Waterfalls (TLC song)
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| “Waterfalls” | ||||||||||||||
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| Single by TLC | ||||||||||||||
| Released | May 29, 1995 | |||||||||||||
| Format | CD single | |||||||||||||
| Recorded | 1994 | |||||||||||||
| Genre | R&B | |||||||||||||
| Length | 4:18 (Single Version) 3:46 (Radio Edit w/o Rap) 4:39 (Album Version) |
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| Label | LaFace | |||||||||||||
| Writer(s) | Marqueze Etheridge, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, Organized Noize | |||||||||||||
| Producer | Organized Noize | |||||||||||||
| Certification | RIAA: Platinum | |||||||||||||
| TLC singles chronology | ||||||||||||||
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"Waterfalls" is a 1995 hit R&B single by female trio TLC, and the group's signature song. The song was produced by the Organized Noize team and written by Marqueze Etheridge, TLC member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, and Organized Noize. It was the 2nd biggest Hot 100 Single of 1995, according to Billboard's Year End Charts.
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[edit] Details
The music video featured Ella Joyce, Bokeem Woodbine, Shyheim, Paul J. Alessi and Gabrielle Bramford. The song and video tackle the issues of drug dealing and AIDS. Writer Etheridge explains that the image of a waterfall was chosen because it's "one of the most beautiful things in the world, but at the same time is one of the most deadliest" [sic].
The song hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks from July 8, 1995. The background vocals on the recording were performed by all three of the members of TLC, as well as Debra Killings, and Cee-Lo.
The song shares the title, a possibly similar melody and some similar lyrics with "Waterfalls", a 1980 song by Paul McCartney; the TLC song's chorus begins, "Don't go chasing waterfalls/ Please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to", while the McCartney's song's first verse begins, "Don't go jumping waterfalls/ Please keep to the lake", and the second verse begins, "Don't go chasing polar bears". No legal action regarding the song was taken by McCartney.[1]
"Waterfalls" was placed in VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the Past 25 Years, charting at #13.
"Waterfalls" ranked #8 on VH1 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s.
The song was parodied by "Weird Al" Yankovic as "Phony Calls", a reference to prank calls, on the 1996 album Bad Hair Day.
[edit] Chart
| Chart (1995)[2] [3] [4] [5] [6] | Peak position |
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| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles & Tracks | 4 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary | 24 |
| U.S. ARC Weekly Top 40 | 1 |
| Australian Singles Chart | 4 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 3 |
| Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart | 25 |
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart | 23 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 5 |
| Eurochart Hot 100 Singles | 7 |
| French Singles Chart | 20 |
| German Singles Chart | 5 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 4 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 1 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 2 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 7 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 1 |
| UK Singles Chart | 4 |
| Maryland Historica 20 | 3 |
| Preceded by "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?" by Bryan Adams |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single July 8, 1995 - August 19, 1995 |
Succeeded by "Kiss From a Rose" by Seal |
| Preceded by "How Deep Is Your Love" by Portrait (R&B group) |
New Zealand (RIANZ) number one single August 11, 1995 - September 1, 1995 |
Succeeded by "You Are Not Alone" by Michael Jackson |
| Preceded by "You Are Not Alone" by Michael Jackson |
Swiss number one single October 8, 1995 October 29, 1995 |
Succeeded by "You Are Not Alone" by Michael Jackson Gangsta's Paradise by Coolio featuring L.V. |
[edit] Notes
- ^ Paul McCartney | The A.V. Club
- ^ "Waterfalls", in various Singles Chart Lescharts.com (Retrieved April 10, 2008)
- ^ German Singles Chart Charts-surfer.de (Retrieved April 10, 2008)
- ^ Irish Single Chart Irishcharts.ie (Retrieved April 10, 2008)
- ^ UK Singles Chart Chartstats.com (Retrieved April 10, 2008)
- ^ Billboard Billboard.com (Retrieved April 10, 2008)
[edit] References
- The Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits (fifth edition)
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