Today’s song of the day is the 1992 hit single “Live and Learn” by Joe Public. It was the group’s best-performing release, reaching fourth place on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Fun Facts
- “Live and Learn” was released in March 1992. The single is part of the Joe Public studio album by the same artist.
- Joe Public originated in Buffalo, New York. The band consists of four members—Kevin Scott (lead singer and bass), Jake Carter (keyboard and guitar), Joe J.R Sayles (lead guitar) and Dwight “Mr. Drew” Wyatt (drums).
- The American New Jack group has been active in the music industry since 1989.
- Joe Public produced only two albums in their career; both were released under the Columbia record label.
- “Live and Learn” was a success in the United States, reaching # 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. The hit single performed even better in the Netherlands and New Zealand, reaching #3 on prominent billboards. This success made the single the group’s best-performed song.
- “Live and Learn” reached the #1 spot on the 1992 European Dance Radio chart.
- Joe Public’s next hit single topped out at #55.
- The song was produced by Joe Public and Lionel Job.
- “Live and Learn” samples the drum break from “Sing a Simple Song.”
- James Brown’s “Get Up, Get Into It, And Get Involved” and “I Don’t Know What This World Is Coming To” by the Soul Children were also sampled by vocals.
- Joe Public is still together today and helps write songs for other New Jack Swing artists.
Lyrics
You’ve got to live and learn
You’ve got to live and learn
Before your bridges burn
You’ve got to live and learn
Here’s a little story about life
Everybody that lives surely dies
A lot of people ask the questions why
Some people have to go through so much more
Before they really learn about life’s score
The subject is not to be ignored (Kick it to ?em, Joe)
I don’t want to be the one
To tell you how it’s gotta be
Livin’ is the only way
You’re ever really gonna see
You’ve got to live and learn
You’ve got to live and learn
Before your bridges burn
You’ve got to live and learn
Ah, yeah
Why’all, check it
Kick this one for the Public
Now break it down
There’s so much wrong and negativity
Enough for the whole world to see
I know there’s still a possibility
You raise a little kid, he turns out bold
It may be from the way you treat him cold
I guess that’s how the story’s told (Tell ?em what it is)
I don’t want to be the one
To tell you how it’s gotta be
Livin’ is the only way
You’re ever really gonna see
You’ve got to live and learn
(I don’t want to be the one)
You’ve got to live and learn
(To tell you how it’s gotta be)
Before your bridges burn
(Livin’ is the only way)
You’ve got to live and learn
(That you’re ever gonna see)
If large is how ya livin’
Why you’re livin’ large, are you takin’ what is given
To you, in the form of true experience
?Cause if you’re not your whole life could be spent
Doin’ time for a crime you say you didn’t even do
The only fool that you’re foolin’ is the fool that is you
Didn’t even turn around to check and see if your bridge is burnin’
I guess it’s true what they say that without livin’ there’s no learnin’
And this is from the J, the O, and the E
Mary, Mary, Mary, it’s quite contrary
Yo’, how did you earn your dough
You didn’t finish school, you ain’t got no job
But to the human eye it’s pretty simple
You’re always talkin’ about what you want is respect
But never thinkin’ about the little boy you neglect
Spendin’ his formative years in a livin’ hell
Not realizin’ one day he’d end up in jail
Now on the other hand, there’s Dan my man
Who planned a scam and I’ll be damned
It was the ultimate flim flam
He was sayin’ that it was easy as pie
But little did Dan know he was about to die
You’ve got to live and learn
(I don’t want to be the one)
You’ve got to live and learn
(To tell you how it’s gotta be)
Before your bridges burn
(Livin’ is the only way)
You’ve got to live and learn
(That you’re ever gonna see)
You’ve got to live and learn
(I don’t want to be the one)
You’ve got to live and learn
(To tell you how it’s gotta be)
Before your bridges burn
(Livin’ is the only way)
You’ve got to live and learn
(That you’re ever gonna see)
You’ve got to live and learn
(I don’t want to be the one)
You’ve got to live and learn
(To tell you how it’s gotta be)
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