ETHEL, GERALD LEVERT AND ME

Sunday

22 July

14:58

Am waiting

For someone who can turn my life around

Someone who could make me feel

The way I used to feel

But she never comes

I’m searching

But there’s no one that I’d care to talk about

And all the lovers in the world

Don’t amount to much

‘Cause what I really want is just one true love

And I give anything and everything to fall in love

Just this one I’d like to find

What I’ve been dreaming of

Well, I could find someone to hold

But that wouldn’t be enough

But I’d give anything to fall in love

Did you find anythin’ you can use in those words? Oh, you found somethin’ for your next facebook status update? You did!

Whoa, here I am thinkin’ you’ve out grown steadin’ lyrics off of songs to impress your boy/girl. No? c’mon, I know we’ve all gone through that phase before. Lmao!

And yeah, I know what you’re thinkin’ about me writin’ out those lyrics, yep I really do.

Lose that thought ‘cause the answer is no, I haven’t sold out and yep, you’re still rockin’ wit’ a wolf in wolf clothin’. Ah ha! I like that, wolf in wolf clothin’.

13:46

I left church, oh wait, I didn’t leave, I snuck out the church before the grace was said *drops down to knees and prays for forgiveness*(can’t promise I won’t do it again), I switched on my radio and boom, that song came on and I was transported back in time

1995

Zaria,

Nigeria

It was an excitin’ period for good music, matter of fact, the nineties generally had great gems, I can still remember how gangsta rap had everybody and their uncles doin’ the crip-walk, how new jack swing filled numerous dance floors wit’ dance-hungry folks, how dancehall and jungle beats had nigga bobbin’ their domes and yes, I remember how R&B had the romantics stealin’ lines from them love songs.

One of the numerous monster R&B joints that had me memorizin’ shit was “I’d Give Anything” a 1994 power romantic ballad by Gerald Levert, it was taken from his second solo album “Groove On”. The song was the album lead single and I sang it everywhere, in the shower, in the bush, when am takin’ a dump (yeah, I took dumps in the bushes that time…c’mon, it was in school and y’all know how school toilets can be, right?) and above all, I sang that song whenever I wanna impress a hot chick!

Ethel

Now, that’s a name I’ll never forget, why? Ethel and Gerald Levert’s “I’d Give Anything” are eternally linked in my head.

Ethel was tall (as in, Jessica Gomes' tall) and hot. All the boys wanted piece of that ass. Jus to have her talk to you or hang out wit your ass, your rep in school would go through the roof. Yep, shawtie was that hot. Apart from bein’ pretty, she was full of herself. Shit like that happens when a girl is too aware of how pretty she is, right?

Anyways, my third close contact wit Ethel was at a lil hang-out called Double Four. It was a place all the “happening” people in school hung-out; the place had hot/current music for days.

One cold evenin’ I was at the joint wit my boy Toye (I wonder where that nigga is) and “I’d give anything” came through the speakers; it was my opportunity to show these so called happenin’ guys (Ethel and her equally pretty snob nose friends) that they weren’t up to date. I began to ride the song like Levert (God bless his soul) featured on the song, from the corner of my eyes, I knew I had them eatin’ from the palm of my hand. What, niggas claimed they know whassup but they didn’t know the hottest R&B joint out. Somebody shoulda told them that part of bein’ in the in-crowd was knowin’ what song was hot and knowin’ how to sing along. I stole the fuckin’ show under the noses of the boys who were in the place...i knew i did cause none of those mutherfuckers thought i had  it like that...am still up on things jus' incase some of readin' this want a battle. lol!

Outro

Did anybody notice the part where I mentioned that day I did that duet wit Gerald Levert was my third close encounter wit Ethel? Well, the first two weren’t too pleasant but that’s a story for another day/blog.

Huh, did I get an all access pass into Ethel’s pussy after my Grammy worthy performance? The answer’s no but it changed her opinion about me (I know cause she told me) and I got a friend of hers to the goods, all thanks to that song.

Note

“I’d Give Anything” Was written by Chris Farren and Linda Thompson. It was produced and arranged by David Foster and was originally recorded as “she’d give anything (to fall in love)” by the country group Boy Howdy.

Gerald Levert was born on July 13 1966, in Philadelphia. He died in November 10, 2006. RIP