Born and raised in Washington, DC, YahZarah started singing at the age of 7 in her church choir. Her love for performance began after winning a youth talent search at the Kennedy Center at age 10. After years of honing her talent in churches, talent shows and local concerts, she entered high school at DC’s prestigious Duke Ellington School of the Arts. Upon graduation in 1997, she was accepted to North Carolina Central University in Durham on a full scholarship to the school’s jazz program.
In 1998, she left NC Central and began touring as a background singer for Erykah Badu. While touring, YahZarah contributed background vocals and vocal arrangements to Badu’s platinum-selling “Mama’s Gun” LP, and was featured in the video for the album’s lead single, ‘Bag Lady.’ In 2001, she left the Mama’s Gun tour and released her debut album “Hear Me” on the KEO Music label. A follow up LP, 2003’s “Blackstar,” was issued on the Three Keys label and reached #44 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart.
2004 found YahZarah reuniting with longtime collaborator and fellow NC Central classmate Phonte Coleman (Little Brother, The Foreign Exchange) for a series of crucial guest appearances. With the release of The Foreign Exchange’s debut album “Connected,” YahZarah was featured on the lead single “Sincere.” The following year she appeared on Little Brother’s “Minstrel Show” LP (Atlantic Records), and was featured on the debut single “Lovin It.” She later contributed two vocal performances to The Foreign Exchange’s GRAMMY-nominated “Leave It All Behind” LP in 2008. That same year, she released an EP of new material entitled “The Prelude.” To support the EP, she toured nationally and internationally with artists such as Chaka Khan, Musiq Soulchild, The Roots, Rahsaan Patterson, and R. Kelly.
YahZarah’s latest album “The Ballad Of Purple Saint James,” is scheduled for release in May 2010 on the Foreign Exchange Music label.
Have a Heart
Yahzarah Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The cold spot in my bed
Already tells a story about it clear
Feels like my heart (on a merry-go-round)
Loving and loving and leaving all over again
Not even sure if I can't pretend
That I've got my self-respect, what's left of it, he-ey
But I'm not as cold as I thought, oh
Try to deny all those feelings inside me
I'm sorry I still have a heart, oh
Ooooh, oooh, ooh, so there you are and here I am
One woman and one man laying here, trying to understand
How can love grow or have truths and rendezvous', yeahh
If she found out about us two, that be so much to lose
So I would play the substitute, so you won't have to choose
I hate you now trying to leave and we make love and hardly in denial
That you leave her and it's sweeter than the truth
I learned...
I learned to rely on my instinct to guide me
But I'm not as cold as I thought, oh (Ohhh)
(But I'm not a co-o-o-o-old as I thought)
Try to deny (yeahh) all those feelings inside me (I learned to rely)
I'm sorry I still (But I'm sorry I have a) have a heart (Sorry I have a),
Oh (Sorry I have a heart)
I learned to rely (oh, oh, ohhh) on my instinct to guide me (Ohh yeahh)
But I'm not as cold (But I'm not as cold) as I thought, oh
(Cold as I thought)
Try to deny (yeahhh) all those feelings inside me (Ooooh, oooh...)
I'm sorry I still (Sorry I have) have a heart, oh (Ooh, I still have)
[Guitar solo]
Ohhh, ohhh... Ohh ahh
I didn't mean to love you, baby, heh-eh
And would it make you go crazy, he-ehhh ahh
And you know I need you, baby, ooo-oo-oo-oooh
Ooo-oo-oo-oooh ehhh babe, he-ey aahhh ohhh aahh
Oh hey, hey yea-ea-ea-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee... Yeahh, ahh
Out of condition, out the spot stains from my drawer
Oh baby, oh baby
The lyrics of Yahzarah's song Have a Heart describe a woman who is trying to cope with her emotions after falling in love with a man who is already with someone else. The singer admits to her vulnerability and confesses that she is not as cold as she thought and still has a heart. Despite the struggles and the fear of losing everything, she cannot help but love him. She tries to be the substitute, so the man won't have to choose between her and his current partner. The song paints a complicated picture of love, temptation, and the consequences of actions.
The lyrics are well-crafted, with vivid imagery that captures the emotions and desires of the singer. The song's metaphors are powerful, like the cold spot in the bed, which symbolizes the distance and loneliness she feels. The line, "Feels like my heart, on a merry-go-round, loving and loving and leaving all over again," illustrates the contradictory nature of the singer's emotions. The song's guitar solo evokes a melancholy mood that adds to the overall feeling of heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
What can I say that hasn't already been said
I have nothing new to offer to this situation
The cold spot in my bed
The emptiness in my bed represents our physical disconnect
Already tells a story about it clear
Our absence and lack of warmth implies the truth about our relationship
Feels like my heart (on a merry-go-round)
My heart is in constant motion, unsure of where it should land
Loving and loving and leaving all over again
We are trapped in a cycle of loving and hurting each other
Not even sure if I can't pretend
I don't even know if I'm capable of pretending anymore
That I've got my self-respect, what's left of it, he-ey
I don't even have enough self-respect left to hold on to
I learned to rely on my instinct to guide me
I've learned to trust my gut feelings
But I'm not as cold as I thought, oh
I'm more emotional than I thought I could be
Try to deny all those feelings inside me
I try to ignore my feelings for you
I'm sorry I still have a heart, oh
I'm sorry I can't turn off my heart and feelings for you
So there you are and here I am
We find ourselves in this complicated situation
One woman and one man laying here, trying to understand
We're two people trying to make sense of our feelings for each other
How can love grow or have truths and rendezvous', yeahh
We question if our love is feasible and if it can survive
If she found out about us two, that be so much to lose
We know the risks involved if our secret gets out
So I would play the substitute, so you won't have to choose
I'm willing to stay hidden and be your substitute to avoid you having to make a tough decision
I hate you now trying to leave and we make love and hardly in denial
I have love and hate for you and we try to deceive ourselves during intimacy
That you leave her and it's sweeter than the truth
The idea of you leaving her is more appealing than the reality of us being together
Ohhh, ohhh... Ohh ahh
Vocalizations showing emotions and passion
I didn't mean to love you, baby, heh-eh
My feelings for you were unexpected and unintended
And would it make you go crazy, he-ehhh ahh
I wonder if my love for you would make you go crazy
And you know I need you, baby, ooo-oo-oo-oooh
I can't deny my need for you
Out of condition, out the spot stains from my drawer
Attempting to rid myself of any physical evidence of our relationship
Oh baby, oh baby
Words of affection
Contributed by David N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
rtoriq
YahZaRah's got a way with words: "i've learned to rely on my instincts to guide me/but i'm not cold as i thought/tried to deny all these feelings inside me/but sorry i still have a heart". And the production of this track is just YES!!
jnorwood6027
LOVE this right HERE... Definitely has an Isley Brothers feel with the guitar riffin'!!!
Craig McFadden
Wonderful !
ChiGuy251
Love the guitar riff at the beginning
Mz Nurú
This song always puts me in a zone...YahZarah please come to the ATL. Oh yeah! We gonna pack the place because we love you girl! Keepin' soul music alive one rarely talented artist at a time. ;-)
Waldron Kelly
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(Coleman/McDonald/YahZarah)
What can I say that hasn't already been said
The cold spot in my bed
Already tells a story about it clear
Feels like my heart (on a merry-go-round)
Loving and loving and leaving all over again
Not even sure if I can't pretend
That I've got my self-respect, what's left of it, he-ey
I learned to rely on my instinct to guide me
But I'm not as cold as I thought, oh
Try to deny all those feelings inside me
I'm sorry I still have a heart, oh
Ooooh, oooh, ooh, so there you are and here I am
One woman and one man laying here, trying to understand
How can love grow or have truths and rendezvous', yeahh
If she found out about us two, that be so much to lose
So I would play the substitute, so you won't have to choose
I hate you now trying to leave and we make love and hardly in denial
That you leave her and it's sweeter than the truth
I learned...
I learned to rely on my instinct to guide me
But I'm not as cold as I thought, oh (Ohhhh)
(But I'm not a co-o-o-o-old as I thought)
Try to deny (yeahh) all those feelings inside me (I learned to rely)
I'm sorry I still (But I'm sorry I have a) have a heart (Sorry I have a),
Oh (Sorry I have a heart)
I learned to rely (oh, oh, ohhh) on my instinct to guide me (Ohh yeahh)
But I'm not as cold (But I'm not as cold) as I thought, oh
(Cold as I thought)
Try to deny (yeahhh) all those feelings inside me (Ooooh, ooooh...)
I'm sorry I still (Sorry I have) have a heart, oh (Ooh, I still have)
[guitar solo]
Ohhh, ohhhh... ohh ahh
I didn't mean to love you, baby, heh-eh
And would it make you go crazy, he-ehhh ahh
And you know I need you, baby, ooo-oo-oo-ooooh
Ooo-oo-oo-oooooh ehhh babe, he-ey aahhh ohhhh aahh
Oh hey, hey yea-ea-ea-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee.. yeahh, ahh
Out of condition, out the spot stains from my drawer
Oh baby, oh baby
This song i
Andrew Gorny
what a melody
soulfyrestar
Hotness!!! Very mellow & on point.
Sean Thomas
I've learned to rely on my instincts to guide me, but I'm not as cold as I thought.
Ressurrection
this song is hot.