with a more acoustic yet fully produced approach and, in 2022, Sylvia's new album, Nature Child: A Dreamer's Journey, was released on February 22.
2. Sylvia Robinson Vanderpool (May 29, 1935 – September 29, 2011), known mononymously as Sylvia, was an American singer, record producer, and record label executive. Robinson achieved success as a performer on two R&B chart toppers: as half of Mickey & Sylvia with the 1957 single "Love Is Strange", and her solo record "Pillow Talk" (1973). She later became known for her work as founder and CEO of the hip hop label Sugar Hill Records.
Robinson is credited as the driving force behind two landmark singles in the hip hop genre: "Rapper's Delight" (1979) by the Sugarhill Gang, and "The Message" (1982) by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, both of which she produced. At the 11th Annual Rhythm and Blues Awards Gala in 2000, she received a Pioneer Award for her career in singing and for founding Sugarhill Records. Several publications have dubbed her the "Mother of Hip Hop". In 2022, she was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Ahmet Ertegun Award category for being a major influence on the creative development of hip-hop's early successes, and is the first woman to receive the award unaccompanied by another person.
3. Sylvia Vrethammar is a popular vocalist from Sweden who made a big success with an English version of "Y Viva España".
4. Sylvia is also a black/thrash metal band from somewhere around Portland, Oregon, United States. Their current line up is Candy, Andrew, Sean and Reuben. They released a demo entitled 'Lizard Birdman', which is available on their Bandcamp website.
5. Sylvia was a progressive experimental band from Southern California. The band consisted of lead singer, guitarist, songwriter and producer Riz Story, drummer Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), guitarist Sean Murphy and Jon "Juano" Davison (Yes), and dissolved when Hawkins joined Alanis Morissette's band. This led to Story's formation of Anyone in 1995.
6. Sylvia is also the name of a northern soul singer ('It's A Good Life', 1968), possibly the same singer as the one listed as #1 (?).
My Thing
Sylvia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don?t want nobody in the world,
Messin? around with my thing,
My sweet, tender, lovin?, groovy thing.
(She don?t want nobody in the world,
Messin? around with her thing.)
Hands off you hear me.
Leave my thing alone.
I told you girl, he?s my special prize.
When I turn my back,
You want to try him on for size.
[CHORUS]
Into each life, some rain must fall.
If I catch you messin? with mine,
You won?t have no life at all.
?Cause you won?t want nobody in the world,
Messin? around with your thing (Your thing, your thing)
And likewise,
I wouldn?t want nobody in the world,
Messin? around with my thing (My thing, my thing)
Leave my thing alone.
(Instrumental like beginning)
To Fadeout:
I don?t want nobody in the world,
Messin? around with my thing,
My sweet, tender, lovin?, groovy thing.
Sylvia Robinson’s song “My Thing” is a playful and assertive anthem about holding onto what is hers. The chorus is a repetition of an insistent assertion: “I don’t want nobody in the world, messing around with my thing.” The phrase “my thing” is not explicit, and could be interpreted in various ways, but it is clear that the singer is not interested in sharing her romantic partner with her friend. She tells her friend, “I told you girl, he’s my special prize. When I turn my back, you want to try him on for size.” By framing the dispute as a matter of ownership and possession, the singer creates a sense of both pride and tension around her romantic relationship, which she values highly.
The song’s bridge offers a broader message: “Into each life, some rain must fall. If I catch you messin’ with mine, you won’t have no life at all.” This warning shifts the focus from the singer’s specific situation to a more universal idea of being protective of things we value and the importance of boundaries. The playful, almost teasing tone of the song masks a deeper truth: relationships can be fragile and the fear of losing what we care about can sometimes lead to aggression or jealousy. By exposing these emotions through a catchy and upbeat song, Sylvia Robinson offers a way to think about these feelings without getting bogged down by them.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't want nobody in the world, Messin' around with my thing, My sweet, tender, lovin', groovy thing.
She wants people to keep their hands off her special someone and not interfere in their relationship.
Hands off you hear me. Leave my thing alone.
She is extremely protective of her lover and does not want anyone to come in between them.
I told you girl, he's my special prize. When I turn my back, You want to try him on for size.
She knows that other women are interested in her lover, and is warning them not to pursue him when she's not around.
Into each life, some rain must fall. If I catch you messin' with mine, You won't have no life at all.
She acknowledges that everyone experiences difficulties in life, but warns that if someone interferes with her relationship, they will face the consequences.
'Cause you won't want nobody in the world, Messin' around with your thing (Your thing, your thing) And likewise, I wouldn't want nobody in the world, Messin' around with my thing (My thing, my thing) Leave my thing alone.
She believes that other people would feel just as protective over their own relationships, and asks that everyone leave each other's personal lives alone.
I don't want nobody in the world, Messin' around with my thing, My sweet, tender, lovin', groovy thing.
She reiterates her desire for people to stay out of her relationship and not interfere.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: SYLVIA (USA) ROBINSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind