Released 7 July 1997 Length 5:10 | Recorded 1996 Label Epic, Sony | |
Format CD single, promo single, airplay, maxi single Genre Pop, R&B, soul, soft rock | ||
"How Come, How Long" is a song written, produced and performed by Babyface (Kenneth Edmonds). It was released as the third single from his album The Day. It is a duet with American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder.
Contents
The lyrics deal with physical abuse, regarding a woman killed by her husband after tremendous physical abuse. This release met with mixed reaction by critics and did not chart on any major charts in United States, finding a better chart performance in United Kingdom, where it became a top ten hit for the performers. This song was nominated twice for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.
Song information
The track was written, produced and performed by Babyface as a duet with American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder, who also co-wrote the song. The lyrics deal with domestic violence and is inspired by the Nicole Brown Simpson case. On the Entertainment Weekly review of The Day, David Browne wrote that this "domestic-abuse saga" needed "tougher music to make its point." At the 40th Grammy Awards this song received a nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals, which it lost to "Don't Look Back" by John Lee Hooker and Van Morrison. The following year, the song received the same nomination with the live version included on Babyface's Unplugged album, losing this time to Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach with their rendition of "I Still Have That Other Girl".
The music video for this song, directed by F. Gary Gray, shows several people in the same building ignoring the shouts and screams and multiple fights between a married couple, ending with a twist, showing that the woman killed her abusive husband, ending with her being arrested. This video received a nomination for Best R&B Video at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards, which was awarded to "I'll Be Missing You" by Puff Daddy (Sean Combs) featuring Faith Evans and 112. It also was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video, losing to "Got 'til It's Gone" by Janet Jackson.
Track listing
- "How Come, How Long" – 5:11
- "Every Time I Close My Eyes" (Timbaland remix) – 4:23
- "How Come, How Long" (Radio edit) – 4:12
- "How Come, How Long" (radio edit) – 4:12
- "How Come, How Long" (Natty & Slaps remix) – 5:08
- "How Come, How Long" (Laws & Craigie remix) – 6:28
- "Every Time I Close My Eyes" (Timbaland remix) – 4:55
Personnel
The following people contributed to "How Come, How Long":