They released the follow up album Saturday Night in 1997. The release featured the hit single "Request Line." A remix with different lyrics and raps by Queen Latifah followed.
Given a high-profile spot on the all-star compilation Roll Wit tha Flava as their first recording opportunity, Zhané lived up to the pressure and came away with one of the hip-hop party anthems of all time, "Hey, Mr. DJ." Jean Norris and Renee Neufville initially met while both were studying music at Philadelphia's Temple University (Norris is originally from Rhode Island, Neufville from Jamaica). After meeting Naughty by Nature member Kay Gee, Zhané impressed the producer enough to go right into the studio to record for Roll Wit tha Flava. When "Hey, Mr. DJ" was released as a separate single as well, it hit number six on the pop charts and earned the group a contract with Motown in 1994. Their debut album, Pronounced Jah-Nay, produced two further Top 40 hits ("Groove Thang," "Sending My Love") and went gold by the end of the year. Zhané kept busy during 1995-1996 with spots on tracks by Busta Rhymes and De La Soul as well as new songs of their own on the NFL Jams and NBA 50th Anniversary compilations and the soundtracks to Higher Learning and A Low Down Dirty Shame -- the latter, "Shame," became their fourth Top 40 hit. Norris and Neufville returned with a new LP in 1997, co-produced by Kay Gee, Eddie F., and themselves. It peaked just outside the Top 40.
Confusion
Zhané Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm so afraid, afraid with hate
My minds a shambles, I don't know where
I'm coming or going or if I care
Tell me what I'm feeling
Conditions being won
Problems we've been facing
Confusion, confusion
Drown you sorrow, it'll ease the pain
Confusion, confusion
Don't need to understand what you can't explain
My minds a shambles, I can't get straight
I'm so afraid, afraid with hate
My minds a shambles, I don't know where
I'm coming or going or if I care
Tell me what I'm feeling
Conditions being won
Problems we've been facing
The days when we were young
Confusion, confusion
Drown you sorrow, it'll ease the pain
Confusion, confusion
Don't need to understand what you can't explain
I'm so confused, I'm so confused
I'm so confused, I'm so confused
I'm so confused, leave me alone
I'm so confused, leave me alone
I'm so confused, leave me alone
I can't take it no more
I'm so confused, leave me alone
I'm so confused, leave me alone
I'm so confused, leave me alone
I can't take it no more
I'm so confused, leave me alone
I'm so confused, leave me alone
I'm so confused, leave me alone
I can't take it no more
I'm so confused, leave me alone
I'm so confused, leave me alone
I'm so confused, leave me alone
I can't take it no more
In Zhané's song "Confusion," the lyrics describe the singer's inner turmoil and lack of clarity in their thoughts and emotions. They express feeling like their mind is a mess and that they are afraid and filled with hate. The repetition of the line "my mind's a shambles" creates a powerful sense of confusion and disorientation. The singer is seeking answers and understanding, asking someone to tell them what they are feeling and reflecting on past problems and challenges they faced when they were younger.
The chorus, "confusion, confusion, drown your sorrow, it'll ease the pain," suggests that the singer is trying to find a way to cope with their confusion and distress, perhaps by drowning it in alcohol or other substances. The final lines of the song, where the singer repeats "I'm so confused, leave me alone, I can't take it no more," express a sense of desperation and hopelessness, as though they have reached their breaking point.
Line by Line Meaning
My minds a shambles, I can't get straight
My thoughts are disorganized and confusing, I cannot think clearly
I'm so afraid, afraid with hate
I am scared and full of anger
My minds a shambles, I don't know where
I'm coming or going or if I care
My thoughts are so jumbled that I don't know what direction to take or whether I even care about anything
Tell me what I'm feeling
Conditions being won
Problems we've been facing
The days when we were young
I am searching for understanding and trying to make sense of the complex emotions that I have been experiencing, reflecting on the issues we faced in the past
Confusion, confusion
Drown you sorrow, it'll ease the pain
Confusion, confusion
Don't need to understand what you can't explain
Feeling confused, needing to escape from the pain by drowning sorrow away, and acknowledging that it's okay not to understand what cannot be explained
I'm so confused, leave me alone
I can't take it no more
I am overwhelmed and cannot handle any more confusion or stress, needing to be left alone
Contributed by Hunter F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.