Usher Raymond IV (born October 14, 1978 in Chattanooga, Tennessee), known s… Read Full Bio ↴Usher Raymond IV (born October 14, 1978 in Chattanooga, Tennessee), known simply as Usher, is a Grammy Award winning American R&B singer-songwriter, producer and actor. He rose to fame in the late 90s, releasing the multi-platinum albums My Way and 8701. His success continued with the release of his 2004 album, Confessions, which has sold over 20 million copies worldwide, and earned Usher four American Music Awards and eight Grammy nominations. To date, he has sold approximately 40 million albums worldwide and has won five Grammy Awards. He released his debut album in 1994 and has since released 1997's My Way, 2001's 8701, 2004's Confessions and 2008's Here I Stand. His sixth studio album, Raymond v. Raymond, was released March 2010.

In 1990 Usher joined an R&B local quintet called the NuBeginnings, which was organized by local music svengali, Darryl Wheeler and then he decided to pursue a career in music. Aside from recording, Usher has ventured into business. He has established his own record label, US Records, and is a part owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers franchise. He has also dabbled in acting, with a recurring role on the teen sitcom Moesha, and roles in the films The Faculty (1998, with Josh Harnett) She's All That (1999, with Freddie Prinze, Jr.) and Texas Rangers (2001, with Ashton Kutcher).

Don't Be Cruel
Usher Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Girl, the only thing that matters in my life
Is that I'm there for you and treat you right
You got no right to treat me cold as ice

[Bridge]
Oh, Oh, Oh, girl
As long as I been givin' my love to you
You should be givin' me your love too, Oh

But you just keep on acting just like a fool
You know it ain't cool

[Chorus]
Don't be cruel
'Cause I would never be that cruel to you.
Ah no, oh, oh-oh
Ah don't be cruel
'Cause girl you need to change your attitude
Ah, no, oh, oh-oh
Don't be cruel.

Man we used to hang out tough
Just hanging around
Just a true love affair that could never be found
I gave you my heart and I gave you my mind

But a true love affair we could never find
I tell all the time that I want you Jackie
I want you more than human eyes could see
Now you know my name
Now you know the game

You want to be with me you gotta be the same
Way that another girl would be
And if you want to be with me.
Girl I work so hard for you from nine to five

So that can buy you all the finer things in life
You got no right to treat me cold as ice.

Overall Meaning

In Usher's song "Don't Be Cruel", the singer expresses his frustration and disappointment with his partner's behavior towards him. He tells her that the only thing that matters to him is treating her right and being there for her, but she is treating him "cold as ice". Usher implies that he has been giving his love to her for a long time and expects her to reciprocate it. He asks her not to be cruel to him because he would never be that cruel to her. Usher wants her to change her attitude towards him and treat him with the respect and love he deserves.

Line by Line Meaning

Girl, the only thing that matters in my life
You are the most important thing in my life.

Is that I'm there for you and treat you right
I always want to be there for you and treat you well.

You got no right to treat me cold as ice
It's unfair for you to be so distant and uncommunicative.

Oh, Oh, Oh, girl
Expressing distress and sadness.

As long as I been givin' my love to you
I've been giving you my love for a long time now.

You should be givin' me your love too, Oh
It's time for you to reciprocate my love.

But you just keep on acting just like a fool
Your behavior is foolish and immature.

You know it ain't cool
This behavior is unacceptable.

Don't be cruel
Please don't treat me poorly.

'Cause I would never be that cruel to you.
I would never want to hurt you like that.

Ah don't be cruel
I'm asking you again not to treat me poorly.

'Cause girl you need to change your attitude
Your behavior needs to change.

Ah, no, oh, oh-oh
Expressing hopelessness and sadness.

Man we used to hang out tough
We used to spend a lot of time together.

Just hanging around
We would often just spend time together with no particular activity in mind.

Just a true love affair that could never be found
We had a real connection that was hard to find.

I gave you my heart and I gave you my mind
I've given you all of myself.

But a true love affair we could never find
Despite our connection, we couldn't make it work as a romantic couple.

I tell all the time that I want you Jackie
I'm always letting you know how much I want you.

I want you more than human eyes could see
My desire for you is intense and deep.

Now you know my name
You know who I am as a person.

Now you know the game
You understand what I expect from you.

You want to be with me you gotta be the same
If you want to be in a relationship with me, you have to reciprocate my feelings.

Way that another girl would be
Like any other girl who's interested in me.

And if you want to be with me.
If you're serious about being in a relationship with me.

Girl I work so hard for you from nine to five
I work hard to make a good life for us.

So that can buy you all the finer things in life
I want to provide you with a comfortable lifestyle.

You got no right to treat me cold as ice.
You shouldn't act cold and distant towards me after all I do for you.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANTONIO REID, DARYL SIMMONS, KENNETH BABYFACE EDMONDS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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