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.
It's Not The Same
The Manhattans Lyrics
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Shinin' down on me.
I don't have to tell you
How welcome it will be.
I felt the light before,
But I let it slip away.
I still keep on believin'
It'll come back someday.
[Chorus]
It's not the spotlight.
It ain't the candlelight.
And it ain't the streetlight
Of some old street of dreams.
It ain't the moonlight,
Not even the sunlight.
But I've seen it shinin' in your eyes,
And you know what I mean.
Sometimes I try to tell myself:
"You know the light was never real,"
A fantasy that used to be the way I used to feel.
But you and I know better now,
Even though it's been so long.
If your memory really serves you well,
You'd never tell me I'm wrong.
[Chorus]
If I ever feel the light again,
You know things will have to change.
Names and faces, homes and places,
Will have to be rearranged.
And you can help me come about,
If you're ever so inclined.
Ain't no rhyme or reason,
A woman can't change her mind.
[Chorus x 2]
"It's Not the Spotlight" by The Manhattan Transfer is a song about a person who had experienced love and happiness in the past but had let it slip away. They long to feel the light (love) again and find it shining in the eyes of their lover. The song highlights the importance of love in life and how it can change everything for the better. The lyrics indicate that the singer has had a change of heart and wants to rearrange their life to make room for this light to shine again. The chorus of the song reiterates that this light is not the spotlight, candlelight, streetlight, moonlight or even sunlight but something that is seen shining in the eyes of the singer’s lover.
The first verse indicates that the singer has experienced this light before, but they let it slip away. They continue to believe that it will come back to them someday. The chorus of the song suggests that this light is not found in material objects such as spotlight, candlelight, streetlight, or even sunlight but rather in the eyes of their lover. This light represents the love, joy, and fulfillment that they feel when they are with them.
The second verse suggests that the singer has had doubts about whether the light was real or not. They had thought that it was just a fantasy, but now they realize that it was real. They acknowledge that if the memory serves them well, they would not be wrong. The third verse of the song indicates that the singer is ready to make changes in their life to allow the light to shine again. They are open to rearranging names, faces, homes, and places and are looking for their lover's help to accomplish this. They remind the listener that there is no rhyme or reason to love, and a woman can change her mind anytime.
Line by Line Meaning
If I ever feel the light again,
If I experience the feeling of happiness and joy again,
Shinin' down on me.
That brings a sense of brightness and positivity in my life.
I don't have to tell you
I don't need to explain to you
How welcome it will be.
How much it will make me feel better.
I felt the light before,
I experienced happiness and joy in the past,
But I let it slip away.
But I failed to hold on to that feeling of happiness and let it go.
I still keep on believin'
I still hold on to the hope
It'll come back someday.
That I will feel happy again someday.
It's not the spotlight.
The source of my happiness is not fame or attention,
It ain't the candlelight.
It's not the dim light of a candle,
And it ain't the streetlight
It's not the dull light of a streetlamp,
Of some old street of dreams.
In a place which represents my dreams and aspirations.
It ain't the moonlight,
Not even the light of the moon,
Not even the sunlight.
Not even the bright light of the sun,
But I've seen it shinin' in your eyes,
But I have seen it in your eyes,
And you know what I mean.
And you understand what I am trying to say.
Sometimes I try to tell myself:
Sometimes I attempt to convince myself
"You know the light was never real,"
That the feeling of happiness was never genuine,
A fantasy that used to be the way I used to feel.
An imaginary state of happiness that I used to experience.
But you and I know better now,
But now both of us know the truth,
Even though it's been so long.
Despite such a long time has passed.
If your memory really serves you well,
If you remember correctly
You'd never tell me I'm wrong.
You won't disagree with me.
If I ever feel the light again,
If I ever feel happy again,
You know things will have to change.
There will have to be significant changes in my life.
Names and faces, homes and places,
People, places, and things might need to be different.
Will have to be rearranged.
They will have to be altered.
And you can help me come about,
And you can assist me in making this happen,
If you're ever so inclined.
If you feel like doing it.
Ain't no rhyme or reason,
There's no explanation
A woman can't change her mind.
Why a woman cannot change her mind about what she wants.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BARRY GOLDBERG, GERRY GOFFIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind