Thinking Of You

Album: 5 (1998)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Kravitz wrote this in honor of his mother, Roxie Roker, who died of breast cancer in 1995. The singer told Rolling Stone in 2018: "I wrote this after my mom died. It was a really hard time. It was basically a song to her, just asking her how it was, where she was now, what it's like. Is it everything you would imagine it to be? It wasn't an easy song to write; it took a minute. And the chorus was just talking about how I'm doing my best to make her happy and proud: 'Thinking of you and all the things you wanted me to do be, and I'm trying.' It's just a beautiful tribute to my mother."
  • Roxie Roker was an actress best known for playing Helen Willis on the '70s sitcom The Jeffersons. She married TV producer Sy Kravitz in 1962 and the couple welcomed son Lenny in 1964. Roxie was influential in her son's life and he took her words of wisdom to heart. His 1991 hit "Always on the Run" was inspired by her advice to slow down and enjoy life.
  • In the music video, directed by Matthew Rolston, Kravitz sings in a corridor surrounded by pictures of his mother.
  • The single features a salsa remix by Emilio Estefan and a hip-hop remix by 311 frontman Nick Hexum.
  • This features Kravitz's longtime guitarist, Craig Ross, playing a unique percussive element: Heineken bottles.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Classic Metal

Classic MetalFact or Fiction

Ozzy, Guns N' Roses, Judas Priest and even Michael Bolton show up in this Classic Metal quiz.

Maria Muldaur

Maria MuldaurSongwriter Interviews

The "Midnight At The Oasis" singer is an Old Time gal. She talks about her jug band beginnings and shares a Dylan story.

Carol Kaye

Carol KayeSongwriter Interviews

A top session musician, Carol played on hundreds of hits by The Beach Boys, The Monkees, Frank Sinatra and many others.

Dennis DeYoung

Dennis DeYoungSongwriter Interviews

Dennis DeYoung explains why "Mr. Roboto" is the defining Styx song, and what the "gathering of angels" represents in "Come Sail Away."

Gene Simmons of Kiss

Gene Simmons of KissSongwriter Interviews

The Kiss rocker covers a lot of ground in this interview, including why there are no Kiss collaborations, and why the Rock Hall has "become a sham."

90210 to Buffy to Glee: How Songs Transformed TV

90210 to Buffy to Glee: How Songs Transformed TVSong Writing

Shows like Dawson's Creek, Grey's Anatomy and Buffy the Vampire Slayer changed the way songs were heard on TV, and produced some hits in the process.