This song is about a guy who is completely enamored with a girl. Even though he knows she's bad news ("Tellin' me lies when the truth was clear"), he can't resist her, as he's ruled by his burning desire. She keeps him off guard, like he's walking a tightrope, but when he's holding her in the midnight hour, all is well. The song has a very straightforward chorus, which has led many budding Romeos to put it on mix tapes and use it for seduction: I just wanna be close to you And do all the things you want me to I just wanna be close to you And show you the way I feel However, a listen to the verse lyrics reveals the dark side of this woman.
"Close To You" used a beat popularized by the group Soul II Soul that appeared on many songs of the era. The beat is derivative of the 1987 Erik B. & Rakim track "Paid In Full," which sampled the bassline from "Don't Look Any Further" by Dennis Edwards and Siedah Garrett.
Smoothed-out British reggae was big in America at this time: UB40 became the first UK reggae act to hit #1 on the US Hot 100 with their cover of "Red Red Wine" in 1988, and Maxi Priest became the second with this track. UB40 hit the top once again in 1993, this time with a cover of Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling In Love."
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