“Don’t Wanna Be a Player” is a hit single in Joe’s second album,  All That I Am. It was released on April 15, 1997. The song is the second on the album, which also includes  “The Love Scene” and “All the Thing (Your Man Won’t Do).”

Song Facts: 

• Joseph Lewis Thomas (Joe) was born on July 5, 1972 to evangelist preachers. He grew up in Ashburn, Georgia before moving to Atlanta to pursue his music. 
• He signed with Polygram Records in 1992, kickstarting his R&B musical career. 
• The song peaked in the top five in the Hot R&B / Hip-Hop songs. It became the second top-ten hit on this chart.
• “Don’t Wanna Be a Player” became Joe’s highest-ranking song in the UK Singles when it ranked at # 16.
• On February 25, 1997, Joe first released the song as a single soundtrack for the film Booty Call.
• Joe has released 13 different studio albums, including Everything, All that I Am, Joe Thomas, New Man and Home Is The Essence of Christmas. 
• “Still Not a Player” by Big Pun and Joe samples “Don’t Wanna Be a Player.”
• Ray J AND Bobby Brackins “I Hit It First” also samples the song. 
• The Fly Together Remix by Red Cafe, J. Cole, Wale, and Trey Songz samples “Don’t Wanna Be a Player.”
• Joe and Big Baby remixed “Don’t Wanna Be a Player” in 1997.
• The song was nominated for a Soul Train Music Award in 1998. 
• Joe was nominated for 14 different awards. In 2001, he won an ASCAP Award for the Most Performed Song In Motion Pictures for his song “I Wanna Know.” 
• In 2007, Joe performed a cover of Carrie Underwood’s song “Before He Cheats” as a Pepsi Smash. 

Lyrics 

Don’t wanna be a player

Don’t wanna be a player

Don’t wanna be a player

Don’t wanna be a player

Don’t wanna be

Don’t wanna be a player no more

I think I found someone I could live my life for

Don’t wanna be a player no more

I think I found someone I could live my life for

I’m yours, your mine, for sure

I had enough of running wild

I’m switching out my whole lifestyle

I don’t wanna live the way I used to

I’m giving up the booty cause

Spinning C’s at the ta-ta bars

No leaving with two or three girls to get me off

All I need is one who’s really down

Someone to turn this player’s life around

Girl I feel like you could be the one

To make a difference in my life

Cause I’m tired of living tripe

Don’t wanna be a player no more

I think I found someone I could live my life for

Don’t wanna be a player no more

I think I found someone I could live my life for

I’m yours, your mine, for sure

No rolling with an entourage

Celeb’ style like a movie star

Sippin down with the ladies all around me

Laughing girls off at the way I was of the morning

Gettin’ beeps from Milan and Delhi

A true player never gets a chance to sleep, no

All I need is one who’s really down

Someone to turn this player’s life around

Girl I feel like you could be the one

To make a difference in my life

Cause I’m tired of living tripe

Don’t wanna be a player no more

I think I found someone I could live my life for

Don’t wanna be a player no more

I think I found someone I could live my life for

I’m yours, your mine, for sure

Baby girl I’m buggin over you

You got me giving up the things I used to do

You got so much in life to gain

And to prove to you I’m getting out the game

No more players style