Biography:
She was born and raised in Waterloo, Iowa. her parents were mixed of African- American, Caucasian, Polynesian, Asian, Spanish and Louisiana Creole descent. She began singing at the age of three and inspiration came courtesy of her father Malvin Spencer. Mr. Spencer was a singer with his own group The Cavaliers who opened for legendary singer Jackie Wilson. Preparing for a full time career in music, she would spend hours listening to musical legends like Billie Holiday and making home videos of herself singing tunes made popular by her idols Diana Ross and Mel'isa Morgan. At age five, Spencer began modeling in pageant competitions and in 1987 she won the syndicated television talent show Star Search singing Whitney Houston's "How Will I Know" and a song from her debut album entitled "Lullaby Child". Shortly afterwards, she became the youngest female artist to sign a record deal with a major label, Capitol Records, and went on to release her self-titled debut album. She found success with singles "Hide and Seek", "Symptoms of True Love" and her remake of [John Lennon's "Imagine". Her second album, "Make the Difference" was released on August 27, 1990. The first single, "Save Your Love", showed an impressive standing at #7 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. Her following single, "This House" became her biggest hit to date reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Tender Kisses", one of her best known ballads, hit #1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and made her the youngest female artist to receive the ASCAP songwriter of the year award. The other singles, "This Time Make It Funky" and "Love Me", charted relatively well on The Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks. She attended Columbus High School in Waterloo, Iowa. She also served on the board of the Children's Defense Fund as a teen and was given Martin Luther King Christian Leadership Award for being a positive role model for youth and she also traveled across the U.S. and abroad as part of a "Stay In School" program. In 1993, she made a guest appearance on the hit ABC sitcom, Family Matters and recorded the song "I'll Be There for You" for the 1997 film, "Good Burger", "The Rain" for "A Smile Like Yours" starring Lauren Holly and Greg Kinnear, "Down In The Delta" and "Girlfight" starring Michelle Rodriquez. She also modeled for Tommy Hilfiger, Chanel and Dollhouse, which lead to her being a part of New York and Los Angeles' fashion weeks in 1999-2000, being styled by Derek Khan, being signed to "NEXT" modeling agency and appearing in numerous magazines. On June 29, 1999, she made a comeback to released "Tracie" and found success with the hit singles "It's All About You (Not About Me) peaking in the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 and "Still In My Heart", the latter showcasing her elastic soprano vocals. In the 2000s, she started singing background vocals on the Hip-Hop songs for rappers such as hip-hop artist Kanye West, 50 C and Eve as well as songwriting for other artist's projects. In 2004, she acted in the short film, "A Tale of Two Sisters and in 2006, she performed in a play called "Choices in Los Angeles. As of 2007, Ms. Spencer has taken a hiatus from music but still models and is also pursing other interests while living on both the west coast and working abroad, but there is talk of her working on a couple of different projects and a new album. As of 2008-09 Ms. Spencer started writing with producer Julian Bunetta who has produced hits for country artist Big and Rich and pop acts such as Natasha Bedingfield and Leona Lewis.
Hide And Seek
Tracie Spencer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ah-ah...
Whoa, mmm...
Are you hiding from me
Playing a game of hide and seek
I count to ten
Then you hide again from me
You're somewhere in this world
And I want to be your girl
So if you hear this song
Please don't leave me here alone
Playing hide and seek
Ready or not, here I come
Playing hide and seek
Wondering where or when
Will we find each other, ooh, yeah
I'm looking for you
Where are you hiding
Now it's so lonely
When you're not in love
Needing to be kissed and hugged
And held real tight
When you go to sleep at night
I can hear you
Calling out my name
It's such a crazy game
I look around
And you're nowhere to be found
Playing hide and seek
Ready or not, here I come
Playing hide and seek
Wondering where or when
Will we find each other
Playing hide and seek
Ready or not, here I come
Playing hide and seek
Wondering where or when
Will we find each other
Playing hide and seek
Ready or not, here I come
Playing hide and seek
Wondering where or when
Will we find each other
Playing hide and seek
Ready or not, here I come
Playing hide and seek
Wondering where or when
Will we find each other, ooh, baby
I'm looking for you
Where are you hiding
I need you, baby
Why are you hiding from me
Ooh-ooh...
Why are you playing hide and seek
From me, yeah
The song "Hide and Seek" by Tracie Spencer is a tale of longing and desperation for love. The song starts with a soft, melodic tune with the sound of "oohs" and "ahs" that draws the listener in. The first verse talks about the game of hide and seek, a metaphor for a relationship where the person she desires is playing hard to get. The singer counts to ten, but the person keeps hiding from her. She knows the person exists in the world, and she wants to be with them. She pleads with the person, asking them not to leave her alone but to hear her song.
The chorus continues with the metaphor of the game "hide and seek." The singer wonders where or when they will find each other. She is looking for the person, wondering where they are hiding. The second verse describes the loneliness she feels when not in love. She desires to be kissed and hugged and held tight when going to sleep. She can hear the person calling her name, but she cannot locate them. She feels lost and alone without them.
Overall, the song suggests that the challenge of finding love is like a game of hide and seek. The singer is searching for love with someone who is keeping themselves hidden. For her, love is essential, and without it, she feels lost, alone, and incomplete.
Line by Line Meaning
Are you hiding from me
Are you avoiding me intentionally?
Playing a game of hide and seek
Acting like we're playing a childhood game of hide and seek.
I count to ten
I'm waiting for you to hide and I'm counting to ten before starting to find you.
Then you hide again from me
After being found or caught, you disappear again.
Well, I know
I can sense or feel that you're still around.
You're somewhere in this world
You're existing in this vast world somewhere.
And I want to be your girl
I want to be your lover or partner.
So if you hear this song
If you listen to this song, please pay attention to my plea.
Please don't leave me here alone
Don't abandon me here by myself.
Now it's so lonely
Life is dull and depressing when there's no love.
When you're not in love
When you're not in a loving relationship.
Needing to be kissed and hugged
Craving physical affection like kissing and embracing.
And held real tight
Wanting a tight, warm embrace to feel secure.
When you go to sleep at night
When you're about to sleep in bed.
I can hear you
In my imagination or thoughts, I can hear you calling me.
Calling out my name
Saying my name aloud like you're searching for me.
It's such a crazy game
Our love is inexplicable and unpredictable.
I look around
I glance or gaze around hoping to find you.
And you're nowhere to be found
Unfortunately, I didn't find you anywhere.
Playing hide and seek
Our love feels like a game of hide and seek.
Ready or not, here I come
I'm ready to find you whether you hide or not.
Wondering where or when
Questioning how and when we'll meet each other.
Will we find each other
Will we finally meet and begin our love story.
I'm looking for you
I'm endlessly searching for you.
Where are you hiding
Where can I find you? Please reveal yourself.
Why are you hiding from me
Why are you concealing yourself from me?
I need you, baby
I'm longing for you dearly, my darling.
Why are you playing hide and seek
Why are you acting like we're playing a game?
From me, yeah
From me specifically.
Contributed by Jake J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@AldenRDavis
I love Tracie Spencer and her music. I hope and pray that she makes a comeback.
@triviaone1628
She is on her way back. She is now on Instagram. I think FB, too.
@wandareese9726
Me to.
@VelocityXII
She recently had an interview on the Sherri show
@lisal2275
Pure talent no auto tune! Always loved this song ❤
@soulfyrestar
I so agree with you on that!!!! Tracie Spencer and Shanice Wilson are both my fave singers
@minimalistbae1986
This song was too grown for her but it's a beautiful song and she nailed it
@enriquetheprofessor
I don't think it was too grown for her. Consider the title and lyrics, which references the kiddie game "Hide and Seek ". New Edition, another group of child stars, also recorded a different tune with the same title for their 1984 sophomore album. I think Tracie's song is innocent , youthful, and age appropriate. It focuses on young love with the comparison to the game.
@MIAMIviaQUEENSNY
Beautiful song. Just lovely.
@OURTIMEISNOW2009
A Quiet Storm classic. What gave this song its edge was the sax which gave it adult appeal and was most requested on Quiet Storm formats.