Written by L.A. Reid and Babyface, this song is about falling for a girl in a big way. The song is a classic of the new jack era, complete with a rap (edited out in some versions), where Brown does some pretty ridiculous rhymes ("I'm rockin' it steady, and when I'm on the mic don't you dare call me Freddy"). In the late '80s and early '90s, Brown's style of rap was injected into the bridge of many pop songs, essentially replacing a guitar solo. As rap evolved, this style became outdated, but it helped bring together hip-hop and pop, especially since the rap could be removed on versions for the many radio stations that were not comfortable with the genre.
L.A. Reid says that his girlfriend at the time - the singer Pebbles - inspired some lyrics to this song. According to Reid, he was driving to see her when inspiration struck. He pulled over and quickly wrote the first few lines: "I can't sleep at night, I toss and turn, listening for the telephone..." Reid says he was crazy in love with the "Mercedes Boy" singer, and he married her in 1989. The couple got divorced in 1996.
The music video, directed by Alek Keshishian, was very distinctive, using a white background with people dancing in front of it, something that the Gap corporation would use in popular ads many years later. Brown sported his signature high-top fade haircut in the video, along with some fashion choices that seem very questionable today, but were '80s chic (OK, maybe not the red socks and suspenders).
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