Early life
Hunt was born in Dayton, Ohio and raised by his single mother. His father, Van Hunt, Sr., was a factory worker and part-time painter, who was a friend of Ohio Players drummer Jimmy "Diamond" Williams. Hunt took up the drums at age 7, and saxophone at the age of 8, later adding bass and keyboards. Guitar was the last instrument he learned to play; he played guitar in a rock band called Royalty. Hunt moved to Texas for a short time before relocating to Atlanta, Georgia in 1996 to attend Morehouse College, where he studied English, but soon dropped out. In Atlanta, he started producing a few hip-hop demos for Atlanta rappers in order to pay bills. Hunt met up-and-coming record producers and artists like Dallas Austin, Jermaine Dupri and TLC through his work on demos.
Career
Early career
Hunt wrote and co-produced the song "Hopeless" for singer Dionne Farris, formerly of Arrested Development, and joined her band on guitar and keyboards. "Hopeless" appeared on the soundtrack for the film Love Jones (1997). Hunt co-wrote several songs with Rahsaan Patterson on his album Love in Stereo (1999), and co-wrote with Cree Summer, including the song "Mean Sleep", for her album Street Faërie (1999), produced by Lenny Kravitz. He also collaborated with Joi on the single "Missing You" (2002). Through Dionne Farris, Hunt met A&R person Randy Jackson (who later went on to be a judge on Fox's American Idol). Jackson would become Hunt's manager in 2002.
Capitol Records
Hunt recorded much of the material from his debut album in 2000. Producer Dallas Austin took Hunt's recording to Capitol Records, leading him to sign with the label in 2001. Hunt's first album, Van Hunt, was released in February 2004. The album included the singles "Down Here in Hell (With You)", "Dust", and "Seconds of Pleasure", and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance. Hunt's second album, On the Jungle Floor, was released in 2006. The album featured the single, "Character," a revisited "Mean Sleep", as a duet with Nikka Costa, and a cover of "No Sense of Crime" by The Stooges. The album was co-produced by Bill Bottrell. Hunt has toured and appeared with Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys, Boney James, The Roots, Seal, Angie Stone, Coldplay, The Brand New Heavies, the Dave Matthews Band, and Kanye West.
In 2006, Hunt appeared with Nikka Costa on the Sam Moore album, Overnight Sensational, on the song "If I Had No Loot". Hunt was also featured on "Half the Fun", a track on the Count Bass D album, Act Your Waist Size, released on Fat Beats Records.
in 2007, Hunt won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, along with John Legend and Joss Stone, for their cover of the Sly & the Family Stone song, "Family Affair", which appeared on the 2006 tribute album Different Strokes By Different Folks. Hunt described winning the award as "one of the bigger pleasures I've had" to The Athens Blur Magazine in 2009.
Blue Note
Hunt released the 4 track digital EP, The Popular Machine, on August 7, 2007. Hunt announced a full length album, Popular, to be released on Blue Note Records on January 15, 2008. Hunt moved from Atlanta to Los Angeles in 2007 while the album was nearing completion. Blue Note had taken over Hunt’s recording contract after corporate restructuring at Blue Note and Capitol's parent company, EMI. In December 2007, Blue Note announced that they would not be releasing the album, and that Hunt and the label mutually agreed to part ways. Hunt wrote on his MySpace blog in January 2008, that he couldn't promise that Popular would ever be officially released. Blue Note owns the master recordings and opted not to sell it back to him at an affordable price. Hunt commented that he "didn't think that they had enough money" to promote the album properly. LA Weekly called the album an "appealingly trippy fusion of funk grooves, punk guitar and soul vocals", and "a left-field stunner". Hunt told the Atlanta alternative weekly newspaper Creative Loafing that he was "devastated" when the label decided not to release the album.
Independent
As of June 2008, Hunt was recording a fourth album, which he plans to release himself and market using the Internet. Hunt has blogged about his new approach on his MySpace page. Hunt toured the U.S. in July and August 2008. He released Use In Case Of Emergency, a compilation of demos, remixes and B-sides recorded between 1997 and 2005, through his Web site in May 2009. Hunt has also been working on autobiographical book of short stories titled Tales of Friction. In July 2009, Hunt told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he plans to release one more album and tour once more, but doesn't know what his plans are after that. Hunt performed at the National Black Arts Festival's tribute to Curtis Mayfield at Atlanta Symphony Hall on July 16, 2010.
Influences
David Bowie
Serge Gainsbourg
The Isley Brothers
Curtis Mayfield
Thelonious Monk
The Ohio Players
Iggy Pop
Prince
Richard Pryor
Sly Stone
Neil Young
Discography
Albums
Van Hunt (2004), Capitol
On the Jungle Floor (2006), Capitol
Popular (2008) - unreleased studio album
Compilations
Use In Case of Emergency (2009), self-released - collection of outtakes
EPs
Acoustic E.P. (2004), Capitol - digital EP
Napster Sessions (2004), Capitol - digital EP
Connect Set (2006), Capitol - digital EP
The Popular Machine (2007), Blue Note - digital EP
Singles
"Down Here in Hell (With You)" (2004), Capitol
"Dust" (2004), Capitol
"Seconds of Pleasure" (2004), Capitol
"Character" (2006), Capitol
"Being A Girl" (2006), Capitol
Awards and nominations
2005 Grammy Award nomination for Best Urban/Alternative Performance for "Dust."
2006 Grammy Award win for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals for "Family Affair"
The Lowest 1 of My Desires
Van Hunt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Was when you walked by and I undressed
You only with my mind
But still a sign of trouble
The last gasp of greatness
Came when I knew I'd trade everything for this
Throw diamonds at your feet
The lowest 1 of my desires
Is the only one I need
The lowest 1 of my desires
Stays with me until it's pleased
I wanna fuck you, baby
I wanna touch and rub all over you, baby
The dying light in the east
Gives rise to my least
Now all the lines are blurred
You've got all power
The lowest 1 of my desires
Is the only one I need
The lowest 1 of my desires
Stays with me until it's pleased
I wanna fuck you good, baby
I wanna love like we never, ever should, baby
Jump on the ground and wrestle with my shame
Because I don't wanna hide behind anything
Now that I see the subtleties
Ends justify the means in seasons of need
I wanna fuck you, baby
I wanna climb inside and breathe with you, baby
I wanna fuck you, baby
I wanna love like we never, ever should, baby
The lyrics of Van Hunt's "The Lowest 1 of My Desires" express a sense of vulnerability and desperation, as the singer confesses to intense sexual desire for someone who is perhaps unattainable or unavailable. The first stanza implies that the singer has become infatuated with this person simply by seeing them, and is already imagining an intense physical encounter. The second stanza describes the singer's willingness to sacrifice everything for this desire, to grovel at the object of their affection's feet and abandon all other obligations or values.
The chorus's repeated declaration that the lowest desire is the only one that matters highlights the intensity of the singer's craving, and the sense that there is something almost shameful or taboo about it. The explicit language of the third stanza reinforces this, as the singer's desire is framed as both physical and emotional, to "touch and rub all over" and "love like we never should." Despite this, there is also a sense of powerlessness, as the singer acknowledges that they are wrestling with shame and trying to overcome some obstacle that is keeping them from fully embracing their desire.
Overall, the lyrics of "The Lowest 1 of My Desires" convey a complex mix of desire, vulnerability, and shame, suggesting the often-conflicting emotions that can arise in response to intense sexual attraction and the struggle to reconcile those feelings with other aspects of one's identity or values.
Line by Line Meaning
The first sign of weakness
My vulnerability was evident
Was when you walked by and I undressed
I was physically attracted and exposed
You only with my mind
But it was only in my imagination
But still a sign of trouble
This could lead to problems
The last gasp of greatness
My final attempt at something amazing
Came when I knew I'd trade everything for this
I was willing to sacrifice everything for this desire
Throw diamonds at your feet
I would give you precious things
Crawl on my hands and knees
I would humiliate myself to please you
The lowest 1 of my desires
My most base desire
Is the only one I need
It's the only thing that satisfies me
Stays with me until it's pleased
It consumes me until it's fulfilled
I wanna fuck you, baby
I want to have sex with you
I wanna touch and rub all over you, baby
I want to caress your body
The dying light in the east
The fading sun on the horizon
Gives rise to my least
It brings out my lowest desires
Now all the lines are blurred
Everything is unclear
You've got all power
You completely control me
Jump on the ground and wrestle with my shame
I want to confront my embarrassment
Because I don't wanna hide behind anything
I don't want to be ashamed anymore
Now that I see the subtleties
I understand the nuances of the situation
Ends justify the means in seasons of need
I am willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill my desire
I wanna climb inside and breathe with you, baby
I want to be intimate with you in every way possible
I wanna love like we never, ever should, baby
I want to experience an intense love forbidden by society
Contributed by Kaylee I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Pirate7X
One of the best ode's to carnal pleasures ever made.
BlackAmericanLesbian Professional
I love this shit!!!! Van Hunt, I need to see him in concert for sure. Thanks for posting! :)
Nynee Gardner
Tara G Yes you do!! I saw him open for The Brand New Heavies in Philly. They both put on an amazing show! AND I met the BNH...killer cats!
Damien Jones
I have the unreleased album Popular. it's the shit... love this song...
elunico Dino
This song is awesome... Classic.
Sage Advice
Hidden gem love this song
ttlove92
Buy this album!
Tyris Traylor
Da modern day mixtures of Prince/Smokey Robinson/Rick James... 💪
K
Absolutely!
PurpleSky
!!! 😍