If Lyrics
Sittin' over here, starin' in your face
With lust in my eyes, sure don't give a damn
And ya don't know that I've been dreamin'
Of ya in my fantasy
Never once you looked at me
Don't even realize that I'm wantin' you to fulfill my needs
Think what you want, let your mind free
Run free to a place no one dares to
[Pre-Chorus]
How many nights I've laid in bed excited over you?
I've closed my eyes and thought of us a hundred different ways
I've gotten there so many times, I wonder how 'bout you
Day and night, night and day, all I've got to say is
[Chorus]
If I was your girl, oh, the things I'd do to you
I'd make you call out my name, I'd ask who it belongs to
If I was your woman, the things I'd do to you
But I'm not, so I can't, then I won't, but if I was your girl
[Verse 2]
Allow me some time to play with your mind
And you'll get there again and again
Close your eyes and imagine my body undressed
Take your time 'cause we've got all night, ooh
You on the rise as you're touchin' my thighs
And let me know what you like, if you like, I'll go
Down, da-down, down, down, da-down, down
I'll hold you in my hand and maybe
Your smooth and shiny feels so good against my lips, sugar
I want you so bad I can taste your love right now, baby
Day and night, night and day, all I've got to say is
[Chorus]
If I was your girl, oh, the things I'd do to you
I'd make you call out my name, I'd ask who it belongs to
If I was your woman, the things I'd do to you
But I'm not, so I can't, then I won't, but if I was your girl
If I was your girl, oh, the things I'd do to you
I'd make you call out my name, I'd ask who it belongs to
If I was your woman, the things I'd do to you
But I'm not, so I can't, then I won't, but if I was your girl
[Bridge]
I've laid in bed excited over you
One hundred different ways
I've thought of many, many
All I want to say is
[Chorus]
If I was your girl, oh, the things I'd do to you
I'd make you call out my name, I'd ask who it belongs to
If I was your woman, the things I'd do to you
But I'm not, so I can't, then I won't, but if I was your girl
If I was your girl, oh, the things I'd do to you
I'd make you call out my name, I'd ask who it belongs to
If I was your woman, the things I'd do to you
But I'm not, so I can't, then I won't, but if I was your girl
If I was your girl, oh, the things I'd do to you
I'd make you call out my name, I'd ask who it belongs to
If I was your woman, the things I'd do to you
But I'm not
About
“If” was the second single released from Janet Jackson’s 1993 album janet. It reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The song—an amalgam of dance-pop, new jack swing, and industrial—is told from the point of view of a woman having an erotic fantasy about a man she’s watching in a club.
The unapologetically sexual lyrical content and genre-defying sound—not to mention its iconic music video—were further indication that Jackson was fearlessly moving into an edgier chapter of her career.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
In a 1993 interview with the LA Times, Jackson said:
That’s the most personal song on the album for me. They are feelings every girl has had, even guys. At one point, I thought, ‘Hmmm, I wonder if this is going to be too much for people to take from me … this innocent picture they have.’ But I said screw it, this is me. I felt this way, exactly this way… I don’t think the album is crass because I don’t think sex is crass. To me, it’s an expression of love.”
- 1.Morning
- 3.You Know
- 6.If
- 7.Back
- 8.This Time
- 10.Throb
- 11.What’ll I Do
- 12.The Lounge
- 13.Funky Big Band
- 14.Racism
- 15.New Agenda
- 16.Love Part 2
- 17.Because of Love
- 18.Wind
- 19.Again
- 20.Another Lover
- 22.Hold on Baby
- 24.Rain
- 26.Are You Still Up
- 27.Sweet Dreams
- 28.Whoops Now
