Together Again
by Janet Jackson

Album: The Velvet Rope (1997)
Charted: 4 1
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Songfacts®:

  • This song is Janet Jackson's dedication to all of her friends she lost to AIDS. She can still feel their presence and knows that someday they will be together again in heaven. In the liner notes to the album, Jackson names her fallen friends: Dominic, George, Derrick, Bobby, Dominic, Victor, José, and writes, "I miss you, and we will be together again."
  • Jackson had a large LGBT following but didn't release any songs that dealt specifically with that community until The Velvet Rope, her sixth album. Other tracks include a cover of Rod Stewart's "Tonight's The Night (Gonna Be Alright)" where she sings to a female lover, and "Free Xone," which deals with same sex relationships and espouses "one love."

    From a marketing standpoint, Jackson had little to gain with these kind of songs, but they were important to her so she stood up to the resistance from her record company, Virgin."

    "Before I wrote the song, I told some of the people at the label the concept for the song, and they didn't think it was a good idea," she told New Now Next. "I thought, 'You know, this is really stupid.' It was in my heart."
  • Jackson wrote this song with the songwriting/production team Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and her then-husband Rene Elizondo Jr. Elizondo also directed one of the music videos for the song, which shows Jackson reminiscing in her apartment about a friend she lost.

    The Jam/Lewis team had been working with Jackson since her 1986 album Control. This combination had one of the greatest runs of hits in the history of popular music; Jam and Lewis kept working with Jackson through her 2006 album 20 Y.O.
  • The album version runs 5:01 and starts slow, with a synthesized harp and mellow soundscape for the first 40 seconds before the beat drops. This version was influenced by Donna Summer's "Last Dance."

    The single runs 4:08 with a beat that comes in right away. The album version ended up being more popular; many radio stations play it instead of the single, and Jackson kept the slow intro when she performed it in concert.
  • Uptempo and hopeful, the song celebrates the lives of those Jackson lost more than it laments their deaths. "The idea was to make it a joyous song musically," Jimmy Jam said in the Billboard Book of #1 Hits.

    Jam also added that while the song has a specific inspiration for Jackson, it's a universal theme. "As with all her songs, she tries to make it apply in a general sense to anybody."
  • "Together Again" was the second single from The Velvet Rope, following "Got 'Til It's Gone," a song that features Q-Tip and samples Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi." Surprisingly, that one didn't chart in America, but "Together Again" really connected and shot to #1, giving Jackson her eighth chart-topper.
  • Janet Jackson didn't originally envision herself singing "Together Again." She told the BBC, "Even though I wrote it for myself, I always thought it would be better with someone like (The Weather Girls') Martha Wash, who had that kind of voice."

Comments: 13

  • Ag from Stoney CreekThank you creators for this song and off couse - Ms Jackson - I can never listen to this song without tears flowing for my Abbi who I lost
  • Rockcrusher5@yahoo.com from Rockcrusher5@yahoo.com1963 song by Buck Owens of the same title
  • Michael from AustinFirst of all the folks (haters) with negative comments are obviously uneducated, and that's ok. AIDS is a definition of many different illnesses and lab numbers. No one country has the same definition. You can live in Africa and be defined as AIDS under their definition, but yet in the USA you would not be defined as AIDS. This is because the USA uses a different definition of what is considered AIDS.
    Secondly...people don't die of AIDS. People die from HIV complications. If you take your medication, usually one pill per day you will live a normal lifetime. Oh, and promiscuity doesn't cause AIDS. Unsafe sexual practice, one or 100 partners may cause one to contract HIV, not AIDS.
    Thirdly...God judges who goes to heaven or hell. NOT YOU.
    And finally... Together Again is great song that's inspirational with a positive message. And no one is going to hell. And FYI, I've been HIV+ for 19 years and trust me... I'm not going to hell.
  • Eros from Tenerife, SpainI have seen an interview where Janet told the origins of this song:
    One of her fans wrote to her explaining how hurt she was that her dad died recently and Janet answered her letter telling her that no matter what her dad will be always watching over her and that she should stop suffering because one day they will be together again. And that is how Janet herself explained the birth of this song.
  • Paul from Bozeman, MtWhen is the human race going to pull their heads out of their asses (note: Lucas and Fulu), grow-up, and stop believing in antiquated superstitious beliefs? Our civilization could advance so much faster if we used reason, logic, and rational thinking rather than being driven by self-righteous, illogical, religious, supernatural bulls--t?
  • Lalah from Wasilla, AkI think we've all arrived at a very special place. Spiritually, ecumenically, grammatically.
  • Ekristheh from Halath, United StatesLucas - No, AIDS is an illness. Pat Robertson is a punishment from God.
  • Cj09 from Baltimore, Mdi just find this site but wowwwwwwww the thing's people have to say i love this song and i feel the meaning i have lost lots of friends by Aid's n now i have it from a untrue person but you never know what card the lord will give you so don't sit on here n talk about people in a bad way. always know when that last day come it's not you that a person have to stand in front of be the lord.but you don't have to be gay to get it you can lot's of ways and if you real want to know about it type it up on the computer.
  • Constance from Dallas, TxDying of AIDS has nothing to do with weather you go to hell or not. If you repent and confess (which is a change of mind, will and state) you can go to heaven. There is nothing that God doesn't forgive if you go to him. No of us deserves God’s mercy and forgiveness. We all are sinners. It’s by grace that forgiveness is granted. So go kick rocks!
  • Fulu Thompho from Limpopo, South AfricaLucas!! That's true, if a person dies of AIDS chances of seeing heaven are very slim. janet'd rather go to hell if she needs to meet those who die of AIDS she'll be "together again" with them there. sorry for being a little bit controversial
  • Lalah from Wasilla, AkMy daughter started playing this song about a month after her best friend died, (over and over and over). It wasn't her usual fare but somebody gave her one of those "Now this is music" CDs and this was on it. Until then I didn't realize that Janet Jackson has such a pleasant voice.
    Don't judge so harshly, Lucas. Unless you want to be judged just as hard. Our God is a patient one and perhaps his children who die of AIDS return to Him at the moment they let go. REPENT!
  • Miya from Mcclure, PaThat's not the only way to get AIDS, you know. Anyway, I like this song a lot.
  • Lucas from Brookings, SdPeople who get aids from dirty needles and promiscuity are unlikely to go to heaven. Just thought I should note that. Our God is a vengeful one.
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