Ladies Love Lyrics: MJB's "Whole Damn Year"

Mary J. Blige has been singing my life's heartache and heartbreaks since her debut cd. She has had the ability to tap into that specific pain for years. Her new single is "Whole Damn Year." From the first listen, I was pulled in. The song is about the time it takes to get over a heartbreak. Mary says it took a whole damn year but it's going on two for me. So, this song is appropriate in this moment for me. Love everything about it because I am a MJB fan. Mary's new project "The London Sessions" will be released in November 2014. Get into these lyrics.

"See winter took most of my heart
And spring punched me right in the stomach
Summer came looking for blood
And by autumn, I was left with nothing

It took a whole damn year to repair my body
It took a whole damn year
It took a whole damn year to repair my body
It’s been about five years

Gon’ take a long long year for me to trust somebody
Gon’ take long long year
Gon’ take a long long year for me to touch somebody
It’s been about five years..."

Ladies Love Lyrics: "Suitcase" by Mary J. Blige

Being a true Mary fan makes this song easy to love. It is classic MJB. This track is on the "Think Like A Man Too" soundtrack which is essentially a Mary cd. I love this entire project. Today has been a "Suitcase" day. I've had this song on repeat for a moment. Get into the video and lyrics down below. 

"I wonder if I took these scars
And put dirt in them
Would I brought me a brand new heart
Will love work again
If I keep let you hurt me
I might have to plead insanity
‘Cause everything in me is telling me to go

Cause I can’t keep on crying when I see ya
Messing up my make up
Thinking you gon’ change
But everything’s the same
Starting keeping secrets
Got my heart in pieces
I’mma ‘bout to pick myself up, and go

You gon’ wake up in the morn
And find out that I’m already gone
Got a one way ticket, here's your goodbye song
And while you’re trying to explain
I’ll be zipping up my suitcase
While you’re trying to explain
I’ll be zipping up my suitcase
While you’re trying to explain
I’ll be zipping up my suitcase

Boy had everything
I never thought about another man
Gave you so much control on me
Your love really had me bugging me
If I don’t let you go, you’ll just keep on hurting me more and more
‘Cause everything in me is telling me to go..."

Get Into It: "Think Like A Man Too" Soundtrack

In my book, Mary J. Blige can do no wrong. When Mary sings it, you believe it. I have been a fan since the beginning. So, you can only imagine my excitement when I learned that the soundtrack to  "Think Like A Man Too" was essentially a Mary album. From beginning to end, Mary was perfection to my ears. The song I instantly clicked repeat on was "Wonderful." I love the beat and the lyrics and the message. Mary sounds like her old self on it. This soundtrack gets my money simply for Will Packer having the balls to pull a move like this. It seems that he is as much of a Mary fan as I am. Every track is my favorite honestly. Every track evokes a different emotion from me. I listen to it daily. It has an old school R&B/Hip-Hop feel to it. And, that is right up my alley. I love it. This soundtrack, just like the movie, is worth the $$$. Get into it!

Classic Music: Mary J. Blige "My Life"

I was thinking about what cd to feature for my second Classic Music post. The artist was easy: Mary J. Blige. I have been a fan since the first time I heard her voice and saw her video on The Box. I may be showing my age with that reference but oh well. Mary has always been a favorite of mine. There was a rawness in her voice that pulled me in. She was ratable. Picking a cd was hard. I narrowed it down to two cds: "My Life" and "Share My World." These are my two favorite Mary cds. I went through them track by track to finally chose one. "My Life" won out slightly on tracks that I absolutely love.

Mary's sophomore cd was epic in so many ways. "My Life" was dark and moody and filled with heartbreak. The songs were just awesome. I was only 14 when this cd was released. I had not felt any of the emotions Mary was singing about but that did not stop me from feeling her words. Her singles were all wonderful. But, I always seem to love the unreleased tracks on cds. They are the hidden gems to me. I would play this album from beginning to end almost daily. It played an integral part in my sophomore year of high school. I would play "My Life" and write this deep, dark poetry. I was very empathetic to what Mary was feeling. Outside of Teena Marie, Mary was my favorite singer.

"My Life" was definitive to Mary's career. I believe it positioned her firmly in her role as the "Queen of Hip Hop Soul." There hasn't been another soulful singer that possessed everything that Mary has. Granted, she wasn't the best live singer in the beginning and her drug/alcohol problems didn't help. But, here we are almost 20 years after her debut, and she is still here. She gives a great show nowadays. I have seen her many times. I like the newer songs but live for the early Mary tracks. They always get me so hyped. "My Life" may have been a dark time in Mary's life, it's great that she came through to the other side. Below are a few of my favorite songs from that cd. Listen to some vintage Mary J. Blige and enjoy!