:::


Joe Public :: Live and Learn (1992)

Remember this song? It used to be a big hit back in 1992. I used to hear this on the radio all the time. Urban radio, especially. This was back when the urban/rap stations used to play club/house-flavored music. Appreciate!

You've got to live and learn
You've got to live and learn
Before your bridges burn
You've got to live and learn

Here's a little story about life
Everybody that lives surely dies
A lot of people ask the questions why
Some people have to go through so much more
Before they really learn about life's score
The subject is not to be ignored (Kick it to ‘em, Joe)

I don't wanna be the one
To tell you how it's gotta be
Livin' is the only way
You're ever really gonna see

You've got to live and learn
You've got to live and learn
Before your bridges burn
You've got to live and learn

Ah, yeah
Y'all, check it
Kick this one for the Public
Now break it down

There's so much wrong and negativity
Enough for the whole world to see
I know there's still a possibility
You raise a little kid, he turns out bold
It may be from the way you treat him cold
I guess that's how the story's told (Tell ‘em what it is)

I don't wanna be the one
To tell you how it's gotta be
Livin' is the only way
You're ever really gonna see

You've got to live and learn
You've got to live and learn
Before your bridges burn
You've got to live and learn

You've got to live and learn
(I don't wanna be the one)
You've got to live and learn
(To tell you how it's gotta be)
Before your bridges burn
(Livin' is the only way)
You've got to live and learn
(That you're ever gonna see)

(Large) If large is how ya livin'
Why you're livin' large, are you takin' what is given
To you, in the form of true experience
‘Cause if you're not your whole life could be spent
Doin' time for a crime you say you didn't even do
The only fool that you're foolin' is the fool that is you
Didn't even turn around to check and see if your bridge is burnin'
I guess it's true what they say that without livin' there's no learnin'

And this is from the J, the O, and the E

Mary, Mary, Mary, it's quite contrary
Yo', how did you earn your dough
You didn't finish school, you ain't got no job
But to the human eye it's pretty simple
You're always talkin' about what you want is respect
But never thinkin' about the little boy you neglect
Spendin' his formative years in a livin' hell
Not realizin' one day he'd end up in jail
Now on the other hand, there's Dan my man
Who planned a scam and I'll be damned
It was the ultimate flim flam
He was sayin' that it was easy as pie
But little did Dan know he was about to die

You've got to live and learn
(I don't wanna be the one)
You've got to live and learn
(To tell you how it's gotta be)
Before your bridges burn
(Livin' is the only way)
You've got to live and learn
(That you're ever gonna see)

You've got to live and learn
(I don't wanna be the one)
You've got to live and learn
(To tell you how it's gotta be)
Before your bridges burn
(Livin' is the only way)
You've got to live and learn
(That you're ever gonna see)

You've got to live and learn
(I don't wanna be the one)
You've got to live and learn
(To tell you how it's gotta be)

OK, Krystal's Londonbeat thread got me in an Early '90s mood.

Yeah, i still have their debut. Some good swing on there (if very samey sounding swing). I got a 12" of one of their cuts. I forget which one? I got a cd single of "live and learn" somewhere aswell?


They had a ballad called "I miss you" aswell.


I still have the music video to "live and learn" somewhere? Boring videomind u.


They wrote and produced Keith Sweats "keep it comin'" track.

thesexofit said:

Ah, found the vid.

I remember riding around in the backseat of my aunt and uncle's car, me and my cousin Jocelyn playing this song on her portable cd boombox.

CinisterCee said:

My brother has the cassingle of this. The paper edges of the single are all faded and tattered from being played so much.

Ah, the days of cassingles! lol

Wasn't this song used as the theme song to some short-lived early '90s sitcom featuring Doug E Doug or Malcolm Jamal Warner?

I remember there was a Cosby Show spinoff called "Here And Now" with Theo acting as a teacher and I *THINK* this song was the theme song???

Mara said:

I vaguely remember that show!

This is on some Trivial Pursuit 1990s Edition ish.

CinisterCee said:

Ah, I used to play this friggin' gammme. This and...

Great Song! Have you noticed the Steely Dan horn sample?

TonyVanDam said:

This was their big one, and I think sexofit mentioned their other single, but it was a minor blip compared to this.

DMSR said:

What song of theirs did they get the horns from?

I wore this tape out, along with Mint Condition's debut.

my dad LOVED the bassline in this joint, and 4 good reason 'cause it was funky as hell. lol u sure they had horns in this? i thought those were another keyboard playin the melody...you'll noiticed that they did sample the reverse sax of public enemy's "rebel without a pause" and a vocal from james brown and bobby byrd.

diamondpearl1 said:

That's what you call H-O-H-E-N -- hohenz!!

I totally remember that song and that came out during the later new jack swing era.

Oh this is gettin' good...

I bring up Chuckii Booker and Bernadette Cooper, and now it's Madd Flashback time again with the kids from Buffalo, NY.

I just watched this vid on YouTube... along with Big Daddy Kane, Chuckii, GUY, Redhead Kingpin, Wrecks n Effect and Christopher Williams.

Hate 2 sound all grown, but I miss those days. That's when U had 2 step, if U were dancin.

Peace.

G.

Remember another early 90's R&B group, "Portrait"? I think they had a song called "Here We Go" or something like that.

Tom said:

This along with their other jam, "Honeydipped"....They were a very underated group. They had one more hit, a duet with Shanice called, "This time".

Ok, this is a cool thread! Anybody remember this group called Playa? They were produced by Timbaland and had this kick ass cut called "Cheers to You". It was really bottom heavy r n b.

shorttrini said:

Ah, I love Shanice.

unkemptpueblo said:

Them and Mista (so many parallels). I have both Playa's Cheers 2 U and Mista's Blackberry Molasses.

Talking about pulling something out of the woodwork. I'm going 2 have 2 find that cd in my collection. It make take a few days though.

shorttrini said:

Portrait did indeed sing "Here We Go Again!" and "Honey Dip" (as well as a great cover of the Bee Gees song "How Deep Is Your Love"); however, it was the group who sang "This Time" with Shanice a few years earlier. They also had a hit with "You're Right About That" in 1990.

Playa's album Cheers 2 U is one of the best of the '90s. So underrated...

AlexdeParis said:

Oh, you're talking about Kiara. That song with Shanice was a '90's classic! They did a poor followup, though - it's like they tried to hop onto the new jack swing bandwagon. Their original stuff was cool enough, in my humble opinion.

JesseDezz said:

I knew it was Kiara, but I thought I had already typed the name. I guess not. Their other single from the first album (besides "This Time") was "The Best of Me."

BTW, I loved "Live and Learn" and "I Miss You" from Joe Public.

I believe they sampled the horns from a song called Peg by Steely Dan. DelaSoul also sampled this song in Say No Go on their first album. I remember this song and thinking it was a good crossover song but knew they wouldn't last because they were too white sounding. Just my opinion.

unkemptpueblo said:

That was my joint. They came out aroun '98.

Cheers to you for giving me a chance. I'll be your angel calling your name...