Anita Baker

Released: March 20, 1986

Songwriter: Anita Baker

Producer: Michael J. Powell

[Verse 1]
I won't be neglected
I won't be denied
The pleasure of your kisses
The pleasure of your smile
I think you take for granted
I'll always be here
Just because I love you
It doesn't mean I won't disappear

[Chorus]
(Been so long) I'm missin' you, baby
(Been so long) I'm missin' you, baby

[Verse 2]
Thoughts and mellow memories
Of once upon a time
Slowly creepin' on me
And they linger on my mind
Just let somebody love you
I just don't know why
Whenever I get close to you
You want to run and hide

[Chorus]
(It's been so long) I'm missin' you, baby
(It's been so long) I'm missin' you, baby
(It's been so long) I'm missin' you, baby
(It's been so long) I'm missin' you, baby

[Bridge]
We began lovers' dance
The road was smooth to romance
And we sang love sweet song every day
I believe that love would stay in my heart
Now it's torn all apart
It's gone away, I can't stay, I've got to say
I don't believe that you could do me this way
Now don't you understand
I'm in need of comfort
The comfort of your hand in mine
And what I feel inside
Why don't you come closer?
I, I can't hide

[Outro]
Been so long
Been so long (Can't hide)
Been so long
Been so long
It's too long, won't you come on, baby
Won't you come on home
Been so long
See about me, ah, see about me
Baby, ba, ba da ba da
Been so long
Come on, see about me
'Cause I keep tellin' you
Been so long
I can't do, I can't do without you
Without you, oh, now don't ask me to
Been so long
To do without you, love, without you, love
'Cause I won't do it, you can't make me do it
Bop, ba dop ba ba
Ah bop bop, a hubba hubba bubba
A hubba bubba baby, a baby bop ba dop bop bop baby, hey
My baby, sweet baby
Sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet ba ba ba bay bay baby

Anita Baker is a Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter known for her distinct low contralto vocals. She started out in the band Chapter 8, which had the hit song “I Just Wanna Be Your Girl” that was later sampled by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony for their hit song “1st of tha Month.” “Anita” went on to become a big name in ‘80s R&B alongside “Luther” and “Whitney” as she began to rack up #1 hits.

Her debut album, The Songstress, was released in 1983 on independent label Beverly Glen and featured the hit song “Angel.” She left Beverly Glen and signed with Elektra Records, releasing her second album Rapture in 1986, which went on to sell over 5 million albums and peaked at #1 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart thanks to the hits “Sweet Love,” “Same Ole Love,” and “Caught Up in the Rapture.”

Her third album, Giving You the Best That I Got, was released in 1988 and hit #1 on the Billboard 200, and the title track hit #1 on both the Billboard R&B and Adult Contemporary Singles charts. Rapture and Giving You the Best That I Got accounted for five of her eight Grammy Awards, with her sixth in that time frame coming from her gospel collaboration with The Winans on the song “Ain’t No Need To Worry” in 1988.

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Rapture (1986)

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