Johnny Gill

Released: October 8, 1996

Featuring: Stevie Wonder

Songwriter: Charles Farrar Troy Taylor

Producer: The Characters

[Chorus: Stevie Wonder]
If you simply say I love you
None of our problems would exist
Nothing in this world hurts more than knowing we had love
But you were afraid to say the words

[Verse 1: Johnny Gill]
Could've been much better if we took our time
Should've been much wiser so that love wouldn't be a grind
When I think back on it, all the things that we couldn't get right
Just three little simple words should've let you know that

[Chorus: Johnny Gill & Stevie Wonder]
If you simply say I love you
None of our problems would exist
Nothing in this world hurts more than knowing we had love
But you were afraid to say the words

[Verse 2: Johnny Gill]
Now, I don't wanna pass judgement, 'cause I know I was wrong
When it came to making you feel secure, my love just was not strong
But now I take my time and make sure you're feeling alright
See, it may have taken a while, but now I realize that

[Chorus: Johnny Gill & Stevie Wonder, Johnny]
If you simply say I love you (Say I love you)
None of our problems would exist
Nothing in this world hurts more than knowing we have love
But I was afraid to say the words (Say the words)

[Bridge: Johnny Gill]
I must admit I have my pride, my pride, yeah
But I won't let my strong ego be the reason for this love to fall
We can overcome this problem if we just get along

[Chorus: Johnny Gill & Stevie Wonder, Johnny]
If you simply say I love you
None of our problems would exist (Would exist, yeah)
Nothing in this world hurts more than knowing we had love
But we were afraid to say the words
If you simply say I love you
None of our problems would exist
Nothing in this world hurts more than knowing we had love
But you were afraid to say the words
If you simply say I love you
(You say, I say, we say it together)
None of our problems would exist
(You say, I say, we say it together, yeah)
Nothing in this world hurts more than knowing we had love
But we were afraid to say the words
If you simply say I love you
(Only three words, that "I love you")
None of our problems would exist
(You see, we should've took our time, sat down and talked about it)
Nothing in this world hurts more than knowing we had love (Yeah)
But I was afraid to say the words ("I love you, girl")
If you simply say I love you ("I love you, girl")
None of our problems would exist
Nothing in this world hurts more than knowing we had love
But we were afraid to say the words

Johnny Gill is a singer-songwriter that entered the music business when he was 16-years-old. He released his self-titled debut in 1983, a duet album with Stacy Lattisaw titled Perfect Combination in 1984, and his second solo album Chemistry in 1985. It was his next move that turned him into a star as Johnny joined the popular R&B group New Edition in 1987 following the departure of Bobby Brown. He was featured on their 1988 album Heart Break and closed the album as the lead vocalist on the classic song “Boys To Men.”

After Heart Break, New Edition decided to focus on solo projects, leading Johnny to release his third album, a second self-titled album, in 1990. He enlisted the top two R&B super-producer duos at the time to produce the album—L.A. Reid & Babyface and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, who he worked with on N.E.’s Heart Break album. These collaborations led to the three #1 R&B singles (“Rub You the Right Way,” “Wrap My Body Tight,” and “My, My, My”), while “Fairweather Friend” peaked at #2. The album peaked at #8 on the Billboard 200 and hit #1 on the R&B Albums chart, while also getting a couple of Grammy nominations for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male and Best R&B Song for “My, My, My.”

He released two more solo albums—Provocative in 1993 and Let’s Get the Mood Right in 1996—before re-joining New Edition in 1996 for the album Home Again and joining another supergroup with Keith Sweat and Gerald Levert, forming LSG in 1997. They released the album Levert Sweat Gill featuring the #1 R&B hit “My Body.” He would go on to make another album with LSG (LSG2 in 2003) and New Edition (One Love in 2004), appear on TV and in stage plays as well as release several solo albums such as 2014’s Game Changer, which features the New Edition reunion track “This One’s For Me and You.”

more tracks from the album

Let’s Get the Mood Right

From the album

Let’s Get the Mood Right (1996)

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