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).

How Do I Say
usher Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh why
Oh, no-no-no
Ooh-ooh
How do I say?

A foreign beauty, so exotic
When she smiled at me
She took my breath away

She's reminiscent of a goddess
It's a shame that we could not communicate
How do I say?

How do I say hello?
I just wanna talk to you
How do I say you're beautiful
And I can't take my eyes off you?
I don't wanna say the wrong thing
I wanna use the right words to impress you
My baby, how do I say, how do I say?

How do I say?
The room was filled with a sweet aroma
When she danced her hips moved oh so sensuous
She speaks with her body, so hypnotic
In the language that I never will forget

I hear her going
Spinning around in the crowd 'cause she found me
And when she started moving closer and closer
Does she know that I want her, I want her?
I wanna be with her tonight
So I caressed her face, kissed her lips
In all my life, I've never felt quite like this
I've never had a loss for words
One kiss from her has got me speechless

How do I say hello?
I just wanna talk to you
How do I say you're beautiful
And I can't take my eyes off you?
I don't wanna say the wrong thing
I wanna use the right words to impress you
Mujer bonita, how do I say, how do I say?

How do I say hello?
I really wanna talk to you (I just wanna talk to you, my baby)
How do I say you're beautiful
And I can't take my eyes off you?
I don't wanna say the wrong thing
I wanna use the right words to impress you
Mon chérie, how do I say, how do I say?

Baby, let's engage in a deep conversation
And our body language we speak won't need any translation
And I see your physical pleasure
As we explore together this universal language of love
My love, my love, my love, no
My love, my love, my love

Can you tell me how do I put it into words?
How do I say hello?
I just wanna talk to you
How do I say you're beautiful
And I can't take my eyes off you?
I don't wanna say the wrong thing
I wanna use the right words to impress you
Molto bella, how do I say, how do I say?

How do I say hello?
I just wanna talk to you (whoa-oh, oh)
How do I say you're beautiful (ooh)
And I can't take my eyes off you? (Oh no)
I don't wanna say the wrong thing
I wanna use the right words to impress you
Mon chérie, how do I say, how do I say?

How do I say hello?
I just wanna talk to you (oh baby)
How do I say you're beautiful
And I can't take my eyes off you?
I don't wanna say the wrong thing
I wanna use the right words to impress you
Mujer bonita, how do I say, how do I say?

I want you, te deseo (how do I say?)
I need you, te necesito (how do I say?)
Can I have you? Tienes que ser mio (how do I say?)
What must I do? ¿Qué debo hacer? (how do I say? How do I say?)
What is your name? ¿Cuál es tu nombre? (How do I say?)
So beautiful, eres tú hermoso (how do I say?)
Can I take you? ¿Puedo tenerte?

So precious, tan precioso (how do I say?)
I love you, te amo (how do I say? how do I say?)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Usher's song "How Do I Say" narrate the dilemma of a man trying to express his attraction to a foreign woman he has encountered. The woman is described as exotic and goddess-like, and although the man is smitten by her, he does not know how to communicate his feelings. He is intimidated by his limited understanding of her language and is afraid of saying the wrong thing. Nonetheless, he desires to engage in deep conversation with her and anticipate a physical connection with her.

Through the lyrics, Usher attempts to create an image of two people who share an undeniable connection but are separated by cultural and linguistic barriers. The man's uncertainty and anxiety at the prospect of speaking to her illustrate the feeling of vulnerability that can come with new experiences with people from different backgrounds.

Additionally, the song portrays the idea that sometimes language or words are not necessary to make a connection with someone. Despite the communication barriers, the two individuals in the song are drawn to each other, and their attraction is beyond what words can express.

Overall, "How Do I Say" is a song about falling in love with someone from a different culture and the struggle of finding the right words to express your feelings.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh why
Usher is expressing his curiosity about how to express his admiration for this foreign beauty.

Oh how do I say
Usher is asking himself how to convey his feelings for this exotic lady.

A foreign beauty so exotic
Usher is describing the lady he met as a foreign, out-of-the-ordinary beauty.

When she smiled at me
Usher is acknowledging the impact that the lady's smile had on him.

She took my breath away
Usher admits that he was literally breathless after seeing this lady.

She's reminiscent of a goddess
Usher compares the lady he met to a deity because of how stunning she looks.

It's a shame that we could not communicate
Usher laments the fact that they couldn't converse well due to language barriers.

How do I say hello?
Usher poses the question of how to greet the lady he's attracted to.

I just wanna talk to you
Usher clarifies that he wants to engage the lady in a conversation.

How do I say you're beautiful
Usher is trying to figure out a way to compliment the lady's looks.

When I can't take my eyes off you
Usher admits that he can't help but stare at the lady due to her beauty.

I don't wanna say the wrong thing
Usher acknowledges the need to be cautious with his words around the lady he's attracted to.

I want to use the right words to impress you
Usher reveals his intention to make a good impression on the attractive lady he met.

My baby, how do I say, how do I say?
Usher repeats his question from the start of the song - how does he express his admiration for the foreign beauty.

The room was filled with a sweet aroma
Usher sets the scene and gives sensory details to describe the atmosphere when he met the lady.

When she danced her hips moved oh so sensuous
Usher admired the lady’s sensuous movements on the dancefloor.

She speaks with her body, so ignited
Usher is attracted to the lady's body language, which he finds alluring.

In the language that I will never forget
Usher references the lady's body language again, expressing how unforgettable it is to him.

I hear her
Usher acknowledges that he has been listening to the lady he's attracted to.

Spinning around in the crowd cause she found me
Usher tells a story of how the lady found him in the crowd, which made him even more attracted to her.

And when she started moving closer and closer
Usher describes the encounter of him and the lady getting closer in a physically intimate way.

Does she know that I want her, I want her
Usher expresses his desire for the lady and wonders whether she is aware of it.

I wanna be with her tonight
Usher is willing to take it to the next level and spend the night with this lady.

So I caressed her face, kissed her lips
Usher engaged in physical intimacy with the lady he met.

In all my life, I've never felt quite like this
Usher is admitting that he's never felt such a strong bond with someone before.

One kiss from her has got me speechless
Usher is lost for words due to the impact of the physical intimacy shared with the lady.

Baby let's engage on our deep conversation
Usher wants to connect with the lady on a deeper level through conversation.

And our body language we speak won't need any translation
Usher expresses his faith in non-verbal communication between them.

And I see your physical pleasure
Usher is aware that the lady is reciprocating his passion as he can see it from her body movements.

As we explore together this universe, a language of love
Here, Usher is metaphorically using outer space as a comparison to their physical intimacy and sees it as a language of love.

My love, my love, my love
Usher is addressing his feelings for the lady he met.

Can you tell me how do I put it into words?
Usher's question implies that he's unsure of how to articulate his feelings for this lady.

Molto bella, how do I say, how do I say?
Usher switches to Italian here, as he's still searching for the right way to articulate his admiration for the lady.

Te deseo (how do I say?)
Usher switches to Spanish, declaring his desire for the lady he met.

Te necesito (how do I say?)
In Spanish, Usher expresses his need for the lady he's attracted to.

Tienes que ser mio (how do I say?)
Usher poses the question of how he can make the lady exclusively his, once again switching to Spanish.

¿Qué debo hacer? (how do I say?)
Usher is getting desperate, and wants to know what he needs to do next to progress his relationship, this time in Spanish.

¿Cuál es tu nombre?
Usher is looking for a way to address the lady by knowing her name.

Eres tú hermoso
Usher switches to Spanish to express his admiration for the lady's looks, once again exploring another language.

¿Puedo tenerte?
Usher asks the lady if he can have her.

Tan precioso (how do I say?)
Using Spanish, Usher wonders how best to tell the lady how precious she is to him.

Te amo (how do I say? how do I say?)
Usher is still grappling with how to express his love for the lady, as he switches languages once again to Spanish.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: James Quenton Wright, James Samuel III Harris, Terry Lewis, Usher Raymond

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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