LL Cool J

Released: June 9, 1989

Songwriter: LL Cool J Dwayne Simon

Producer: LL Cool J Dwayne Simon

[LL Cool J]
Do you remember, the first time you fell in love
The way it felt, the way it feels
Bein able to say, from the bottom of your heart
{*smooch*} I love you for real
Your eyes, meet; you feel your heartbeat
Palms are sweaty you can't keep still
And when you finally touch 'em, and hug 'em and kiss 'em
.. OOOOOOH what a thrill!
You was always searchin, and finally your dream came true
They came strollin along
And you promised 'em, straight up and down sweetheart
I swear - I'll never do you wrong
Hand in hand, heart to heart
Nothin in the world could seperate the two
And even though you've only known that person for a short time
You tell 'em I love you -- you're my heart

You argue witcha parents, and they argue BACK
You're too young to be so serious
You tell 'em that's not true, I'll go on without you
And walk away aggravated and furious
You want 'em to approve, but then again it don't matter
The relationship's yours
You feel you're maturin, and hey..
You can fight your own battles and wars
You discuss it with your love and it's the same for them
So the two of you decide we're gonna weather the storm
Life is sweet, kissin caressin and huggin
And keepin each other warm
But now comes the serious part, cause love
Believe me, it ain't a easy task
We'd have one argument too many
And you'd have to ask -- am I still your heart?

Am I still your HEART or is somethin, pullin us apart
Cause baby if it is, please let me know what
You run out the door, I tell you come back
I love you - you shout out, so what?
How could you hurt me? How could you treat me
Like you never loved me, were you playing a game?
And if so, I only have one request: sit down and explain
To me, the person who treated you right, did you right
And held you tight, every night
Is there another lover in your life, that has you uptight?
Cause if it is, aww, baby, please.. don't do this to me
I'm tryin to reach you, tryin to talk to you
It's killin me -- cause you're my heart
That's right I admit it

You're my heart I refuse, to let you go
I struggle and fight for you against all odds
Get down on my knees, and pray to God
That our love is in the cards
Cause I know you're right for me
And I know I'm right for you
There's no way in the world I'll let you slip out of my hands
People say forget about it, move on
.. but see they don't understand
You're nothin to them, but you're so much to me
So much in fact that I'd give my life
To stare into your eyes and caress your face
As the priest, announces us man and wife
We'd live happily, ever after
White picket fence and the whole nine yards
And anything that anybody said
I'd disregard -- if I was still your heart

So make up your mind, cause I've made up my mind
I'm beggin you baby please come back home
I'll be tossin and turnin, as I lay in my bed
Sorrow surrounds me I can feel it in my bones
This can't be true, I'm losin you
Oh Lord have mercy, please make it alright
All I wanna do in this whole wide world.. is hold you tight
I've ripped open my heart, shed tears and cried
Now it's up to you baby, please understand
I forgive you for everything, and give you anything
Just let me take ya by the hand
And lead ya, baby I got ya
Protect you like a mother, protects a child
Now it's up to you.. I'mma call you in a little while
You're my heart

Deriving his name from the statement “Ladies Love Cool James,” LL Cool J became a superstar rapper after his Def Jam debut in 1984. He mixed a hardcore hip-hop style from songs like “I’m Bad” with R&B style on songs like “I Need Love,” which led him to multi-platinum success and several awards. He would later venture into movies and television, write several books, and start different business ventures.

Born January 14, 1968, Queens, New York native James Todd Smith began rapping at the age of nine and started to seriously pursue rapping when he was 16 years old after his grandfather bought him music equipment, which he used to create a demo tape that was sent to numerous labels. He was signed by upstart independent label Def Jam, working with founders Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin to release his debut single “I Need a Beat” in 1984, which sold over 100,000 copies. This success helped Def Jam secure a distribution deal with Columbia Records.

LL released his debut album Radio in 1985, which achieved platinum status with help from the hit singles “I Can’t Live Without My Radio” and “Rock the Bells.” After working exclusively with Rick Rubin on his debut, LL worked with the West Coast production crew L.A. Posse on his second album Bigger and Deffer, released in 1987. The album featured two of LL’s signature the hard-edged “I’m Bad” and the “rap ballad” “I Need Love,” which was a Top 20 pop hit, helping the album achieve double platinum status.

more tracks from the album

Walking with a Panther

From the album

Walking with a Panther (1989)

LL Cool J popular songs

You’re My HeartLL Cool J

LL Cool J

Walking with a Panther