Initially Farrington and Mann were in the locally active, Manchester, England-based group Beau Leisure. Farrington and Mann then went on to form When in Rome at the same time that Mann re-located to London from his Manchester home. Mann tirelessly traded the group's demo of "The Promise", an emotional love song mixing smooth pop with electronic music, along with other tracks around the entire A&R Departments of all the major labels. Eventually, A&R man Simon Potts of Electra signed them to an undisclosed deal. Simply Red were signed to Electra at around the same time, oddly enough. However, internal corporate politics caused Electra to close their London offices. Unable to deal with the time difference between the U.K. and the U.S. when dealing with Electra then, When in Rome decided to change labels, and the group were signed almost instantly to Virgin U.K. subsidiary 10 Records by A&R guru Mick Clark.
Producer Ben Rogan (who had worked with Sade) and Richard Burgess (associated with Five Star and Living In a Box) took special interest in the trio's "The Promise," issued first as a 12" dance disk. When the song became popular hitting the top of Billboard's Dance Club Play chart, Virgin ordered an album. "The Promise," remixed, was the first single from their self-titled debut album. It was an instant success, barely missing the Top Ten in the United States and peaking at #11. Months later, the trio reached Billboard's pop chart's lower reaches with "Heaven Knows", a 1990 single that hit #95 and garnered some underground fame.
Finding themselves dogged with the 'one-hit-wonder' tag (although the success of their eponymous debut as a whole made them more of a 'one-album-wonder'), the group faced internal tension and soon broke up. Michael Floreale in particular tried his hand at making material such as commercial jingles. Floreale, taking in musicians Rob Juarez and John Ceravolo, has written and performed as When in Rome since 2005; his outfit has performed alongside artists such as Devo and The Psychedelic Furs in the U.S. Although having spent much time out of the music business, Clive Farrington and Andrew Mann went back to writing and performing as When In Rome since 2008. A reunion of the original line-up has been ruled out by Floreale, and the division between the two outfits has caused legal issues, with them sometimes labeled as 'When In Rome US' versus 'When In Rome UK'.
Promise
When In Rome Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't look to a stranger
You know in the end
I'll always be there
But when you're in doubt
And when you're in danger
Take a look all around
I'm sorry, but I'm just thinking of the right words to say (I promise you)
I know they don't sound the way I planned them to be (I promise you)
But if you'll wait around awhile, I'll make you fall for me (I promise you)
I promise, I promise you I will
When your day is through
And so is your temper
You know what to do
I'm gonna always be there
Sometimes if I shout
It's not what's intended
These words just come out
With no cross to bear
I'm sorry, but I'm just thinking of the right words to say (I promise you)
I know they don't sound the way I planned them to be (I promise you)
But if you'll wait around awhile, I'll make you fall for me (I promise you)
I promise, I promise you
I'm sorry, but I'm just thinking of the right words to say (I promise you)
I know they don't sound the way I planned them to be (I promise you)
And if I had to walk the world, I'd make you fall for me
I promise you, I promise you I will
I gotta tell you
Need to tell you
Got to tell you
I've got to tell you
I'm sorry, but I'm just thinking of the right words to say (I promise you)
I know they don't sound the way I planned them to be (I promise you)
But if you'll wait around awhile, I'll make you fall for me (I promise you)
I promise, I promise you
I'm sorry, but I'm just thinking of the right words to say (I promise you)
I know they don't sound the way I planned them to be (I promise you)
And if I had to walk the world, I'd make you fall for me
I promise you, I promise you I will
I will
I will
The song "The Promise" by the new wave band When In Rome is a sentimental ballad that speaks to the idea of a loyal and steadfast romantic love. The lyrics are spoken from the perspective of someone who is reassuring their partner that they will always be there for them no matter what, whether they are in distress or simply need some emotional support. The repeated line, "I promise you," reinforces this pledge of unwavering commitment.
The first verse begins by emphasizing that the singer is someone familiar and intimate to their partner - not a stranger - and that even if things get tough, they will always be present for them. The second verse acknowledges that sometimes the singer's emotions may get the best of them, causing them to shout or deliver their words poorly. However, they reassure their partner that despite such moments, they will always be true to their promise.
The chorus repeats the line "I promise you" three times in succession as the singer promises to make their partner fall in love with them. The last verse doubles down on this sentiment, with the singer declaring that even if they had to traverse the entire world, they would make their partner fall for them. In the end, the song's message is one of loyalty, devotion, and dedication in the context of a loving relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
If you need a friend
If you ever find yourself in need of a friend
Don't look to a stranger
Don't rely on someone you don't know
You know in the end
Ultimately
I'll always be there
I'll be there for you
But when you're in doubt
But if you ever feel unsure
And when you're in danger
And if you ever find yourself in a dangerous situation
Take a look all around
Look around you
And I'll be there
And you'll find that I'm always there with you
I'm sorry, but I'm just thinking of the right words to say (I promise you)
I'm sorry if my words aren't perfect, but I really mean what I'm saying
I know they don't sound the way I planned them to be (I promise you)
I realize that my words may not come out exactly as I intended
But if you'll wait around awhile, I'll make you fall for me (I promise you)
But if you'll give me a chance, I'll win you over
I promise, I promise you I will
I promise to do everything in my power to make you happy
When your day is through
When your day has ended
And so is your temper
And if you're feeling upset or angry
You know what to do
You know what actions to take next
I'm gonna always be there
I'll always be there to support you
Sometimes if I shout
Sometimes I may raise my voice
It's not what's intended
It's not my intention
These words just come out
Sometimes these words just slip out
With no cross to bear
Without any burden or responsibility
I gotta tell you
I have to tell you
Need to tell you
It's important for me to tell you
Got to tell you
I really need to tell you
And if I had to walk the world, I'd make you fall for me
I'd go to the ends of the Earth to make you fall for me
I promise you, I promise you I will
I really, truly promise you that I'll do whatever it takes to win your heart
I will
I'm determined to make you fall in love with me
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Andrew Mann, Clive Farrington, Michael Floreale
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Thorsten-Tom-Martin
[LYRICS/Verse 1]
If you need a friend
Don't look to a stranger
You know in the end, I'll always be there
But when you're in doubt
And when you're in danger
Take a look all around, and I'll be there
[Chorus]
I'm sorry, but I'm just thinking of the right words to say (I promise)
I know they don't sound the way I planned them to be (promise)
But if you wait around a while, I'll make you fall for me
I promise, I promise you I will
[Verse 2]
When your day is through
And so is your temper
You know what to do
I'm gonna always be there
Sometimes if I shout
It's not what's intended
These words just come out
With no cross to bear
[Chorus]
I'm sorry, but I'm just thinking of the right words to say (I promise)
I know they don't sound the way I planned them to be (promise)
But if you wait around a while, I'll make you fall for me
I promise, I promise you
I'm sorry, but I'm just thinking of the right words to say (I promise)
I know they don't sound the way I planned them to be (promise)
And if I had to walk the world, I'd make you fall for me
I promise you, I promise you I will
[Bridge]
I gotta tell you
Need to tell you
Gotta tell you
I've gotta tell you
[Chorus]
I'm sorry, but I'm just thinking of the right words to say (I promise)
I know they don't sound the way I planned them to be (promise)
But if you wait around a while, I'll make you fall for me (I promise)
I promise, I promise you
I'm sorry, but I'm just thinking of the right words to say (I promise)
I know they don't sound the way I planned them to be (promise)
And if I had to walk the world, I'd make you fall for me
I promise you, I promise you I will
I will
I will......
@gewhite3
Who's still listening to this awesome classic in 2024?
@Chris-om8si
I sure am ❤❤😊
@dinorcirochadossantos2290
Essa ta na playlist do refúgio. Onde encontro paz ou respiro findo pra continuar
@briant4293
Brian is!
@johnthomas-vy3th
Another masterpiece from way back when
@jrmetmoi
Me
@gengen6072
Moment of silence for people who never find this song 😔
@christabelle3758
Haaaaa ohh lololol, you made me laugh @Gen gen!!!! Haaaa... i know right?! 😝😁☺️
@pinku708
I just found out about it now.
@christabelle3758
@@pinku708 😀☺️👍🏼🤗