Song Lyric Sunday #32

What do I have in my archives in response to Jim Adams’ prompt for this week’s Song Lyric Sunday Challenge which is all about Anguish/Misery/Torment? There are so many songs to choose from on this topic but how about another spot of collaborative action? My choice for this week’s prompt is Saint Jhn‘s Borders, featuring a fave of mine, Lenny Kravitz.

Carlos St. John Phillips, known professionally as Saint Jhn (stylized as SAINt JHN), is an American-Guyanese rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He released his first album under the Saint Jhn moniker, Collection One, in March 2018. He is best known for his single “Roses”, initially released in 2016. A 2019 remix of “Roses” by Kazakh DJ Imanbek helped the song become a worldwide hit; reaching the top 5 of the US Billboard Hot 100 and topping the charts in Australia, the Netherlands, Ireland, New Zealand, and UK. Prior to that he’d written songs for a number of acts, including Jidenna, Hoodie Allen, Usher and Kiesza, among others.

He named  his second collection of music Ghetto Lenny’s Love Songs(2019) and counts Lenny Kravitz, who guested on one of the tracks, as a massive inspiration. The the duo’s silken R&B team-up finds Ghetto Lenny trading croons with his idol, culminating in a volcanic guitar solo from the elder Lenny. The pair shot its accompanying steamy, black-and-white, extremely striking video in Paris, the same city where they met and laid down the music.

What’s really cool about Borders is that it’s a proper reminder of Kravitz’s ability, as he uses it to highlight the likewise lustrous talents of a descendant like SAINt JHN.

Lyrics: Borders

Baby, let’s close up
Baby, come close to me, don’t create borders
Take me in comfortably, don’t be difficult
Baby girl, who hurt you? don’t be miserable
Baby, let me love you, baby let’s close up
Baby, come close to me, don’t create borders
Take me in comfortably, don’t be difficult
Baby girl, who hurt you? don’t be miserable
Baby, let me love you
I’m tryna find my God these days, I pray to God we all behave
I just been on my Holly ways, I just been on a gnarly wave
I got a place in Hollywood, further than where we thought we would
Told Lee he’d be a millionaire, I’m ’bout to make my promise good
I’m gettin’ closer to the dream, girl, I’m tryin’
Land on the feet, I can fly
Top off, hands in the sky
Champagne pain for the diet
Damn, and it ain’t even Friday
Bet he got a Porsche on the highway
Top off, hands in the sky
Pray don’t nobody violate
Baby, come close to me, don’t create borders
Take me in comfortably, don’t be difficult
Baby girl, who hurt you? don’t be miserable
Baby, let me love you, baby, let’s close up
Baby, come close to me, don’t create borders
Take me in comfortably, don’t be difficult
Baby girl, who hurt you? if this isn’t love
You should let me love you
I just wanted you sometimes, no lie
When the lies is good
You don’t wanna hear the truth sometimes, sometimes
I don’t wanna just seem, I don’t wanna be shootin’ blind, true crime
Even if it ain’t right, right now, the illusion’s fine, oh my
You hear that I’m on the way, you know to just keep the lights on
I know you want me to stay
‘Cause I feel the same when the night’s gone
And on the chance you don’t, you should know I try
Keep your borders closed, but keep an open mind, well then<
Baby, come close to me, don’t create borders
Take me in comfortably, don’t be difficult
Baby, girl who hurt you? don’t be miserable
Baby, let me love you, baby, dance closer
Baby, come close to me, don’t create borders
Say what you want from me, don’t be difficult
Baby girl, who hurt you? if this isn’t love
You should let me love you

Source:  Songwriters: Lee Stashenko / Carlos St. John Phillips
Borders lyrics © Emi Blackwood Music Inc., Stellar Songs Limited

Challenge Rules

• Post the lyrics to the song of your choice, whether it fits the theme or not. If it does not fit, then please explain why you chose this song.
• Please try to include the songwriter(s) – it’s a good idea to give credit where credit is due.
• Make sure you also credit the singer/band and if you desire you can provide a link to where you found the lyrics.
• Link to the YouTube video, or pull it into your post so others can listen to the song.
• Ping back to Jim’s post or place your link in his comments section.
• Read at least one other person’s blog, so we can all share new and fantastic music and create amazing new blogging friends in the process.
• Feel free to suggest future prompts.
• Most of all, have fun and enjoy the music.