THE MANHATTANS were originally: Winfred "Blue" Lovett, Richard Taylor, Kenny Kelley, George "Smitty" Smith and Sonny Bivins. The quintet reportedly took it's name not from the big city across the water from New Jersey, but from the cocktail known as the Manhattan featuring whiskey, vermouth, and bitters. Still, the name suggested class, something the Manhattans have epitomized throughout their long career.
Between 1970 and 1973 they recorded for Starday/King Records , and by 1973 they were signed to industry behemoth Columbia where their career finally took off.
After 10 years of lower charting singles, the 1976 hit "Kiss and Say Goodbye" was the group's biggest hit to date and led to a performance at Jimmy carter's 1977 inaugural. In 1980 they won a Grammy for Shining Star written and produced by Leo Graham. In the mid 1980's female singer Regina Belle was briefly added to the lineup, singing on the Bobby Womack-produced single, "Where Did We Go Wrong" (a duet with Gerald Alston). She also contributed to The Manhattans 1986 Columbia Records album, "Back To Basics" before signing as a solo artist.
Two versions of The Manhattans have soldiered on to today. One lead by original member Sonny Bivins, and another created after a long hiatus, when founding member Blue Lovett began working with former lead Gerald Alston for a late career touring resurgence. Alston also appeared on Wu-Tang Clan's song "Stick Me For My Riches" in 2007.
In 2013, "Original" member Edward "Sonny" Bivins group features "Sonny" Bivins, Lee Williams, Charles Hardy, Harsey Hemphill and Alvin Pazant. In 2013, The Manhattans CD single "Just For Tonite" was released by Westwood Music Group. Currently, the group is recording material for a 2014 release. The Manhattans is a Registered U.S. Trademark owned by Manhattan Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Dreamin'
The Manhattans Lyrics
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Empty days, when my heart would search the sky
Trapped in a world unseen; I would dream of a lady
Who'd erase these memories
If you're the one I'm dreamin' of
Come leave this troubled world and fly above
Thru the skies of love
Dreamin' lady of my dreams
Dreamin' of you and me
Dreamin' lady of my dreams
You took my heart right from the very start
Now my nights with you, are such tender rendezvous'
Now it seems, you're the dream
You're the lady, that makes my dreams come true
You make my life worth living for
Come dim the lights and honey close the door
I'll give you so much more
Dreamin' of you and me
Dreamin' lady of my dreams
Dreamin' of you and me
Dreamin' lady of my dreams
I can't explain how it feels
I just know this love's for real
The night is young, the time has come
Baby tell me you're the one (that you're the one)
Dreamin' (baby come to me) of you and me (You'll see)
Dreamin' (our love will set us free) lady of my dreams
Dreamin' of you and me (beneath the sun)
Dreamin' (we'll fly above) lady of my dreams (fly above baby)
Dreamin' (me and you) of you and me (come to me)
Dreamin' lady of my dreams (lady of my dreams)
Dreamin' (this new reality, just stepped out from my lovely dream)
Of you and me
Dreamin' (oh honey) lady of my dreams (you're my dream)
Dreamin' of you and me (come to me)
Dreamin' lady of my dreams (lady of my dreams)
Dreamin' of you and me...
The Manhattans' song "Dreamin'" is a love ballad filled with tender sentiments of a man who dreams of being with the lady of his dreams. In the opening lines of the song, the singer sets the scene of himself sitting and watching the clouds pass by while his heart searches the sky. He is trapped in a world unseen and dreams of a lady who can erase these memories. The song continues with the notion that if the lady of his dreams is the one he is dreaming of, then he wants her to leave the troubled world and fly above with him. Together they will soar through the skies of love.
The second verse of the song reveals that the lady he dreamed of is real, and she has taken his heart right from the start. They now have tender rendezvous in the night, and everything that seemed like a dream before is now a reality. The singer goes on to express how much this lady has made his life worth living and how he will give her so much more. The chorus repeats the phrase "dreamin' of you and me, dreamin' lady of my dreams," which emphasizes the idea that he still dreams of her, but she is now a reality.
The bridge of the song reveals that the singer cannot explain how he feels, but he knows that the love he has for her is real. He asks her to tell him that she is the one, and the song ends with him dreaming of her, now that she is his reality.
Line by Line Meaning
I use to sit watching the clouds pass by
In the past, I would spend my time observing the clouds as they moved through the sky.
Empty days, when my heart would search the sky
During those times, my heart felt unfulfilled and longed for something in the sky to fill the emptiness.
Trapped in a world unseen; I would dream of a lady
Feeling confined to an invisible world, I often would fantasize about a particular lady in my dreams.
Who'd erase these memories
I had hoped this dream lady would be able to wipe away the unpleasant memories that were causing me distress.
If you're the one I'm dreamin' of
Now, I wonder if you, the person I'm currently thinking of, is that same dream lady.
Come leave this troubled world and fly above
If it is indeed you, I invite you to leave this difficult world and join me in a better place.
Thru the skies of love
Together, we can travel through the beautiful skies of love.
Dreamin' of you and me
I can't stop thinking about you and me.
Dreamin' lady of my dreams
You are the one who truly possesses my heart and who my dreams are made of.
You took my heart right from the very start
From the moment we met, you captured my heart completely.
Now my nights with you, are such tender rendezvous'
Now, whenever I'm with you, we share such special and intimate moments.
Now it seems, you're the dream
I used to think of you as my dream lady, but now it feels like you're actually here with me in reality.
You're the lady, that makes my dreams come true
You are the one who makes all of my dreams and longings into reality.
You make my life worth living for
You bring so much joy and purpose to my life, and I can't imagine living without you.
Come dim the lights and honey close the door
Let's create a cozy and intimate atmosphere by turning down the lights and closing the door.
I'll give you so much more
In this moment, I promise to give you even more love and affection than before.
I can't explain how it feels
It's hard to find the right words to describe the feeling of being with you.
I just know this love's for real
Despite the difficulty in expressing it, I am certain that our love is true and genuine.
The night is young, the time has come
The night is still young, and the perfect moment for us to be together has finally arrived.
Baby tell me you're the one (that you're the one)
I need to hear from you that you are the one that I've been searching for all along.
Our love will set us free
Our love has the power to free us from any of our worries or fears.
Beneath the sun
Together we can enjoy the beauty of the world under the sun.
This new reality, just stepped out from my lovely dream
It's hard to believe that you, my dream lady, have stepped out of my dreams and into my real life.
Oh honey, you're my dream
There is no doubt in my mind that you are the one who has been the subject of so many of my dreams.
Come to me
I am ready and waiting for you to come to me so we can be together forever.
Writer(s): Anderson John Vernon, Williams Steven Richard
Contributed by Arianna Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
CHARMEUR LOVER
The Manhattans Très Bon Groupe De Légende Pour Leurs Ballad
Junior Hamer
Such a lovely song.Enjoy
Steven Madero Suchil
1:33