Terence Trent D'Arby (born Terence Trent Howard, March 15, 1962 and now leg… Read Full Bio ↴Terence Trent D'Arby (born Terence Trent Howard, March 15, 1962 and now legally known as Sananda Maitreya) is an American singer-songwriter inspired by mixing funk, pop, rock, and soul who came to fame with his album 'Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby', released in July 1987. That album included the hit singles "Dance Little Sister", "Sign Your Name", and "Wishing Well". It has sold over 14 million copies.

The album also earned the artist a Grammy Award in March 1988 in the category of 'Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male'. In that same year, D'Arby earned three Soul Train Award nominations for 'Male Album of the Year' (from releasing 'Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby'), 'Male Single of the Year' (from releasing "Wishing Well"), and 'Best New Artist'. Receiving immense critical praise for a work that became RIAA certified as mutli-platinum, fans worried that he may have peaked too early, but they found D'Arby determined to continue down his own unique musical path.

D'Arby was born in Manhattan, New York, and he joined the army after leaving college, serving in Elvis Presley's old regiment in Germany. He was formally discharged by the army in 1983 after going absent without leave. While in Germany, he also worked with the group The Touch, releasing an album of material called 'Love On Time' in 1984. That album was later re-issued in 1989 as 'Early Works'.

D'Arby's follow-up studio album, 'Neither Fish Nor Flesh', came out in 1989. It sold over two million copies and earned praise from fans. Many critical reviews, however, were mixed and faulted D'Arby for what they saw as wandering about musically with a purpose, and the artist's acrimonious disputes with his record label grated on him. Note that the album is often alternatively known as 'Neither Fish Nor Flesh: A Soundtrack of Love, Faith, Hope & Destruction',

The expectations placed on D'Arby's shoulders from his early success caused him to undertake some needed soul searching. It took four more years and a move to Los Angeles, California until his next project, 1993's 'Symphony or Damn', was released. Also known as 'Symphony or Damn: Exploring the Tension Inside the Sweetness', the work proved somewhat of a commercial comeback and peaked at #4 on the U.K. album charts while receiving many supportive reviews.

D'Arby had moved into more and more of a musical vibe influenced by gritty rock, often inspired by blues. In 1995, D'Arby released 'Vibrator', which largely followed his previous work in its musical direction. Sadly, his commercial prospects were judged by many critics to be waning.

During the mid-90s, the relations between the artist and his label, Columbia Records, had became strained to the braking point, leading to the artist's departure in 1996. This was followed by four-years on Java Records, during which he recorded an album titled 'Terence Trent D'Arby's Solar Return'. Said work, however, was never released. In 2000, he bought the rights to his unreleased album and left the record company as well as Lippman Entertainment, which was his then-management-team.

In 1999, D'Arby was briefly hired by INXS to replace his friend, late vocalist Michael Hutchence, so the band could play at the opening of facilities for the Sydney Olympics.

In 2001 D'Arby changed his name to Sananda Francesco Maitreya. The same year, he settled in Munich, Germany, and started his own independent record label, Treehouse Pub. The year also marked his first album release in six years, Wildcard (the unreleased "Solar Return"). The album, first available for free through his website, was later released through a one-album distribution deal with Universal Music.

In 2002 Maitreya moved to Milan, Italy, and began working on his next project, Angels & Vampires - Volume I.
In July 2005 Maitreya started working on Angels & Vampires - Volume II, he released chapter after chapter online as soon he finished recording the songs. In April 2006 he released the finished album; again via his website.

Since 2006, Maitreya has released five more studio albums, alongside touring and the release of a few live albums and various live shows to his YouTube channel. In 2020, Maitreya was featured on The Avalanches' single Reflecting Light which would later be on their 'We Will Always Love You' album, later that same year.

Trivia:
D'Arby/Maitreya appeared in in the TV series "Shake, Rattle And Roll" where he played the part of Jackie Wilson. His music has also been included on several movie soundtracks, most notably 1991's Frankie and Johnny.

Sayin' About You
Terence Trent D'Arby Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

After having listened to
So many rumours in Colorado
After having spoken to
So many strangers in Corcovado

It made me feel the midnight blue
Do you know what they are sayin' about you?
Do you know what they are sayin'?

Or do you really care?

After having heard the stories
Grow with each telling
In certain quarters
Noses growing,tongues are flowing

It's so compelling
It's crossing borders
But maybe none of it is true
Do you know what they are sayin' about you?
Do you know what they are sayin'?

Or do you really care?
After having listened to
So many rumors in Colorado
After having spoken with

So many strangers in Corcovado
It made me feel the midnight blue
Do you know what they are sayin' about you?

Do you know what they are sayin'?
Or do you really care

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Terence Trent D'Arby's song "Sayin' About You" talk about the impact of rumors and gossip on a person. The first stanza says how the singer has been listening to many rumors and speaking to strangers (in Colorado and Corcovado) which has made him feel "midnight blue". The color midnight blue is often associated with sadness and depression, suggesting that the rumors and gossip are affecting the singer negatively. The chorus then asks whether the subject of the rumors (who is not named in the song) knows what they are saying about them or if they even care. The second stanza talks about how the stories being told about the subject are growing with each telling, and how some people seem to be enjoying spreading gossip, as if it's "compelling". The line "noses growing, tongues are flowing" is a reference to the fairy tale of Pinocchio, where his nose grows longer when he tells a lie, suggesting that some of the rumors may be untrue.

Overall, the song is a commentary on the damaging effects of gossip and the way it can affect a person's reputation and mental state. The use of the color midnight blue, combined with the repetition of the question "Do you know what they are saying about you?", creates a sense of unease and introspection.

Line by Line Meaning

After having listened to
Once I had time to listen

So many rumours in Colorado
I heard many tales from many people

After having spoken to
Once I had the chance to talk to

So many strangers in Corcovado
So many people I didn't know

It made me feel the midnight blue
All these stories made me feel sad

Do you know what they are sayin' about you?
Are you aware of what people are saying?

Do you know what they are sayin'?
Do you have any idea what people are saying?

Or do you really care?
Or do you not care what people say?

After having heard the stories
Once I had heard all the tales

Grow with each telling
Getting more and more exaggerated

In certain quarters
In certain groups of people