Released: March 20, 1990

Songwriter: Eric Sadler Keith Shocklee Hank Shocklee

Producer: Eric Sadler Keith Shocklee Hank Shocklee

[Intro: Michael Bivins]
Let's get an intro that's good to go

[Verse 1: Michael Bivins]
Well, I'm Mike and I like pinstripes
And skinny [?]
And I know that you know that we know
Bell Biv DeVoe, flow

[Break]

In the morning I wake up
Shake up, shake up
But after baking up breakfast, I get dressed
Yes, put on my necklace
[?]
Then after I leave my home
Call Mr. Cold Ron on the car phone
But Mr. Ron is on the freeway
Then quickly I call Ricky on a threeway
Told him what I had to say, said
"Forget all the he-say, she-say"
No pain, no gain, no fame; ain't nothing changed

[Hook: Michael Bivins & *Ricky Bell*]
Not a damn thing. You know what I'm saying, Ron?
Ain't nothing changed!
*Ain't nothing changed, ain't nothing changed*
*Ain't nothing changed, ain't nothing changed*
*Ain't nothing changed, ain't nothing changed*

[Verse 2: Ronnie DeVoe]
Next, it's time to practice at the studio
Rehearsing verses is my [?]
Let the system boom, vibrate the room
All before high noon
When the groove is groovy
It soothes me like an old-time movie
We work and work and work and work
To wreck the concerts
No pain, no gain, no fame; yeah, ain't nothing changed

[Hook: Ricky Bell, (Michael Bivins & Ronnie DeVoe)]
Ain't nothing changed, ain't nothing changed
(Cause we don't play, that's how we get paid)
Ain't nothing changed, ain't changed
(Yeah, that's how we get paid)

[Verse 3: Ronnie DeVoe & *Michael Bivins*]
Behind stages I may just look
Through pages of books
We'll take a vote: [?]
Flip the light switch up, turn the pitch up
As we pose for the picture
(Everybody get down!)
*Now that we worked with no days off
Hard work pays off
When the curtain is raised
Clap your hands in the audience, give yourselves a praise*
After the show
*We had to go*
Collect the dough
*And sip some Mo'
And sign a couple of autographs*
Yeah, and have a couple of lit ass
*No pain, no gain, no fame; ain't nothing changed
Sucka*

[Outro: Ricky Bell, (Michael Bivins & Ronnie DeVoe)
Ain't nothing changed, ain't nothing changed
(That's how we get paid)
Ain't nothing changed

Bell Biv DeVoe

Bell Biv DeVoe is a New Jack Swing trio featuring Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, and Ronnie DeVoe—members of the seminal R&B boy band New Edition. Following the release of New Edition’s classic album Heart Break in 1988 and their subsequent tour, the group took a hiatus. BBD formed in 1989 and scored big the following year when the singles “Poison” and “Do Me!” propelled their self-titled debut into the Top 5 on the Billboard 200 chart. The group released two more albums–Hootie Mack (1993) and BBD (2001)–before releasing their fourth album, Three Stripes, in 2017. They continue to tour and perform as a trio and in different variations of the New Edition lineup such as RBRM, consisting of BBD and Bobby Brown.