Jody Watley

Released: March 27, 1989

Featuring: Eric B. & Rakim

Songwriter: Eric B. Rakim Jody Watley André Cymone

Producer: André Cymone

[Verse 1: Jody Watley]
Have you ever been stabbed in the back
By someone you thought was really cool
Did they steal your lover? Or was it money?
Or was it lies they told?
Strangers just disguised as your friends
Never again, 'cause now you know, that...

[Chorus: Jody Watley]
Friends will let you down
Friends won't be around
When you need them most
Where are your friends?
Oh, friends are hard to find
Friends yours and mine
I'm talking 'bout your friends

[Verse 2: Jody Watley]
Smiles they hide behind
Never know what's on their mind
Could be true deception
Jealousy and envy reign
Never want to see you get ahead
They just hold you back

[Chorus: Jody Watley]
Friends will let you down
Friends won't be around
When you need them most
Where are your friends?
Oh, friends are hard to find
Friends yours and mine
I'm talking 'bout your friends

[Verse 3: Rakim]
Friends are hard to find so be careful
You'll get fried in the end to remind and prepare you
That some ain't that bad, but one might back-stab
To get their fingertips on what one might have
Bite the hand that feeds you, lead the people who need you
From those who hold you back and mislead you
To be a leader, don't get lead on or lead in
The wrong direction, a dead-ends next then
Use your detour, life's like a seesaw
Ups and downs and I bet there'll be more
Potholes and obstacles, in a path that's righteous
At times you need a hand to fight this
Way of life, straighten up, take the thought and replace it
And don't you act two-faceded
Cause jealousy and envy and you still act friendly
You'll be fried in the end when you pretend to be

[Chorus: Jody Watley]
Friends will let you down
Friends won't be around
When you need them most
Where are your friends?
Oh, friends are hard to find
Friends yours and mine
I'm talking 'bout your friends

[Verse 4: Rakim]
You used to kiss me, tell me you missed me
But now you try glaze me, play me, and diss me
I'm wide awake, ready to break so we'd argue
What happened to the kisses and "Ra, how are you?"
Forgot about the times when I rhymed when I bathed you
Rings was the only little things that I gave you
Still ain't thankful, you're still complaining
Used to be a quiet storm but now it's raining
Harder than ever, I'm thinking whether
If we should be friends, let it end, is it better
To forget or remember, your body's tender
The vibes that I send her makes her surrender
The feelings I capture, caught in a rapture
No woman can't match her, so when I'm looking at ya
Paint a perfect picture so you can remember me
But you'll get fried in the end if you pretend to be

[Chorus: Jody Watley]
Friends will let you down
Friends won't be around
When you need them most
Where are your friends?
Oh, friends are hard to find
Friends yours and mine
I'm talking 'bout your friends

[Outro: Jody Watley]
Friends will let you down
Friends won't be around
When you need them most
Where are your friends?
Yeah, friends are hard to find
Friends yours and mine
I'm talking 'bout your friends

Jody Watley is a Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, and producer that first danced her way to fame at 14-years-old as a dancer on Soul Train. That experience led show host Don Cornelius and booking agent Dick Griffey to place her and fellow dancer Jeffrey Daniel in the group Shalamar in 1977, with lead singer Howard Hewett added to the group in 1979. They produced the hits “Second Time Around,” “Make That Move,” “This is for the Lover in You,” and “A Night to Remember” before Watley left the group in 1983 due to conflict within the group and a lack of payment from Dick Griffey’s SOLAR Records label.

She released her self-titled debut album in 1987 featuring the #1 Dance hits “Don’t You Want Me,” “Some Kind of Lover,” and “Looking for a New Love,” which also peaked at #1 on the R&B Singles chart and #2 on the Pop chart. This album went Platinum and led to her winning the Grammy for Best New Artist in 1988. Her follow-up album Larger Than Life was released in 1989 and featured the Top 10 Pop hits “Everything,” “Friends” with Rakim, and the #1 Dance and R&B hit “Real Love.” She worked on these albums with Prince bassist André Cymone, who she would later marry in 1991 before separating in 1995.

She released nine studio albums between 1987 and 2006, and in 2008, she was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Billboard Music Awards. Her last project was the 2014 EP Paradise on her own Avitone label and she made an appearance on DâM-FunK’s Invite the Light album in 2015 on the track “Virtuous Progression.” She also formed “Shalamar Reloaded” with two new members and continues to tour.

more tracks from the album

Larger Than Life

From the albums

Larger Than Life (1989)
Greatest Hits (1996)

Jody Watley popular songs

FriendsJody Watley

Jody Watley

Larger Than Life