Tony Rich got his start in the music industry as a staff writer at LaFace Records. While there, Rich penned hits for Boyz II Men, Johnny Gill, TLC and Toni Braxton.
While living in Detroit, Rich started playing in jazz fusion and soul bands and worked with local Detroit songwriters. It was at this time that John Salley, Detroit Pistons player and record producer, encouraged Rich to work with his artists and to even make his own tracks.
Meeting with R&B singer Pebbles, Tony Rich was introduced to her then-husband L.A. Reid. As co-founder of LaFace Records, Reid convinced Rich to move to Atlanta and to begin writing and producing for established acts. One of Rich's first projects was a session with Elton John and Sounds of Blackness for a Curtis Mayfield tribute LP. He then expanded his portfolio to include work with the previously mentioned stars.
In early 1996, Rich made his solo debut with the cd Words and the hit single Nobody Knows, which made it to number 2 on the top 100. Both the album and single went platinum and in 1997, Tony Rich won the Grammy for Best Male R&B album. The album featured two Grammy-nominated singles, Like A Woman and Nobody Knows.
The album was followed up in 1998 by Birdseye which, while critically praised, failed to generate much commercial success. Rich seemingly disappeared from the music world for several years after his album's release.
In 2003, Rich came back on the scene with the album Resurrected. Carrying a very different style this time around, the album featured Rich rocking out on the guitar as well as singing smooth ballads.
In 2006, Rich released a fourth album, Pictures. The album contains snapshots of a relationship, and is far more in the veins of his earlier works.
In 2008, he released his fifth album, Exist through Hidden Beach Recordings. Originally it was set for release on September 16, however it was pushed back to September 23, 2008. The album features download-only single, Part the Waves.
No Time Soon
The Tony Rich Project Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Atlanta Live
Hat tilted to one side
I watch her body, in phase
Platinum eyes like in department stores,
She's curious, of course
"You'll be mine one day," I said
If we could sometimes just go out
With margaritas, drink greyhounds
Don't quite like dancing (too cool)
But I could sense her class in a magazine
She looks just like Halle
I found it; I know I found love
Now I know love can be true
When I saw you in bird's eye view
Baby I found love (Girl you define love)
When all the bus drivers turn cool
With no more taxis cruisin' through
I'll still find you, love (Girl you define)
Now Girl these girls the kind that play around
Don't wanna make her frown
She'll bring her laundry to bed
And every day she finds a sunny cloud
It sort of makes me smile;
She's so dramatically free
I'd like to show you my new house
I've seen us makin' on my couch
You'd dig the bathtub, for sure
So I baptized her in the bubble bath,
She came out screamin' mad
Oh, what a laugh
'Cause she still had Halle's eyes
Now I know love can be true
When I saw you in bird's eye view
Baby I found love (Girl you define love)
When all the bus drivers turn cool
With no more taxis cruisin' through
I'll still find you, love (Girl you define)
I'd take the A-Train to follow you
Oh she said
She thinks it's all good
Don't matter what your body do
Oh cool, I'm cool
She thinks I'm cool
Now I know love can be true
When I saw you in bird's eye view
Baby I found love (Girl you define love)
When all the bus drivers turn cool
With no more taxis cruisin' through
I'll still find you, love (Girl you define)
The Tony Rich Project's song "No Time Soon" describes a man's chance encounter with a woman at a club. He is immediately taken in by her beauty and demeanor. Despite his initial shyness, he approaches her and predicts that they will be together someday. As the song progresses, he fantasizes about their future together, including taking her to see his new house and sharing a bubble bath with her.
The lyrics use detailed imagery to convey the man's fascination with the woman. He compares her platinum eyes to those found in department stores, and notes that she looks like actress Halle Berry. Additionally, he describes her as "dramatically free," suggesting that she is a carefree spirit. The chorus of the song asserts that the man has found true love in the woman, and that he will continue to seek her out even if circumstances change.
Overall, "No Time Soon" is a romantic and affectionate song that celebrates the power of love. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the man's attraction to the woman, and suggest that their relationship will continue to thrive in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Stepped in the club alone at Atlanta Live
I arrived by myself at the Atlanta Live club
Hat tilted to one side
My hat was angled to the side
I watch her body, in phase
I observed her movements in sync with the beat
Platinum eyes like in department stores,
Her eyes were bright and shiny like those in department store ads
She's curious, of course
She's naturally inquisitive
"You'll be mine one day," I said
I confidently told her that she'd be mine in the future
If we could sometimes just go out
If we could occasionally go on dates
With margaritas, drink greyhounds
Drinking margaritas and greyhounds
Don't quite like dancing (too cool)
I'm not crazy about dancing because I'm too cool for it
But I could sense her class in a magazine
However, I could tell that she was classy like a model in a magazine
She looks just like Halle
She resembles the actress Halle Berry
I found it; I know I found love
I discovered that I had fallen in love with her
Now I know love can be true
I now believe that love can be genuine
When I saw you in bird's eye view
When I viewed you from above
Baby I found love (Girl you define love)
My love for you is real (You embody the definition of love)
When all the bus drivers turn cool
Even if all the bus drivers become unapproachable
With no more taxis cruisin' through
And if there are no more taxis driving by
I'll still find you, love (Girl you define)
I will still search for you, my love (You define what love is)
Now Girl these girls the kind that play around
Those other girls are the type who cheat and play games
Don't wanna make her frown
I don't want to upset her
She'll bring her laundry to bed
She's carefree enough to bring her laundry to bed
And every day she finds a sunny cloud
She has a positive outlook on every situation
It sort of makes me smile;
It exposes her positive attitude, which makes me happy
She's so dramatically free
She's liberated and free-spirited
I'd like to show you my new house
I want to show you my brand new house
I've seen us makin' on my couch
I've imagined us being intimate on my couch
You'd dig the bathtub, for sure
You would love my new bathtub, without a doubt
So I baptized her in the bubble bath,
I baptized her in the bubble-filled bathtub, symbolically claiming her as mine
She came out screamin' mad
However, she emerged from the bathtub angry and yelling
Oh, what a laugh
It was funny and we both laughed
'Cause she still had Halle's eyes
Because she still had those beautiful Halle-like eyes
I'd take the A-Train to follow you
I would follow you even if it meant taking the A-train
Oh she said
She responded
She thinks it's all good
She believes that everything is going well
Don't matter what your body do
It doesn't matter what your body looks like
Oh cool, I'm cool
I'm glad that she thinks I'm cool too
Together
Together, we are in love
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: TONY RICH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind