Tweet's first steps into a career in the music industry first began when she enrolled in her local Performing Arts School. In 1990, at the age of 19, Tweet gave birth to her daughter Tashawna. The name came from a mixture of both parents name "T" from Tweet and "shawn" from Shawn, and the addition of two "a"s.
In the early nineties Tweet joined the female quintet Sugah, leaving her daughter with her parents in Panama City, Florida, while Tweet relocated to Virginia. Sugah was comprised of Tweet, Susan Weems, and Rolita and was a part of Devante Swing's Swing Mob collective. While there, she met Timbaland, Magoo, Missy Elliott (who at the time was a part of the Hip-Hop/R&B group Sista), Playa, and Ginuwine who were also all apart of the Swing Mob collective. During her time with Sugah, Tweet formed a close friendship with Elliott.
Around 1999 with Sugah going nowhere, no album to show, and many broken promises, Tweet returned to her parents' home in Panama City penniless and depressed. Tweet fell into deeper depression after a string of bad relationships and a number of jobs, all the while hiding her depression from her family. The depression got so bad she had planned to commit suicide. The day before she was to go through with her fateful decision she received a phone call from an old friend. That friend was Missy Elliott. She was calling to ask if Tweet would contribute background vocals on her latest album Miss E ...So Addictive. Tweet felt she could tell Elliott about her situation and what she was going through. To this day she calls Elliott her "Guardian Angel".
In 2000 Tweet began recording vocals for Elliott's album and was also reunited with her old friends from the Swing Mob days, Timbaland, Magoo, Playa, and Ginuwine. She also recorded vocals for Timbaland & Magoo's follow-up to their platinum selling 1997 debut album Welcome To Our World and Timbaland's solo album Tim's Bio: Life From Da Bassment. In 2001 Elliott released her Platinum selling third album Miss E ...So Addictive with Tweet contributing vocals to five tracks. 2001 also the release of Ja Rule's Pain Is Love, Beat Club Records Bubba Sparxxx's Dark Days, Bright Days, Petey Pablo's Diary Of A Sinner: 1st Entry and Timbaland & Magoo's Indecent Proposal, all of which Tweet contributes vocals. Meanwhile, Tweet was signed to Elliott's record label, through Elektra Entertainment Group, The Goldmind Inc. with the help of an impromptu performance of "Motel" for Violator Management's Mona Scott. Not only was she signed to The Goldmind Inc. but also to Violator Management. With this Tweet began recording her debut album. In November of 2001, Tweet made her debut on the single's charts as a feature artist along with Ginuwine on Elliott's "Take Away", a tribute to Elliott's late friend Aaliyah. Timbaland & Magoo's "All Y'all" featuring Sebastian (Timbaland's younger brother) followed.
n March 2002, Tweet flew onto the charts with her debut solo single "Oops (Oh My)", a risquƩ song about self-loving and masturbation. The song was produced by Timbaland and featured guest vocals by Missy Elliott. The single hit #1 on the R&B Charts and #7 on the US Pop Charts, with the help of a Remix featuring Fabolous.
In April, Tweet released her debut album Southern Hummingbird to rave reviews. The album featured production by Craig Brockman, Nisan Stewart, guitarist John "Jubu" Smith, Timbaland (who contributed four tracks) and Tweet herself. It also featured guest vocals by Elliott "Oops (Oh My)", Bilal "Best Friend", BeatClub Record's Ms. Jade "Sexual Healing (Oops Pt. 2)" and featured a bonus new track from Elliott "Big Spender". The album was filled with soul stirring vocals and lyrics taken from Tweet's own life experiences, some of which were at the time written on napkins. The album spwanned another two singles, Timbaland produced "Call Me" and the radio single "Smoking Cigarettes", which had a video shot for it and directed by Little X but was never released. The album reached #3 on the Billboard album charts, behind Murder Inc.'s Ashanti self-titled debut album. That year Tweet appeared as a guest vocalist on Trina's second single from her hit album Diamond Princess. The song was called "No Panties" and was written and produced by Missy Elliott and Nisan Stewart. Tweet also appeared on Meshell Ndegeocello's Cookie: The Anthropological Mixtape, Karen Clark Sheard's 2nd Chance, Ms. Jade's Girl Interrupted, Whitney Houston's Just Whitney... and Elliott's 2x Platinum selling album Under Construction. Tweet appeared on four of the tracks and also made a cameo performance in both videos released from the album, "Work It" and "Gossip Folks". Tweet was nominated for a Soul Train Lady of Soul Award (among others) for Best New Artist but lost out to her rival Ashanti. But that year Tweet was awarded the Key To The City for Rochester, New York. Along with Missy Elliott, Lil' Kim, DMX, Toni Braxton, Queen Latifah, Ananda Lewis, Playa, Jamie Foxx, Lil' Mo, AJ, Free (among others), Tweet appeared in the late Aaliyah's posthumous hit single "Miss You".
With 2003 came more guest vocals appearances, Madonna's American Life The Remixes Single, Monica's After The Storm, Mark Ronson's Here Comes The Fuzz and Angie Stone's Stone Love on the 2004 Grammy nominated song "U-Haul". Tweet turned to acting, having a cameo appearance in the film Honey, directed by music video director Billie Woodruff and starring Jessica Alba, Mekhi Phifer, Lil' Romeo, Joy Bryant and Missy Elliott. Tweet's other acting credits include an episode of the comedy series The Parkers in 2002, in which she performed "Oops (Oh My)" and "Smoking Cigarettes". Tweet also appeared on the Honey Soundtrack on the Missy Elliott produced "Thugman" which sample's The Wu-Tang Clan's "Y'all Been Warned". Tweet also performed the Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins produced track "Hypnotic" in the film, but it doesn't feature on the soundtrack.
Tweet's third studio album, "Love, Tweet" has had several delays. As of late Summer 2010, Tweet was currently heading to L.A to finish recording the album as confirmed via Twitter on September 14, 2010 also the album may be double disk. The albums' lead single is "Love Again." The album is said to be complete. No official release date is known at this time.
Turn Da Lights Off
Tweet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Whoop! Camay we gon take back like polka dots holla
Wicked!
Boy, want you put the needle on the record (Turn Da Lights Off)
And lets get closer then closer then most (Turn Da Lights Off)
I think we can get to know each other better if we (Turn Da Lights Off)
And lets grab a glass lets make a toast wit me (Turn Da Lights Off)
You and I in the room so dark
Hold me tight all night lights off
Kiss me everywhere I can never dream boy
It's like heaven, heaven (when we yeah) yeah
You gotta put the needle back on the record (Turn Da Lights Off)
Then lets get closer then closer then most (Turn Da Lights Off)
I think we can get to know each other better if we (Turn Da Lights Off)
And lets grab a glass and lets make a toast (Turn Da Lights Off)
Here we are you and me just us two yeah, yeah
I'm feelin high so high when I'm round you yeah
Don't hold back let it go show me how you feel yeahah
Ride all night all night like a want it you gotta put
You gotta put the needle back on the record (Turn Da Lights Off)
Then lets get closer then closer then most (Turn Da Lights Off)
I think we can get to know each other better if we (Turn Da Lights Off)
And lets grab a glass and lets make a toast (Turn Da Lights Off)
Hit the switch to the lights to night make it right like a first class flight
We igniting like smoking a pipe turn it up like we rockin the mic
You get me hyper feel horny and trife so polite you might make me your wife
I ain't right the way I'm livin my life see how I I'm when you turn off the lights
I gotta Jones all down in my bones I got a little twitch fame in my spin
And if I let you go feel on me you gon have to play this one more time.
You gotta put the needle back on the record (Turn Da Lights Off)
Then lets get closer then closer then most (Turn Da Lights Off)
I think we can get to know each other better if we (Turn Da Lights Off)
And lets grab a glass and lets make a toast (Turn Da Lights Off)
You gotta put the needle back on the record (Turn Da Lights Off)
Then lets get closer then closer then most (Turn Da Lights Off)
I think we can get to know each other better if we (Turn Da Lights Off)
And lets grab a glass and lets make a toast (Turn Da Lights Off)
The song "Turn Da Lights Off" by Tweet is about getting intimate with someone and exploring their body. The song starts off acknowledging the person who owns the singer has been good to them. The opening lines are euphoric and suggest that the person who owns the singer has been so good to them that they feel like the world is theirs. The next line "Whoop! Camay we gon take back like polka dots holla Wicked!" is a reference to the beauty soap Camay being used by women to feel clean and beautiful. It suggests that they are about to take control of the situation and it's going to be "wicked" and full of pleasure.
The chorus instructs the listener to turn off the lights and put the needle on the record so that they can get closer and know each other better. The room is described as dark except for the lights of passion. The verse then goes on to explore the physical relationship between the two where they hold each other tight, kiss everywhere and the singer feels like they are in heaven. The song reaches its climax when the switch is hit to the lights and the two enter a heightened state of passion that makes the singer want to go on all night. The song ends with the chorus repeating its instructions to turn off the lights and put the needle on the record so that they can get to know each other better.
Overall, "Turn Da Lights Off" is a sensual and seductive song that uses lighting and music to heighten the intimacy between two people.
Line by Line Meaning
All that own you been so good to me (You stupid for this) if this world were mine
I appreciate everything you have done for me, even if it seems foolish, and if I had the power, I would repay you with the whole world.
Whoop! Camay we gon take back like polka dots holla
Let's celebrate and have a good time together.
Wicked!
Awesome!
Boy, want you put the needle on the record (Turn Da Lights Off)
I want you to play some music and create a romantic atmosphere.
And lets get closer then closer then most (Turn Da Lights Off)
Let's physically move closer and become more intimate.
I think we can get to know each other better if we (Turn Da Lights Off)
Turning off the lights may help us feel more comfortable and open to getting to know each other on a deeper level.
And lets grab a glass lets make a toast wit me (Turn Da Lights Off)
Let's raise a glass and celebrate our connection.
You and I in the room so dark
We are alone together in a room with no light.
Hold me tight all night lights off
Please hold me tightly all night in the dark.
Kiss me everywhere I can never dream boy
Kiss me all over in ways I never thought possible.
It's like heaven, heaven (when we yeah) yeah
Being close to you like this feels like heaven to me.
Hit the switch to the lights to night make it right like a first class flight
Let's turn off the lights and make this moment feel special.
We igniting like smoking a pipe turn it up like we rockin the mic
Our closeness and passion is like sparks igniting a flame, and we are turning up the intensity like we're performing on stage.
You get me hyper feel horny and trife so polite you might make me your wife
Being with you is making me feel excited and aroused, and you are so sweet and charming that I might even consider marrying you.
I ain't right the way I'm livin my life see how I I'm when you turn off the lights
My life may not be perfect, but when I am with you in the dark, I feel completely alive and happy.
I gotta Jones all down in my bones I got a little twitch fame in my spin
I have this undeniable urge to be physically close to you, and it's electrifying me.
And if I let you go feel on me you gon have to play this one more time.
If we become intimate, it's going to be so amazing that we'll have to do it again.
Lyrics Ā© MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Eddie De Lange, Melissa A Elliott, Marvin P Gaye, Emil Newman, Herbert W Spencer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind