Eldergays do you remember Waterfalls?

Drugs, promiscuity, AIDS.

"His health is fading and he doesn't know why / Three letters took him to his final resting place"

It was about AIDS.

I was in 7th grade when this came out, and I remember it being on the radio all the time. Does that make me an eldergay?

R1: Cryptic....

I was a freshman in college, R3. Feel young now?

Fun fact: the little shoulder move they do in the video is called the Bankhead Bounce, named for the old Bankhead Highway in one of the roughest, most crime-infested parts of Atlanta (at least it was back then).

"Waterfalls" and the "Crazy Sexy Cool" CD/album were both hugely popular. "Creep" was another huge hit from the album. This was the era when MTV would play actual music videos and I do remember the video for "Waterfalls."

TLC was mega-popular.

I used to play the song in my head whenever I needed to take a piss but was having trouble going. Kind of like how some people turn on the faucet. Hey, it worked.

I was like 14 when this came out and remembered the video being depressing lol.

The only song I liked from that album was Creep. TLC were way better before this.

I'm so Eldergay I even remember the song whose title and opening lines they pretty much ripped off to write it! https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iLfAKQRJBf4

When you think about it the chorus is really demotivational and bleak: "Don't go chasing waterfalls Please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to I know that you're gonna have it your way or nothing at all But I think you're moving too fast"

CrazySexyCool is a great album. I personally love "Red Light Special" and "Digging on You". "Waterfalls" is a classic. You just knew it was going to be a classic.

Bette Midler did a cover of it for her For the Girls album.

[quote]When you think about it the chorus is really demotivational and bleak: "Don't go chasing waterfalls Please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to I know that you're gonna have it your way or nothing at all But I think you're moving too fast"

The song isn't meant to be motivational. It's meant to be a warning to be realistic about your dreams. That line is a lecture to young people who don't want to listen.

In the first verse the son wants money, but the way he gets that money (selling drugs) causes his death.

In the second verse "Little Precious" sleeps around because he loves to have sex but he doesn't wear condoms and he "doesn't (even) know" when he contracts HIV, it gets worse, then he has AIDS and then he dies.

Lisa's verse is a lecture related to but different from the rest of the song and it's the harshest one.

Even if the system gets you down it's up to you how you see it [I say the system got you victim to your own mind]

and if you don't feel happy it's your fault for not focusing on the good things when they happen. [Only my faith can undo the many chances I blew to bring my life to anew / Who's to blame for tootin' caine in your own vein?]

Focus on the good things instead of the bad things in your life to make you happy [seldom praise him for the sunny days / Clear blue and unconditional skies have dried the tears from my eyes]

and remember that dreams are just that [hopeless aspirations in hopes of coming true.]

Believe in yourself and the part where she says, it's up to me and you overlaps with "Don't go chasing waterfalls" because she's saying both.

"Believe in yourself the rest is up to me ... and don't go chasing waterfalls" and "Believe in yourself the rest is up to me and you."

I miss Lisa Lopes. A great songwriter and rapper. Her raps on Waterfalls and No Scrubs are iconic. The songs are not the same without them (radio edits).

I remember that video was hugely expensive due to the water effects.

[R11] here. That was supposed to link to Paul McCartney's "Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls". I'm stoopid.

I always thought the lyrics should've been: "Don't go chasing waterfalls / Please stick to the rivers and the streams that you're used to." Mostly because rivers and streams are related and sometimes lead to waterfalls; lakes are/do not.

I was a broke intern, living in my first shitty apartment after graduating from college. I had no money and the money I had was spent on partying. One of my rich friends was sent Crazy, Sexy, Cool as part of his Columbia House subscription and he was too lazy to send it back so he gave it to me. I was a grungy and classic rock guy and I didn’t know TLC or much 90s RnB.

I listened to this CD on repeat for months. If I was at home and was awake, it was playing on my boom box. So many good memories associated with this record.

I’m a huge fan of TLC including Waterfalls, of course.

Never cared for it. I was all about Red Light Special. It was on my makeout mix tape. Diggin On You and Creep were also great.

I was 5 when it came out and I remember loving it. There are old home videos of me singing it a bunch with a friend around my house. So catchy.

Josh, my straight best friend who didn’t mind my BJs when his girlfriend wasn’t around, loved this song... but only because it had “a beat.” I respect TLC but prefer SWV. Speaking of being old.

Gotta give the credit for the song to where it's due.

TLC were huge, and then they just disappeared.

Because one of them died, R24.

[quote]I was 5 when it came out

Jesus.

Waterfalls is a great song and the video is incredible too. Another really good album released around that time is Brandy’s debut album.

r25 they were over years before Lopez died.

Its about female orgasms isnt it?

R28 Lopes died in April 2002. FanMail was released in 1999 and spawned several hit singles, including "No Scrubs" and "Unpretty." The album debuted at #1 and was nominated for like 8 Grammys.

R29 so I was a 5 year old singing about orgasms? Lol

It wasn't a song about orgasms. It was their Rhythm Nation song about social issues.

Really? It took 33 posts for this to be brought up? You’re slipping DL.

I just watched this again last night after seeing it discussed on here. I think one the most impressive things about the video is the lighting they did on the girls while they were "standing in the water". From the lighting it looks like they are really out in the ocean because of the way the sunlight is beating down on them.

a time when artists still had voices, talent and something to say... something millenials and rhose who come after will never know... i wouldn't like to be 20 years old today, how SAD!

This was when R&B wasn't overshadowed by Beyoncé. Lets go back!

No they weren't, R28. FanMail was released only 3 years before she died, and was a sizable hit. Although Lopes seemed to have burned bridges with the other group members right after it came out.

Yes, every time I think of “Waterfalls” I think of a sweaty, coked up Whitney Houston at the VMA’s announcing them as the winner and yelling into the mic at the podium “TLC! WATERFALLS! WATERFALLS! WATERFALLS!“.

OP you have to be kidding me. The verses aren't exactly subtle. Its a great pop song because the chorus presents a wonderful metaphor, and the verses tell a story without being preachy like a lot of these conscious r&b since the 90s.

It was never a hit, but Paul McCartney's song "Waterfalls" was somehow being channeled by TLC 15 years after Paul's song was released. I like both songs, but prefer Paul's. I know someone else brought up the existence of the song earlier. This is the video he made in support of his "Waterfalls"

r15, yo that shit really annoys me. Especially because I sometimes enjoy adult pop stations for the 90s rock, and they ALWAYS have lisa's rap edited out. Always, No matter what city I am in. They need to update their fkin playlist. I think back then labels would edit the raps out of songs, and these stations still have the old tracks. But whats mind blowing is not like these stations don't play hip-hop at all, as it has gotten so mainstream. They'll play hip hop that crosses over like Loose yourself, When I see you again, or Jay's verse on Crazy in Love.

r28, TLC had the #1 song of 1999, and a multiplatinum album. They were nominated for the holy trinity Album, Record, and Song of the year in 2000. Lisa died in 2002.

What were you saying?

r24, That's what I remember about the video too, especially after mTV came out with Making the Video. Many expensive videos of that time shot behind green screens looked fake to me, but this one always looked so authentic. Its the lighting as you stated. Also, their makeup was on fleek.

Were they still together as a group when Lopes died, or had they broken up?

r44, yes they had rebanded and were working on their 4th studio album. She died suddenly and shockingly in a car trash, and they released the album later that Fall. It flopped because of her passing, IMHO. She was the charismatic centerpiece of the group. They were one of those rare groups were each member was so crucial to its success.

That album had great songs, Red Light Special, DIggin on you, my personal Fave - case of the fake people and their remake of If I was your Girlfriend by Prince - who loved it so much he offered to write for them.

Wasn’t there something about burning down a mansion by one of them?

R47 Left Eye - she was with Andre Reisen (sp?) they got into a fight and she put all his expensive shoes in a bathtub and set them on fire - it charred the tub so bad they had to replace it. She gets into another fight does the same thing but does not realize they replaced the porcelain tub with an acrylic one and it burst into flames and burns down his mansion.

R47, yes, the one who died burned her husband's house down. She claimed it was an accident gone wrong and she burned his shoes in his bathtub or something and just left them there not thinking about them and then the house burned down. Oops.

r45 the weirdest part was Left Eye was managing the group Blaque who were similar - with one rapper. That girl died as well in a weird car accident.

“Quick, turn on channel 5! Lisa burned the house down!”

You haven’t seen the Behind The Music episode about TLC? Turn in your Gay Card.

[quote]You haven’t seen the Behind The Music episode about TLC? Turn in your Gay Card.

None of the gay guys I knew back then were all that into TLC.

I always loved the video for Creep. They were sexy without even really trying, just dancing in silk pajamas. And the guy "playing" the trumpet was so cute.

Debra Killings made their songs.

This is a very interesting story on how the video was made.

I refused to chase them.

r52 Totally into them...starting with aint too proud to beg...up to fanmail. I even watched their reality show where they looked for Left Eye's replacement. and ended up with O SO KRISPY (R U THE GIRL WITH T-BOZ and CHILLI on UPN - say that shit three times fast lol).

“Quick, turn on channel 5! Lisa burned the house down!”

You haven’t seen the Behind The Music episode about TLC? Turn in your Gay Card.

That was one of the *best* BTM episodes! I loved how nonchalant Lisa was about starting the fire, sort of like "well, he pissed me off - he bought expensive shoes for himself but not me!"

I liked that they were honest about themselves, even when it cast them in a less than flattering light. It's hard to imagine that kind of candor from an artist today.

Did you ever see The Last Days of Left Eye (or something like that)? She was talented, but clearly had some mental health issues. I could never figure out what exactly caused the accident even though the video car in the car goes up to the point she loses control.

Left Eye went nuts, broke up the group them challenged them all to see who sold the most records. Her album flopped and she was suddenly very interested in getting TLC back together. When she died the group was still estranged.

R57 they actually had a reality show to replace Left Eye? How tacky!

"they actually had a reality show to replace Left Eye?"

No. The intent of that show was to find a third girl with which to record a single song. They have never wanted to replace Lisa as a member of TLC.

r61 she was supposed to go on tour too. They did have the two finalists meet with Lisa's family to get their blessing. 's

I'm watching it now and it means much to me.

TLC was huge. But for the plane crash, who knows what career they’d have had.

R64 What plane crash? Lisa died in a CAR accident.

The best song on the album.

The 2nd best song on the album.

The Waterfalls video was directed by F Gary Gray who's a big Hollywood director now.

R54 is right about Debra Killings. She was the invisible member of the group.

OP you’re asking “eldergays” for insight into hip hop music. Why?

I loved TLC. It was kind of amazing they were able to hit back with Fan Mail considering all the drama they had went through previously, and there was still even more drama to go through.

But "What About Your Friends", "Baby Baby Baby", "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg", "Creep", "Red Light Special", "Waterfalls", "Diggin' on You", "No Scrubs" and "Unpretty" are all classics. Just play their greatest hits. Every fucking song is brilliant. I even like some of the songs from 3D like "Damaged".

I wondered how you could chase waterfalls, which are pretty much stationary things you can find on a map.

TLC and En Vogue were so much better than Beyoncé featuring Two Side Chicks or whatever that other group was called.

I wish Tboz would join Real Housewives of Atlanta.

Isn't this song only about 10 years old? How elder a gay do you have to be to remember it? How old are you, OP?

Yes, it was yet another message that sex was bad and led to AIDS and should be feared and avoided.

Still working that out.

[quote] Isn't this song only about 10 years old?

It's 25 years old.

r74, you can tell someone is getting old when they say a song came out 10 years ago, when it really came out 25 years ago.

[quote] you can tell someone is getting old when they say a song came out 10 years ago, when it really came out 25 years ago.

Actually I looked up the official video (TLC - Waterfalls Official Music Video) and it said it came out on July 14, 2010, that's why I asked if it came out 10 years ago. If you Google it this is what comes up. Try it. Maybe it's a remix or something?

This comment was under that video, btw: I wonder how many black people know that the quote 'Don't go chasing waterfalls, stick to rivers and lakes you used to' is by Harriet Tubman. And who she is and what she did for us black people.

Anyhow, even if the song is 25 years old, if you heard it when you were 10 years old you would be 35, or if you were 20, you would be 45, and when I think of eldergays I think of 'elderly' which I think of as seniors, but that's just me I guess.

Trolls like the OP call everyone over 30 "eldergays."

I have SO much better things to do than spend my quarantine with the Aspie Pop Cataloguing Namedropper Troll.

[quote] I wonder how many black people know that the quote 'Don't go chasing waterfalls, stick to rivers and lakes you used to' is by Harriet Tubman.

lol

"Waterfalls is my jam!"