Songs Reborn
by ilikeit
Reincarnation is defined as “to be made flesh again.” It is a doctrine or metaphysical belief that some essential part of a living being survives death to be reborn in a new body. This essential part is often referred to as the spirit or soul, the “higher” or “true” self “divine spark”. According to such beliefs, a new personality is developed during each life in the physical world, but some part of the self remains constant throughout the successive lives.
In 1990, Cindy Herron, Maxine Jones, Dawn Robinson, and Terry Ellis were born to sing. The inspiration for the group came when a production duo by the name of Foster and McElroy sought to put together a modern-day girl group in the tradition of past girl groups of the 1950’s and 1960’s. “Born To Sing” was released on April 3, 1990 and later went on to be certified platinum.
“Born To Sing” was a well produced album but there was one song that stood out. This song was “Waiting On You”. “Waiting On You” was far from a hit. It was not even a single; it was used as an album filler. By being the last song on the album, the anchor sort of speaks. It left a lasting impression of what if and just maybe.
Seven years later from the book of Isaiah, Destiny’s Child was bestowed on Beyonce’ Knowles, Kelly Rowland, LaTavia Roberson, and LeToya Luckett. This group recorded their first song “Killing Time”, which debuted on the “Men In Black” soundtrack; and propelled them to stardom. Could it be that this song was born again…reborn possibly, maybe reincarnated. Is it too hard to fathom that these two songs are one in the same? Maybe the definition to reincarnation could relate to the soul of music as well. Allow us to take a deeper look into the first verse and chorus “Killing Time”, written by Dwayne Wiggins and Taura Stinson.
Verse 1 is as follows:
Waiting patient for you to come back to me.
What should I do?
I don’t mind the waiting, as long as there’s still maybe a possibility,
for you to be true to me.
I’ll be sitting on the stairway
til’ a quarter til’ two with nothing to do, Baby.
But twiddle my thumbs and wait.
Killing time.
Waiting on you.
What should I do?
I’ll be sitting here waiting.
Killing time, waiting on you.
What should I do?
I’ll be sitting here waiting.
EnVogue’s “Waiting On You”, written by Denzil Foster, and Thomas McElroy, first verse:
waiting by the phone.
It makes me think you won’t be back again.
And I’m feeling so intense.
I can’t keep wasting my time waiting on you
… to come home now.
These two songs are complete mirror images in lyrics, style, depth, and meaning. If you don’t believe me, play them simultaneously or try overlaying them as if you were a D.J. mixing a club beat. I think the point here is if we don’t learn from the past, the past will catch up; and our songs can come back to haunt us.