When the group became known as The Family Stand, they also added a third member with Sandra St. Victor. Victor had attended the University of Kansas and, upon moving to New York, was in high demand as a vocalist, working with Freddie Jackson and Chaka Khan.
The group's first album, Chain, scored a hit with the track Ghetto Heaven which reached #3 on the R&B charts.
In 1991, the group released a second LP, Moon in Scorpio. However, the album tried to go in to many directions at once and often fetaured more rock than R&B. As such, the album failed to register with its urban audience and did not perform well.
In 1998, the group replaced Victor with Jacci McGhee after Victor left the group to go solo. During the same year, they released a new album, Connected. The album returned to the sounds of soul and highlighted the group's talent in writing and production.
The world according to The Family Stand is full of funk, love, rage and introspection. Formed by the powerhouse triple team of vocalist/keyboard wizard Peter Lord, vocalist multi-instrumentalist V. Jeffrey Smith and soul siren Sandra St. Victor in the early 90s, the band made the legendary "Moon In Scorpio" before going on hiatus in 1999. They have sustained a ravenous, excited following even in their absence. Largely this is because their dazzling live shows back in the day. Performances where impeccable musicianship, sizzling stage craft and volcanic energy left indelible imprints on the memory on their fan's hearts, feet and imaginations. They did what Great Black Music performances used to do on the regular--make you think hard about the world and your own inner life while you had a stomp down, sweaty, good time in the process. And in a community full of loving like-minded fellow travelers to boot. Built around the songwriting and production talents of Smith and Lord and the thermonuclear vocals of St. Victor, The Family Stand recombinated elements of rock, folk, soul, free jazz, hiphop, funk and hardcore gospel into a melodic amalgam rooted that's answered the musical question, What if Stevie Wonder ever sat in with Living Colour, Fishbone and Bad Brains? More than the sum of their influences though, the group took on social issues with a fury rare for a contemporary band rooted in r and b. Family Stand classics such as "Plantation Radio" and "The Education of Jamie" are emotional rollercoasters that turn topical, political content into eargasms. At another end of the spectrum is their big club hit "Ghetto Heaven" which brought pure romance back to the hood with a soulfulness and a bounce that still can't be denied or easily duplicated. Not content to rest on their laurels, The Family Stand hasn't just reformed to resurrect old glory but has been in the lab cooking up a new mind body and soul throttling release for '07 called "Super Sol Nova". Here once again they are taking on the hot topics of day-9/11, the war in Iraq, fratricide in the music -- and on the streets -- with hard crunchy beats, loud and raunchy guitars, pyrotechnic vocalizing, sensuous horn and keys and a rock of ages sense of hope and redemption. Greg Tate
Ghetto Heaven
The Family Stand Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My baby loves me
My day, it gets so heavy
I need a little company
It's quarter to eleven; it's time to make some ghetto heaven
Ghetto heaven
I need a little ghetto heaven
Nana likes brandy, especially peach
She keeps it by the radio
And listens to the Reverend preach
It's 10:07, and time to get some ghetto heaven
Ghetto heaven
It's time to get some ghetto heaven
Ghetto heaven
She needs a little ghetto heaven
Baby, baby, baby
All I need in this world is you
And when you're gone
Baby, baby, baby
Your touch, your kiss always gets me through
Sister needs her sugar
To get her through the day
She doesn't have the money
But always got a way to pay
It's 2:07; it's time to sell some ghetto heaven
Ghetto heaven
It's time to sell some ghetto heaven
Ghetto heaven
She needs a little ghetto heaven
You know I love my baby
My baby loves me
My day, it gets so heavy
I need a little company
It's quarter to 11; I need a little ghetto heaven
Ghetto heaven
My baby needs some ghetto heaven
Ghetto heaven
I need a little ghetto heaven
Ghetto heaven
The lyrics to The Family Stand's song, Ghetto Heaven, are a commentary on the struggles of inner-city life and the ways in which people cope with those struggles. The repeated refrain of "Ghetto heaven, I need a little ghetto heaven" suggests that despite the challenges of living in poverty, there are small moments of joy and pleasure that can be found in everyday life.
The verses describe different characters who are each struggling in their own way. The first verse is sung from the perspective of someone who is feeling lonely and in need of companionship. The second verse introduces Nana, a woman who enjoys brandy and listens to the reverend preach. The third verse is about Sister, who needs to sell "sugar" (likely a euphemism for drugs) to make ends meet.
The song's title, "Ghetto Heaven," is itself a juxtaposition of two seemingly opposing concepts. The idea of a "heaven" implies a peaceful, blissful afterlife, while the word "ghetto" suggests poverty and marginalization. The song seems to suggest that even in the midst of hardship, people can find moments of joy and contentment. It speaks to the resilience and humanity of people who are often overlooked and undervalued.
Line by Line Meaning
You know I love my baby
I have an immense amount of love for my significant other
My baby loves me
My significant other reciprocates the love I give to them
My day, it gets so heavy
My day becomes too burdensome to handle
I need a little company
I require companionship to ease the difficulties of my day
It's quarter to eleven; it's time to make some ghetto heaven
It's almost eleven, and I need to create a comfortable and pleasurable environment for myself
Ghetto heaven
A place or state of mind where the struggles of living in the ghetto are forgotten
I need a little ghetto heaven
I desperately require some form of relief from the hardships of living in the ghetto
Nana likes brandy, especially peach
Nana enjoys the taste of peach brandy
She keeps it by the radio
Nana stores her brandy near the radio
And listens to the Reverend preach
Nana also enjoys listening to religious sermons
It's 10:07, and time to get some ghetto heaven
It's past ten o'clock, and Nana needs to find some sort of relief from the harsh reality of living in the ghetto
She needs a little ghetto heaven
Nana requires a moment of respite from living in the ghetto
Baby, baby, baby
An expression of endearment and affection
All I need in this world is you
My significant other is the only thing I require in this world to be content
And when you're gone
When my significant other is absent
Your touch, your kiss always gets me through
The physical touch and affection from my significant other provides me with emotional relief
Sister needs her sugar
The artist's sister requires a form of comfort or relief
To get her through the day
To ease the struggles of her day-to-day life
She doesn't have the money
The singer's sister lacks the financial resources to acquire her desired form of comfort
But always got a way to pay
However, she always finds a way to obtain said comfort
It's 2:07; it's time to sell some ghetto heaven
It's after 2 o'clock, and the artist's sister needs to provide herself with some form of relief from living in the ghetto
She needs a little ghetto heaven
The artist's sister desperately requires a moment of respite from living in the ghetto
My baby needs some ghetto heaven
My significant other is also in need of relief from the harshness of living in the ghetto
I need a little ghetto heaven
I too require a moment of respite from living in the ghetto
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: JAMES JASON POYSER, MICHAEL D'ANGELO ARCHER, LONNIE RASHID LYNN, PETER LORD MORELAND, JEFFERY SMITH, SANDRA KAY ST VICTOR, AHMIR K THOMPSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
A M
Have never stopped loving this song ❤️
Dedric Diamond
I've always loved this song even thou I didn't quite understand... The message in my younger days. I for damn sure understand it at 28. 😏 #GhettoHeaven.
Tee'Tee Lovebug
I love you. :) :) :)
Tobin Harrison
Great track ,we all need a bit of ghetto heaven in our lives ✨💙🍯
Josh Lee
That bass! 😉
Ciaran Anderson
Twin Peaks sampling ❤️ this song is still a total banger in 2020✊
Paolo 73
That Coke Escovedo drum beat, man......💣💣💣
TAREEK CLASSICS
Have this on vinyl
Dwain Frost
I love this song
Tony D The Original inda mix
BiG TunE JazZY!! & ThE FamILY 🎼🎵🔊👍💜😎🎹🎧🎤