Song of the Day: Breakin’ My Heart (by Mint Condition)

Posted on February 8, 2026 by Arleigh

Whenever “Breakin’ My Heart” by Mint Condition comes on, it’s like flipping back to the spring of ’91 — those final high school days buzzing with possibility and that sweet uncertainty of what came next. I remember those silky keys and that laid-back groove spilling out of boomboxes in the parking lot after school, turning ordinary afternoons into something electric. It was the ultimate slow jam for passing notes in class and those marathon phone calls about crushes that felt like the whole world.

What made the track stick so deep was its smooth, patient vibe, like it was custom-made to linger in those tender high school romance moments — Stokley’s voice carrying that perfect mix of ache and hope. At senior prom, when “Pretty Brown Eyes” finally hit, the gym lights dimmed, and suddenly every sway felt like a promise. It bridged those innocent, heart-on-your-sleeve high school flings right into the haze of early college, where relationships got messier, longer-distance, and way more real, with calls late at night from someone met through college halls and weekend jaunts to clubs.

That song soundtracked our whole transition that summer before freshman year — cruising with windows down, radio cranked, as we traded high school goodbyes for the thrill and nerves of campus life. Mint Condition’s harmonies wrapped up all the nostalgia of backyard parties and first kisses, while hinting at the tougher navigations ahead, like figuring out if those feelings could stretch across states. Even now, it pulls me right back to that bridge between worlds — young love evolving, full of promise and those first real heartbreaks.

Breakin’ My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes)

Pretty
Brown
Eyes

Pretty brown eyes, you know I see you
It’s a disguise, the way you treat me
(The way you treat me, pretty brown eyes)
You keep holding on to your thoughts of rejection
If you’re with me, you’re secured

You keep telling me that your time is always taken
But I keep seeing you out alone
(Out alone, pretty brown eyes) yeah
Listen to love, your heart is pounding with desire
Waiting to be unleashed

Quit breakin’ my heart
Breakin’ my heart (pretty brown eyes)
Yeah, breakin’ my heart, oh, yeah
Breakin’ my heart (pretty brown eyes)
Sugar, yeah, yeah

Don’t tell your friends
That I don’t mean nothing to you
Please, don’t deny the truth
(Pretty brown eyes)
Tell me right now, I know your heart is in the right place
You know I won’t let you down, oh, yeah, yeah

You can’t disguise all the pounding of your heart, yeah
(I see your eyes) I see your eyes
(Pretty brown eyes) and you can’t hide
Start to make sense and quit playing
These love games (silly little games)
Tell me what you’re gonna do, yeah

Quit breakin’ my heart
Breakin’ my heart (pretty brown eyes)
Yeah, breakin’ my heart, ooh
Breakin’ my heart (pretty brown eyes), yeah

I just want to know one thing
Will you be with me?
(Pretty brown eyes)
Ooh, ooh, ooh, oh, oh
Here comes my darlin’ (here comes my darlin’)
Here comes romance (here comes romance)
Here comes my lovin’ (here comes my lovin’)
(Please, honey will you dance?)

Quit breakin’ my heart
Breakin’ my heart (pretty brown eyes)
Breakin’ my heart, yeah
Breakin’ my heart, whoa

Got me cryin’ all inside (pretty brown eyes)
Ohh, ho, ho, ooh, I’m talking ’bout (breakin’ my heart)
I’m talkin’ ’bout you, I’m talkin’ ’bout me
I’m talkin’ ’bout we, I’m talkin’ ’bout we, we (pretty brown eyes)

Here comes my darlin’ (here comes my darlin’)
Here comes romance (here comes romance)
Here comes my lovin’, will you dance (here comes my lovin’, please, honey will you dance?)
Oh yeah, sugar pie, baby
Breakin’ my heart

Here comes my darlin’ (here comes my darlin’)
Here comes romance (here comes romance)
Will you dance (here comes my lovin’, please, honey will you dance?)
Oh, hoo, ohh, yeah (pretty brown eyes)
Heart, breakin’ my heart (pretty brown eyes)
Breakin’ my heart (pretty brown eyes)
Breakin’ my heart, breakin’ my heart

Song of the Day: Make It Last Forever (by Keith Sweat)

Posted on February 7, 2026 by Arleigh

It’s funny how just the first few notes of “Make It Last Forever” can take you straight back to those smoky gymnasiums where the lights were dim, the disco ball spun slow, and everyone pretended not to care who asked who to dance. Keith Sweat’s voice had that raw, pleading edge — smooth but vulnerable — the kind that cut right through all the teenage coolness. This track wasn’t just background music; it was the moment when couples swayed a little closer, trying to hang on to a feeling that was bigger than any senior year could hold.

The thing about that late ’80s R&B scene is that it knew how to make time stop. Between Sweat’s silky tone and Jacci McGhee’s soft harmonies, the song felt like a brand-new kind of intimacy. It wasn’t flashy, just honest — the kind of slow jam that made you believe love could actually last forever, at least for the length of that dance. You didn’t need fancy choreography or a booming beat; the groove did all the talking. It was warm, romantic, and a little bittersweet — the perfect soundtrack for that fleeting stretch between youth and adulthood.

Even now, when it plays on an old-school radio mix or at a 40th high school reunion, something in it still hits home. You remember the scent of cheap cologne, the click of high heels on the gym floor, and that mix of nerves and hope that only a slow dance can bring. “Make It Last Forever” wasn’t just a song — it was a promise whispered in the dark, a memory that never quite fades, no matter how many years go by.

Make It Last Forever

Make it last
Make it last forever (ever)
Don’t let our love end (ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-oh)
Let’s make it last (ooh-ooh-ooh-oh)
Let’s make it last forever and ever
Mm, don’t let our love end (oh, don’t let love end) mm

Let me hear you tell me you love me
Let me hear you say you’ll never leave me
Ooh, girl, that would make me feel so right
Let me hear you tell me you want me
Let me hear you say you’ll never leave me, baby
Until the morning light (ah)

Let me tell you how much I love you
Let me tell you that I really need you
Baby, baby, baby, I will make it all right
No one but you, baby, can make me feel
The way you make me, make me, make me feel

Whoa, oh-oh-oh
Mm, mm, mm
Don’t let our love end (oh, ooh-oh)
Just make it last forever (oh, make it last) and ever (forever)

Your touch is wonderful
Your love is so marvelous
Joy, that’s what I feel when I’m with you
Nothing, no one (no one, boy)
Could compare to what we have (oh, my baby)
Love, it feels so good
I’m so glad you’re mine (oh, oh)

Whoa, oh-oh-oh (ooh, baby)
Make it last forever (ooh, ooh, ooh)
Don’t let our love end (no-no, no-no-no)
Make it last forever and ever (yeah, yeah)

Ooh, give me kisses (kisses)
Love me (love me), hold me (hold me)
Squeeze me (squeeze me)
Chillin’ (chillin’), come on (come on)
I love it (you know I do), baby

Whoa, oh-oh-oh
Mm, mm, mm
Make it last forever (no-no) and ever (no-no-no)
Don’t let our love end (and ever)

Ooh, whoa, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh (no, don’t you let it end)
You got to make it last
Never, never, never let it end
Just make it last forever and ever (ooh-ooh, oh)

I want our love to last a lifetime (I’d give it up, give it up for you)
Ooh, tell me, tell me you’ll always be mine
(I love you, love you, love you, love you, love you)
To make love forever and ever (ooh-ooh)
We’ve got to make it last
Got to make it, got to make it, got to make it, got to make it
Oh, baby, oh, honey (oh, honey)
I love you (ooh, oh, oh, I love you)

Ooh, you’re my best thing in the world (oh)
The only thing in the world, I love you so

Song of the Day: That’s the Way Love Goes (by Janet Jackson)

Posted on February 14, 2015 by Arleigh

A late Happy Valentine’s for those who celebrate it and for those who do not, well the day is almost over.

What better way to close out another Valentine’s than to go back many years to one of the classic ballads to come out of the early 90’s. This one comes courtesy of one Ms. Janet Jackson. It was the lead single in her 5th full-length album and became a signature song for her.

Whenever people my age say that they don’t make music like they used to back in our days then I can honestly say that this song, “That’s the Way Love Goes”, is a prime example of a song done right back in my days.

That’s the Way Love Goes

Like a moth to a flame
Burned by the fire
My love is blind
Can’t you see my desire?
That’s the way love goes
Like a moth to a flame
Burned by the fire
My love is blind
Can’t you see my desire?

Like a moth to a flame
Burned by the fire
My love is blind
Can’t you see my desire
That’s the way love goes
Like a moth to a flame
Burned by the fire
That’s the way love goes
My love is blind
Can’t you see my desire?

Come with me
Don’t you worry
I’m gonna make you crazy
I’ll give you the time of your life

I’m gonna take you places
You’ve never been before and
You’ll be so happy that you came

Oooooh, I’m gonna take you there
Oo-ooh hoo-ooh oo-ooh
That’s the way love goes
Hoo
That’s the way love goes
That’s the way love goes
That’s the way love goes

Don’t mind if I light candles
I like to watch us play and
Baby, I’ve got on what you like

Come closer
Baby closer
Reach out and feel my body
I’m gonna give you all my love
Ooh sugar don’t you hurry
You’ve got me here all night
Just close your eyes and hold on tight

Ooh baby
Don’t stop, don’t stop
Go deeper
Baby deeper
You feel so good I’m gonna cry

Oooooh I’m gonna take you there
Oo-ooh hoo-ooh oo-ooh
That’s the way love goes
Hoo
That’s the way love goes
That’s the way love goes it goes it goes
Oooh that’s the way love goes
Reach out and feel my body
That’s the way love goes
Dontcha know
That’s the way
Like a moth to a flame
Burned by the fire
My love is blind
Can’t you see my desire
Like a moth to a flame
Burned by the fire My love is blind
Can’t you see my desire?
That’s the way love goes

Song of the Day: Ready or Not (by After 7)

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Arleigh

Like I tend to do with a special holiday coming around the corner I do a themed series of posts. This time it will be a new ballad for “Song of the Day” until Valentine’s Day arrives on the 14th. What better way to begin this romance-themed of songs than choosing a classic ballad from my high school days: “Ready or Not” by After 7.

This song comes from the R&B group After 7 and their self-titled debut album from 1989. “Ready or Not” was released as a single in 1990 and quickly became a staple of most R&B and urban contemporary radio stations. It also became a favorite ballad to be played during high school dances especially winter balls and proms (at least in the Bay Area). It was difficult not to like this ballad once one heard it. The late 80’s was a major era for the rebirth of Motown-infused R&B groups and After 7 was one of the better ones to make themselves known during this era.

“Ready or Not” was a very earnest sounding ballad and spoke to the romantic heart of those who listened to it both old and young. I think one reason why high school teens and young adults liked this song (and continue to do even as these same people are now in their 30’s and 40’s) is now it vocalized just exactly what their thoughts were when it came to their significant others. It didn’t just vocalize it, but did so in the most heartfelt way that some people today might call too sugary.

I, for one, still cling to the thought that this song represents romance in it’s most honest form. There’s barely a hint of cynicism in the lyrics and one could believe that Keith Mitchell and Kevon Edmonds (the two out of the trio in the group who sing solos in the song) also believed what they were singing about. They believed in the lyrics not as a way to manipulate their audience the way R&B singers of this current era do now.

“Ready or Not” will continue to be one of those songs which remains a favorite to this day and also one that helps me think back to the good days of my high school days.

Ready or Not

I’ll give the sun
The Rain
The Moon
The Stars and The Mountains
I’ll give you the world
And all that you wish for
And even more
Girl I love you more than you could know
And that’s for sure
I’d climb the highest hill
Cross the widest sea
Nothin could discourage me
And I pray that you will be
Always there for me
Forever more

Ready or not**
I’ll give you everything
and more
All that I’ve got–it’s yours
I’ll give you everything
All that you’re looking for

I’ll give you my heart
My soul
my time
My love is a fountain
I will be your earth
And all that you need for
and even more
Cause girl I love you more than words can show

My love is pure
I’ll walk a thousand miles
Sail a thousand seas
Nothin will discourage me
And I pray that you will be
Always there for me
Forever more

(Repeat Chorus** 3x)