Anita Baker

Released: December 1, 1990

Songwriter: Michael J. Powell Vernon Fails Anita Baker

Producer: Michael J. Powell

[Verse 1]
I can remember stories
Those things my mother said
She told me fairytales before I went to bed
She spoke of happy endings
Then tucked me in real tight
She turned my nightlight on
And kissed my face goodnight
My mind would fill with visions of perfect paradise
She told me everything
She said he'd be so nice
He'd ride up on his horse and take me away one night
I'd be so happy with him
We'd ride clean out of sight
She never said that we would
Curse, cry and scream and lie
She never said that maybe
Someday he'd say goodbye

[Chorus]
The story ends as stories do
Reality steps into view
No longer living life in paradise of fairytales
Uh
No, uh, huh
Mmm, mmm

[Verse 2]
She spoke about happy endings
Of stories not like this
She said he'd slay all dragons
Defeat the evil prince
She said he'd come to save me
Swim through the stormy seas
I'd understand the story
It would be good for me
You never came to save me
You let me stand alone
Out in the wilderness
Alone in the cold

[Chorus]
My story ends as stories do
Reality steps into view
No longer living life in paradise
No fairytales
Yes

[Bridge]
I don't look for pie up in the sky, baby
Need reality now
Said I don't feel the need to be pacified
Don't you try
Honey, I know you lied

[Verse 3]
You never came to save me
You let me stand alone
Out in the wilderness
Alone in the cold
I found no magic potion
No horse with wings to fly
I found the poison apple
My destiny to die
No royal kiss could save me
No magic spell to spin
My fantasy is over
My life must now begin

[Chorus]
My story ends as stories do
Reality steps into view
No longer living life in paradise
No fairytales
Eh, hey, hey, eee
Mmm, mmm

[Instrumental]

[Outro]
Lord have mercy
Ooh
Ooh
Mmm
Oh Lord

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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