… 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 (?).
Sweet Stuff
Sylvia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're kind of getting next to my imagination
Come here sweet stuff
Got a minute or two for conversation
I'm trying to be fresh
Please understand where I'm coming from
But I like what I see
Mother Nature will do the rest
Hey there sweet stuff
Meeting you this way was strange you see
Hey there sweet stuff
Think you got a minute or two for me?
I've got a crib with a water-bed
And a bottle of wine on ice
So what do you say we go over to my pad
Bet you it could really be nice
I've been watching you for a long, long time
And there's just one thing I'd like to say
And that is with the recipe I sure
Tell me how I lose so what do you say
Come over to my place
Bet you it could really be nice
Hey there sweet stuff
You're the finest thing I've ever seen
Come here sweet stuff
You make me wiggle in my sleep
Each time I dream
I've got a freezer full of food
Kind of soothe your appetite
If it gets a little cold
I've got my own kind of blanket
To keep you real warm at night
Sweet stuff
You're getting to my imagination
Come here sweet stuff
Got a minute or two for conversation.
The lyrics to Sylvia's song "Sweet Stuff" depict a man who is trying to seduce a woman he has been watching for a long time. He calls her "sweet stuff" and tells her that she is getting next to his imagination. He offers her a chance to come over to his pad, where he has a water bed, wine on ice, and a freezer full of food. He also promises to keep her warm at night with his own kind of blanket. The song portrays the man as confident and persistent in his pursuit of the woman.
The lyrics can be interpreted as a commentary on male entitlement and objectification of women, as the man is solely focused on getting what he wants from the woman without considering her feelings, wants, or needs. He tries to flatter her by saying she is the finest thing he's ever seen, but in reality, he is only interested in her physical appearance. Moreover, he makes assumptions about her interests, claiming that she may want to come over and join him for wine and food without any regard for her thoughts or feelings.
Overall, Sylvia's "Sweet Stuff" portrays a man who is trying to use his charm and resources to win over a woman. However, the lyrics also hint at the underlying misogyny and objectification that often accompany such tactics.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey there sweet stuff
Addressing the listener, a person who Sylvia finds attractive
You're kind of getting next to my imagination
Sylvia is intrigued by the listener, they are occupying her thoughts and imagination
Come here sweet stuff
Sylvia wants the listener to come closer and engage in conversation
Got a minute or two for conversation
Sylvia is asking if the listener has some time to talk with her
I'm trying to be fresh
Sylvia is trying to be confident and flirtatious
Please understand where I'm coming from
Sylvia is hoping the listener doesn't misinterpret her intentions
But I like what I see
Sylvia finds the listener attractive
And hope you like me
Sylvia is hoping the listener is also interested in her
Mother Nature will do the rest
Sylvia believes that if they have a chemistry, things will naturally progress
Meeting you this way was strange you see
Sylvia acknowledges that their meeting was unexpected or unusual
Think you got a minute or two for me?
Sylvia is asking if the listener has some time to spend with her
I've got a crib with a water-bed
Sylvia is describing her home, a place of comfort and relaxation
And a bottle of wine on ice
Sylvia has prepared refreshments for the listener
So what do you say we go over to my pad
Sylvia is suggesting they continue their conversation at her home
Bet you it could really be nice
Sylvia is confident that the listener will enjoy spending time with her
I've been watching you for a long, long time
Sylvia has been paying attention to the listener for a while
And there's just one thing I'd like to say
Sylvia has something important to share with the listener
And that is with the recipe I sure
It is unclear what Sylvia means by 'the recipe', but it could be something alluring or desirable
Tell me how I lose so what do you say
Sylvia is suggesting that the listener gives her a chance to impress them
Come over to my place
Sylvia is inviting the listener to her home
You're the finest thing I've ever seen
Sylvia finds the listener to be incredibly attractive
Come here sweet stuff
Sylvia wants the listener to come closer to her
You make me wiggle in my sleep
Sylvia is infatuated with the listener and they affect her thoughts and dreams
Each time I dream
Sylvia is referencing the effect the listener has on her subconscious
I've got a freezer full of food
Sylvia is offering hospitality to the listener
Kind of soothe your appetite
Sylvia is suggesting that the listener will enjoy her food
If it gets a little cold
Sylvia is prepared to accommodate the listener's needs and preferences
I've got my own kind of blanket
Sylvia is providing comfort and warmth for the listener
To keep you real warm at night
Sylvia wants to ensure that the listener is comfortable and well-cared for
Writer(s): A. Goodman, H. Ray, S. Robinson
Contributed by Jackson C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.