On Bended Knee

Album: II (1994)
Charted: 20 1
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • A huge hit on Boyz II Men's second album, this song was written and produced by the team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who were best known for their work on most of Janet Jackson's hits, but also had some ballad experience with the track "Tender Love," which they wrote and produced for the Force MD's in 1986. In a Songfacts interview with Jimmy Jam, he explained: "Boyz II Men, they're so incredibly talented. 'On Bended Knee' came up because we didn't work on their first album, we got to know them on their second album. And our thought was that they sing what we'd like to call 'begging' songs really, really well. And when they played us their album and said, 'We want you guys to add something to this,' we didn't sense that there were any begging songs on there. And so that's how we came up with 'On Bended Knee.'"
  • This song spent six weeks at #1 in the US, which shockingly is only the fourth greatest chart achievement for Boyz II Men. Their 1992 hit "End of the Road" was on top for 13 weeks, "I'll Make Love To You" held the top spot for 14 weeks in 1994, and "One Sweet Day," released in 1995 was at #1 for 16 weeks.
  • The video for this song, directed by Lionel C. Martin, has crazy where-are-they now appeal. Playing the love interests of the band members are:

    Kim Fields (Tootie from The Facts of Life)

    Lark Voorhies (Lisa from Saved by the Bell)

    Victoria Rowell (Drucilla on The Young and the Restless)

    Renee Jones (Lexie on Days of our Lives)

Comments: 2

  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn this day in 1994 {November 19th} Boyz II Men performed "On Bended Kneer" on the nationally syndicated television program, 'Soul Train'...
    At the time "On Bended Knee" was at position #12 on Billboard's Hot R&B Singles chart, six weeks later it would peak at #2 {for 2 non-consecutive weeks}, the two weeks it was at #2, the #1 record for both those weeks was "Creep" by TLC...
    And on December 28th, 1994 it reached #1 {for 2 weeks} on Billboard's Top 100 chart...
    Between 1991 and 2011 the Philadelphia, PA group had twenty-four records on the Hot R&B Singles chart, eleven made the Top 10 with five* reaching #1, "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday" for 1 week in 1991, "Uhh Ahh" for 1 week in 1992, "End of the Road" for 4 weeks in 1992, "I'll Make Love To you" for 9 weeks in 1994, and "A Song For Mama" for 2 weeks in 1997...
    Three of their twenty-four records were duets, one each with Brian McKnight, Faith Evans, and Charlie Wilson...
    May Don Cornelius {1936 - 2012} R.I.P.
    * They just missed having two more #1 records when both their above "On Bended Knee" and "4 Seasons of Loneliness" {1997} peaked at #2 on the Hot R&B Singles chart...
  • Nancy from VenturaLove Wayna and Kim Fields on Dancing With the Stars.
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