Timbaland is similar to producers such as Norman Whitfield in that he helped to redefine the sound of an entire genre of music with an immediately recognizable production style. The songs he produces feature unusual arrangements, sounds, and instrumentation, tied together by a trademark sense of rhythm. Like Spector and Whitfield, Timbaland's production sometimes overshadows the credited performer and becomes the actual "star" of the song. With songwriters Steve "Static" Garrett and childhood friend Missy Elliott, Timbaland has helped to create some of the most successful songs in modern pop music and urban music, including singles for Aaliyah, Ginuwine, SWV, Total, and 702.
Mosley grew up in Norfolk, Virginia, where he became acquainted with Missy Elliott and Melvin Barcliff, whose MC name was "Magoo." Originally a disc jockey known as "DJ Timmy Tim," Mosely began making hip-hop backing tracks on a Casio keyboard he owned. In 1993 Elliott heard his material and, taken by Mosley's unique sense of rhythm, immediately began working with him.
Elliott and her girl group Sista auditioned for DeVante Swing, producer and member of successful R&B act Jodeci. Devante signed Sista to his Swing Mob label, and Elliott brought Mosely and Barcliff along with her. Mosely began working under Devante, who renamed the young producer Timbaland, after the Timberland boot popular in hip-hop fashion.
Sista and Timbaland & Magoo became part of Devante's stable of Swing Mob signees known as "Da Bassment" crew, joining artists and groups such as male singer Ginuwine, male vocal group Playa, and girl group Sugah. Timbaland did production work on a number of projects with Devante, including the 1995 Jodeci LP The Show, The After-Party, The Hotel, and Sista's debut LP, which was shevled and never saw release.
Timbaland was also friends with Pharrell Williams, and had dabbled in projects with him as S.B.I., or Surrounded By Idiots. Pharrell recalls in an interview: "“In seventh grade I met Chad. That’s twenty years ago by now. Like I said earlier, we started producing beats together. But then again, I also played with this famous group which consisted of Timbaland, Magoo, myself and some other guy. Chad wasn’t a part of the group, so I was in The Neptunes and in Surrounded By Idiots at the same time.” A few tracks produced by the group float around on the internet, the most distributed being "Big White Spaceship".
In 1995, most of Devante's acts broke their ties with the producer and went their own ways. Elliott, Timbaland, Magoo, Playa, and Ginuwine continued to collaborate, and began working on individual projects of their own. Elliott began receiving recognition as a songwriter and guest artist for artists such as 702 and MC Lyte, and Timbaland was sometimes assigned to produce remixes of Elliott-penned songs. One of these, the remix to 702's "Steelo" in 1996, became Timbaland's first important production credit.
Also in 1996, Ginuwine released his debut album, Ginuwine...the Bachelor, which was produced entirely by Timbaland. The album was both a commercial and critical success, and its first single, "Pony," was the first example of what would later become the signature Timbaland sound.
The track for "Pony," which Timbaland had created two years prior during the Swing Mob days, was characterized by a shifting, syncopated rhythm, similar to samba or jungle music, which used snare and kick hits on typically non-accented beats in the measure. Stuttering high-hats typical of southern bass music accompanied the basic drum sounds, which were, unusual for hip-hop and R&B of this period, severely gated to create short, strong sounds. This use of the "short snare" is in marked contrast to the "long snare" sound in New Wave music in the 1980s, which featured a heavily amplified, almost white noise snare drum put through reverb. Accompanying the unusual rhythm were melody lines created by playing odd sound effects (vocal effects and cartoon slide whistles) through a sampling keyboard. The other tracks on Ginuwine...the Bachelor also featured similar production and arrangements. On many of the tracks, Timbaland can be heard either rapping or providing ad-libs, similar to what both Elliott and Puff Daddy where doing at the time; Timbaland's deep voice was usually vocoded to give it an electronic sound.
While work was being completed on Ginuwine...the Bachelor, R&B artist Aaliyah contracted Timbaland and Missy Elliott to write and produce most of her second album, One In A Million. The tracks that were crafted for Aaliyah featured innovative arrangements similar to those on Ginuwine...the Bachelor. One In A Million went on to sell over two million copies, and made superstars out of not only Aaliyah, but Elliott and Timbaland as well.
Elliott and Timbaland became one of the most successful and prolific songwriting/production teams of the late-1990s. By the end of the decade, Timbaland's sound had been heard in records from artists such as SWV, Destiny's Child, Nicole Wray, Jay-Z, Nas. Most of his production work during this period was reserved for his original stable of collaborators: two Missy Elliott albums (Supa Dupa Fly and Da Real World), a second effort by Ginuwine (100% Ginuwine), and Playa's debut album (Cheers 2 U). Timbaland produced much (if not all) of the material on many of their albums during this period, and also made two albums of his own: one with Magoo, and one solo album. Timbaland's own raps, which were usually ghostwritten by Elliott, Magoo, or his younger brother Garland Mosley (AKA Sebastian), were almost always accompanied by other MCs, including his main collaborators and numerous guest artists.
Timbaland spawned a plethora of imitators, some of which went as far as to sample sections of his work to create similar-sounding tracks. The popularity of the "Timbaland sound" marked a shift in hip-hop music from rougher, sample-based tracks to simpler, more synthetic musical accompainiment (unlike many hip-hop producers, Timbaland rarely sampled older records; most of his tracks were crafted by him and his in-house band). Since Timbaland worked in both hip-hop and R&B and often combined elements of one in tracks for the other, his work aided the blending together of the two genres, which became less and less distinct during the first half of the 2000s.
Foreign, especially Asian, instrumentation is present through much of his early work (Xscape's "My Secret" remix, especially, with a rollicking sitar outro and Timbaland ad-libbing "Let's take a little trip...to India"), but was most successful and prevalent with Jay-Z's "Big Pimpin'" (1999), which borrowed directly from the song "Khosara" by Egyptian composer Baligh Hamdi. Missy Elliott's 2001 hit single, "Get Ur Freak On" from her third album, Miss E...So Addictive, was also likewise a smash, using a speedy dhol drumline typical of Bhangra. His borrowing from these cultures has resulted in mixed reactions, with many critics embracing his musical adventurousness and eclecticism and more esoteric, purist factions reacting catiously, and sometimes negatively. In an interview with Missy Elliott in RayGun Magazine, he mentioned a diverse base of influences, from UK Drum 'N Bass to Garage.
Timbaland-produced songs such as Ludacris' "Roll Out (My Business)," Jay-Z's "Hola' Hovito," Petey Pablo's "Raise Up," and Beck's "Diamond Dogs" were recorded and released during this period, and he contributed to Limp Bizkit's 2001 remix album, New Old Songs. He also contributed three songs--all eventually released as singles--to Aaliyah's self-titled third album.
Timbaland & Magoo's second album together, Indecent Proposal, had been scheduled for release in November 2000, and was to feature appearances by Beck, Aaliyah, and new Timbaland proteges--some of whom were signed to his new Beat Club Records imprint--Ms. Jade, Sebastian, Petey Pablo, and Tweet (who was a member of Sugah during the Swing Mob days). The album was delayed until for an entire year, finally being released the following November, and was a commercial disappointment. Beck's vocals for the track "I Am Music" were not included on the final released version, which instead featured Timbaland singing alongside Static (Steven Garrett) of Playa and Aaliyah, who had been killed in a plane crash three months before the release of the album. The loss of Aaliyah deeply affected Timbaland, whose work was less omnipresent after 2001.
The first release on Beat Club was the debut album by Caucasian MC Bubba Sparxxx in October 2002, Dark Days, Bright Nights. Timbaland contributed three tracks to Tweet's debut album, Southern Hummingbird, and produced most of Missy Elliott's fourth and fifth LPs, Under Construction and This Is Not A Test! He also produced hit singles and album tracks for artists such as Li'l Kim ("The Jump Off") and Pastor Troy during this period. Collaborating with Scott Storch, Timbaland also produced a number of tracks on former *NSYNC lead singer Justin Timberlake's solo debut, Justified, including the hit single "Cry Me a River".
Late in 2003, Timbaland delivered the second Bubba Sparxxx album, Deliverance, and the third Timbaland & Magoo album, Under Construction, Part II. Both albums were released to little fanfare or acclaim even though Deliverance was praised by reviews and embraced by the internet community.
Timbaland continues to produce hit singles and albums for artists; in 2004 Timbaland-produced singles by LL Cool J, Xzibit, and Jay-Z became staples on urban radio, and he produced the bulk of Brandy's fourth album, Afrodisiac. New songs from artists such as Tweet and The Game are set for release in 2005.
2005 saw Timbaland producing a song on Tweet and The Game's albums ("Steer" and "Put You on The Game" respectively). He also produced 2 songs on Missy Elliott's 6th album (The Cookbook), "Joy" featuring Mike Jones and "Partytime."
Timbaland started his new label, Mosely Music Group, once again under Interscope. On the label are singers Nelly Furtado and Keri Hilson, and rapper D.O.E. Timbaland's parternship and mentorship of upcoming producer Nate "Danjahandz" Hills is evident in Timbaland's rejuvination in music.
Furtado looks to have her third album, Loose, released under MMG with in the first half of 2006 with Hilson's debut following shortly after. Timbaland is also slated to work with Justin Timberlake, Hilary Duff as well as albums by Jamie Foxx, JC Chasez, Busta Rhymes, Diddy, Ludacris, Chingy, Chilli of TLC, Tweet, and a lot more.
In 2006, Timbaland produced songs "Promiscuous" "My love" and "Sexyback" topped the charts for over fourteen weeks. In 2007, the tracks "Say It Right" and "What Goes Around" also topped the charts. The year 2007 also saw the release of his album "Timbaland presents Shock Value" which featured Fall Out Boy, The Hives, Elton John, Nicole Scherzinger, Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado, Missy Elliot, Sebastian (his brother), Keri Hilson, Money, Attitude, and Jim Beanz.
Tomorrow In The Bottle
Timbaland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All I wanna do is, make up
All I wanna do is, make up
All I wanna do is, make up
All I wanna do is, make up
All I wanna do is, make up
Put the, put the past behind us
All I wanna do is, make up
All I wanna do is, make up
All I wanna do is, make up
All I wanna do is, make up
All I wanna do is, make up
Put the, put the past behind us
Broken promises, broken wedding vows
The clock is ticking down
Hoping daddy'll crack a smile
How can I support a child
Last time I had a job, It's been a while
The question remain so freely
Why does it have to happen to me?
To wash away the pain of drinking, I'm thinking
I'm waiting for the day that, together we could find another way back,
Put everything we've got in stake lets worry about today
And put tomorrow in a bottle. (bottle)
If there's some way that
We can take back the wrong that we created we can change that,
Don't turn your head the other way
Your born to save today.
Put tomorrow in a bottle
Lets put tomorrow in a bottle (bottle)
Lets put tomorrow in a bottle (bottle)
Lets put tomorrow in a bottle (bottle)
Lets put tomorrow in a bottle (bottle)
Lets put tomorrow in a bottle (bottle)
Lets put tomorrow in a bottle (bottle)
Lets put tomorrow in a bottle (bottle)
Lets put tomorrow in a bottle (bottle)
Oh, girl, you ain't right
I apologize
Wont be satisfied till what we had was gone away
Hey, Hey every other day we doesn't fight
And I take it two wrongs don't make a right
You had my head gone
I had you dead wrong
Thinking that same old song
Wondering why you mad at me, me
Now you gotta understand my lingo
Baby This is how it should be (hey!)
Are you gonna do me like that?
Your both supposed to have my back, back
Your both supposed to have my back, back
Your both supposed to have my back, back
Your both supposed to have my back, back
And we both don't know how to act
Wasn't a lead by the door
If there's some way that
We can take back the wrong that we created we can change that,
Don't turn your head the other way
Your born to save today.
Put tomorrow in a bottle
Lets put tomorrow in a bottle (bottle)
Lets put tomorrow in a bottle (bottle)
Lets put tomorrow in a bottle (bottle)
Lets put tomorrow in a bottle (bottle)
Lets put tomorrow in a bottle (bottle)
Lets put tomorrow in a bottle (bottle)
Lets put tomorrow in a bottle (bottle)
Lets put tomorrow in a bottle (bottle)
I'm waiting for the day that, together we could find another way back,
Put everything we've got in stake lets worry about today
And put tomorrow in a bottle. (bottle)
If there's some way that
We can take back the wrong that we created we can change that,
Don't turn your head the other way
Your born to save today.
Put tomorrow in a bottle
Lets put tomorrow in a bottle (bottle)
Lets put tomorrow in a bottle (bottle)
Lets put tomorrow in a bottle (bottle)
Lets put tomorrow in a bottle (bottle)
Lets put tomorrow in a bottle (bottle)
Lets put tomorrow in a bottle (bottle)
Lets put tomorrow in a bottle (bottle)
Lets put tomorrow in a bottle (bottle)
That I never thought at all the love we had would go away
Put your back against the wall
I was your bread and butter
Like girl
Why was the relationship so down
Like we established the fact
That you were so strong to get
I wont go spreading my ex
From Tallahassee and back
Chad gonna sing the rest!
If there's some way that
We can take back the wrong that we created we can change that,
Don't turn your head the other way
Your born to save today.
Put tomorrow in a bottle
Lets put tomorrow in a bottle (bottle)
Lets put tomorrow in a bottle (bottle)
Lets put tomorrow in a bottle (bottle)
Lets put tomorrow in a bottle (bottle)
Lets put tomorrow in a bottle (bottle)
Lets put tomorrow in a bottle (bottle)
Lets put tomorrow in a bottle (bottle)
Lets put tomorrow in a bottle (bottle)
The lyrics to Timbaland's song Tomorrow in the Bottle speak of trying to make amends and move on from past mistakes in a relationship. The repetition of "all I wanna do is make up" shows a strong desire to fix things and put the past behind. The lines "broken promises, broken wedding vows, the clock is ticking down" suggest that the relationship is in a critical state and time is running out. The lyrics also mention struggling with joblessness and the pressure of supporting a child, adding to the stress and urgency of the situation.
The chorus, "put tomorrow in a bottle," is a metaphorical call to focus on the present moment and not worry about the future. It suggests that by fixing the current issues, a better tomorrow can be achieved. The lyrics end with the acknowledgement that the love they had is gone, but there is still hope for reconciliation.
Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of desperation, remorse, and a desire for redemption in a failing relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
All I wanna do is, all I wanna do is make up
I want to reconcile with you
All I wanna do is, make up
I only want to make things right between us
Put the, put the past behind us
Let's forget about what happened before
Broken promises, broken wedding vows
We have hurt each other through unfulfilled commitments and neglected promises
The clock is ticking down
Time is running out for us to fix things
Hoping daddy'll crack a smile
I am looking for approval from a father figure
How can I support a child
I am worried about taking care of our child
Last time I had a job, It's been a while
I haven't had steady employment recently
The question remain so freely
I am still wondering why these troubles had to happen to me
Why does it have to happen to me?
Why do I have to go through these difficulties?
To wash away the pain of drinking, I'm thinking
To forget the pain, I am considering drinking alcohol
I'm waiting for the day that, together we could find another way back,
I hope that we can restore our relationship and find a new way forward
Put everything we've got in stake lets worry about today
Let's focus on the present and put in all our effort to fix things
And put tomorrow in a bottle. (bottle)
Let's not worry about the future; let's keep it contained for now
If there's some way that
If it's possible
We can take back the wrong that we created we can change that,
We can fix the damage we have caused if we try
Don't turn your head the other way
Don't ignore the problem or avoid responsibility
Your born to save today.
You have the ability to fix things right now
Lets put tomorrow in a bottle (bottle)
Let's not worry about the future; let's keep it contained for now
Oh, girl, you ain't right
You are not behaving appropriately
I apologize
I am sorry
Wont be satisfied till what we had was gone away
I won't be satisfied until we fix what is broken or until I remove myself from this situation
Hey, Hey every other day we doesn't fight
We argue every other day
And I take it two wrongs don't make a right
I understand that retaliation is not the appropriate response
You had my head gone
You had me confused
I had you dead wrong
I misjudged you
Thinking that same old song
I was stuck in my old way of thinking
Wondering why you mad at me, me
I am confused why you are angry with me
Now you gotta understand my lingo
You need to understand where I am coming from
Baby This is how it should be (hey!)
This is how our relationship should be
Your both supposed to have my back, back
You both should support me
And we both don't know how to act
We are both unsure of how to handle this situation
Wasn't a lead by the door
It wasn't a good idea to leave
That I never thought at all the love we had would go away
I never thought our love would disappear
Put your back against the wall
You are in a difficult situation
I was your bread and butter
I supported you financially
Like girl
Like come on
Why was the relationship so down
Why was our relationship in a bad place?
Like we established the fact
We agreed and acknowledged
That you were so strong to get
That you were strong enough to obtain
I wont go spreading my ex
I won't gossip about my ex
From Tallahassee and back
From start to end
Chad gonna sing the rest!
Chad is going to finish the song
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, ANTHEM ENTERTAINMENT LP, OLE MEDIA MANAGEMENT LP, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JAMES DAVID WASHINGTON, GARLAND MOSLEY, TIMOTHY MOSLEY, TIM CLAYTON, LESLIE HARMON, BRANDON EVERETT DEENER, C KROEGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind