Stay with Me (DeBarge song)

"Stay with Me" is a song performed by Motown recording group DeBarge issued on their acclaimed 1983 album, In a Special Way.

Song information

The song was composed in 1982 by siblings El, Marty and Bunny DeBarge. The lyrics described of a person wanting his lover to stay despite relationship worries.

The original recording featured El DeBarge on lead vocals. The ending refrain, "don't go, don't go/I love you so", would later be resung or sampled in several hip-hop/R&B recordings over a decade later, while the music's ending keyboard riff (performed by El) would also be sampled.

Hip-hop samples

Issued on the group's third album, In a Special Way, the song wasn't officially released as a single but it would gain leverage as an sampled single in hip-hop and R&B.

• By 1995, The Notorious B.I.G. has used the ending instrumental vamp of the song - which featured El's keyboard playing - for his hit song, "One More Chance".

• By 1995, Big L has also used the ending instrumental vamp of the song for his hit song, "MVP".

• Mary J. Blige and Faith Evans sung parts of the verses on "One More Chance" and later interpolated the ending vamp of the song for her track, "Don't Go", off her heralded My Life album.

• Nearly a decade later, R&B singer Ashanti sampled the song for her hit "Foolish" on her Self-titled debut album (2002).

• R&B and Neo-soul singer Musiq Soulchild sampled the song on the final track on the remix of "Girl Next Door" as "Ifiwouldaknew (Girlnextdoorremix)" which appeared from the 2002 album Juslisen.

• R&B singer Mariah Carey sampled the song's chorus for her 2008 single, "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" on her E=MC² album.

• Ne-Yo also used the song to sample for his song "Stay" on his debut album In My Own Words (2006).

Credits

• Lead vocals by El DeBarge
• Background vocals by El DeBarge, Randy DeBarge and Bunny DeBarge