1) Tamia Washing… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least two artists with the name Tamia.
1) Tamia Washington-Hill (born May 9, 1975 in Windsor, Ontario) is a Canadian R&B singer. She is noted for her spinto mezzo-soprano, a rangy three octaves, capable of both dark contralto depths and angelic soprano highs. Tamia has released numerous albums since her discovery by Quincy Jones in 1995, at the age of 19. Her first three albums, 1998's Tamia, 2000's A Nu Day, and 2004's More, all achieved moderate success on R&B charts and urban radio, but failed to achieve mainstream success.
As a result of the disappointing performances of her albums, Tamia split from her label and released her next record, Between Friends, independently. As of 2019, Tamia has released a further three studio albums through her own label, Plus One Music Group - 2012's Beautiful Surprise, 2015's Love Life, and 2018's Passion Like Fire.
She has been married to the NBA basketball player Grant Hill since 1999, with whom she has two children.
2) Tamia is an experimental/avant-garde vocalist who has collaborated with Pierre Favre.
If I were you
Tamia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I see a reflection
Of a smile that says, "you believe in love"
And just for a moment, I drifted away
But I couldn't stay, darling
A hint of love, a bit of fear
I'm tryin' to say
If I were you, I would stay right where you are
I wouldn't come near this broken heart
Just turn around and leave here
And find someone who won't hurt you
Make sure that she still believes in love
'Cause I think my heart has given up
If I were you, I wouldn't be here
Ooh yeah
I'm tryin' to protect you
From the lies that your heart tells
Even though it says that you want me
All I see is pain and misery
Seasons may change
But I can't forget the days of old
My heart ached when you walked away
I said I'll never love again
If I were you, I wouldn't be here
If I were you, I would stay right where you are
I wouldn't come near this broken heart
Just turn around and leave here
And find someone who won't hurt you
Make sure that she still believes in love
'Cause I think my heart has given up
If I were you, I wouldn't be here, ooh
The days go by
And I feel that you can make me happy
Time goes on
And I feel that love is at my door
And though I tell myself that you're the one
Who said those words before
Thought it hurts too much
I can't trust in love
Again
Again
If I were you, I wouldn't be here
If I were you, I would stay right where you are
I wouldn't come near this broken heart
Just turn around and leave here
And find someone who won't hurt you
Make sure that she still believes in love
'Cause my heart has given up
If I were you, I wouldn't be here
If I were you, I would stay right where you are
I wouldn't come near this broken heart
Just turn around and leave here
And find someone who won't hurt you
Make sure that she still believes in love, in love
If I were you, I wouldn't be here
If I were you I would stay right where you are
I wouldn't come near this broken heart
Just turn around and leave here
And find someone who won't hurt you
Make sure that she still believes in love
My heart has given up
Can't be here
If I were you, I wouldn't be here
If I were you I would stay right where you are
'Cause I think my heart has given up
If I were you, I wouldn't be here
Ooh
Oh
If I were you I wouldn't be here
Oh, oh
The song "If I Were You" by Tamia is a heart-wrenching ballad about letting someone go out of love and selflessness. As the song begins, Tamia sings about looking into a mirror and seeing the reflection of the person she is holding. She sees a smile that says the person believes in love, but Tamia is afraid to reciprocate those feelings. She tells them that if she were in their shoes, she would walk away because her heart is broken and incapable of giving love without causing pain. Tamia asks the person to turn around, leave her, and find someone who still believes in love.
Throughout the song, Tamia tries to protect the person from the pain that comes with loving her. She believes that the lies her heart tells go against the love she wants to give. Tamia reminisces on the past when the person walked away, and it broke her heart. Still, she cannot trust herself with love again. Despite Tamia wanting to love the person, she knows they deserve more than she can provide.
Overall, "If I Were You" speaks to the pain of leaving someone because of love and how difficult it is to see someone hurt by your own broken heart. Tamia's vocals and heartfelt lyrics make this song a powerful tribute to selflessness in relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
I look in the mirror, with you in my arms
Reflecting on the moment, holding you close to me
And I see a reflection
Seeing the image of our love staring back at me
Of a smile that says you believe in love
Your smile symbolizing your unwavering belief in love
And just for a moment, I drifted away
Briefly getting lost in thoughts of you and our relationship
But I couldn't stay 'cause
However, I must accept the truth
A hint of love, a bit of fear
A mix of love and anxiety
If I were you, I wouldn't be here
If I were in your place, I wouldn't be with me
If I were you I would stay right where you are
I'd advise you to remain where you are
I wouldn't come near this broken heart
I wouldn't risk getting close to this damaged heart
Just turn around and leave here
Instead, simply turn around and go your own way
And find someone who won't hurt you
Look for someone who wouldn't harm you
Make sure that she still believes in love
Ensure that she still has faith in love
'Cause I think my heart has given up
Because I believe my heart has given up on love
I'm tryin' to protect you
I'm endeavoring to safeguard you
From the lies that your heart tells
Shielding you from the fabricated claims of your heart
Even though it says that you love me
Despite the heart insisting that it loves me
All I see is pain and misery
All I perceive is anguish and agony
Seasons may change
Over time, things may shift
But I can't forget the days of old
However, I still cannot forget the past
My heart ached when you walked away
My heart hurt when you departed
I said I'd never love again
I had sworn to never love again
The days go by
Time keeps moving forward
And I feel that you could make me happy
I sense that you could bring me joy
Time goes on
Nevertheless, life continues
And I feel that love is at my door
And I trust that love is within my reach
And though I tell myself that you're the one
Despite convincing myself that you're the perfect one
Who said those words before
Who voiced similar affirmations earlier
Thought it hurts too much
Though the agony is unbearable
I can't trust in love
I cannot put my faith in love again
Again
Once more, again
Ooh
Oh
My heart has given up
My heart has lost all hope
I wouldn't, if I were you
If I were you, I wouldn't do what I did
Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Anthony S. Crawford, Shae Jones, Stacey Daniels
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind