Cover art for Down Low (Nobody Has to Know) by R. Kelly

Down Low (Nobody Has to Know)

R. Kelly
Track 8 on R. Kelly 

Produced by

Dec. 11, 19951 viewer35.5K views

Down Low (Nobody Has to Know) Lyrics

[Verse 1: R. Kelly]
Listen, girl, you want me but he needs you
Yet you're telling me that everything is cool
Trying to convince me, baby, to do as you say
Just go along and see things your way

[Chorus: R. Kelly & Ron Isley]
And keep it on the down low
Nobody has to know
We can keep it on the down low
Nobody has to know

[Verse 2: R. Kelly]
Secret lovers is what you wanna be
While making love to him, girl, you're silently calling on me

What is a man to do in a situation like this?
I feel there is something that I, I don't wanna miss

[Chorus: R. Kelly & Ron Isley]
And keep it on the down low
Nobody has to know
We can keep it on the down low
Nobody has to know

[Verse 3: R. Kelly]
Beautiful you are but you're his by far
Coming by my way driving his fancy car
Making plans to be in my life forever
Tell me, tell me that we'll always be together
[Chorus: R. Kelly & Ron Isley]
And keep it on the down low
Nobody has to know
We can keep it on the down low
Nobody has to know

[Outro: R. Kelly & Ron Isley]
Listen, babe, I won't whisper a word
How could you go, so low, so low
Nobody, nobody, nobody
Keep it on the down low

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About

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Genius Annotation

“Down Low (Nobody Has to Know)” is a single from R. Kelly, taken from his 1995 self titled album. The song features The Isley Brothers, as well as the debut of Ron Isley’s character, Frank Biggs. The song is from the perspective of a man having an affair with another man’s woman, and tells her to keep their relationship a secret. The music video was released, and in it, Isley’s character was a mob boss, who employs Kelly. Biggs tells Kelly that he’s going on a business trip and wants her to take care of his wife Lila while he’s gone, but warns him to never touch her. When Biggs returns, he enters his apartment, only for Kelly to be caught in bed with his wife. It was revealed that Kelly was beaten up by Biggs' bodyguards and left him in the desert. The end of the video finds Lila in the hospital. Just as Kelly was about to profess his love for her, Lila dies from her wounds. The single was released on December 11, 1995. It charted at number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and 4 on the Hot 100, making it Kelly’s fifth single to do so. “Down Low (Nobody Has to Know)” would be the beginning of a saga between Kelly and Biggs.

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Recorded At
Chicago Recording Company
Release Date
December 11, 1995
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