As the son of a vicar, he had his first singing experiences in a church choir. He attended Ripon College, where he also sang non-professionally with a group called the Indigos, and graduated in 1962. He went on to earn a master's degree in Vocational Rehabilitation from the University of Iowa, and worked as a rehabilitation counselor in San Francisco before joining a small jazz club trio headed by George Duke and deciding that he would make professional singing his life in 1968
He appeared in such Los Angeles hot spots as Dino's, the Troubador and Bitter End West. Television exposure came from Mike Douglas, Merv Griffin and David Frost, while he expanded his nightclub appearances to include performing at the Improv between the acts of such rising-star comics as Bette Midler, Jimmie Walker, and John Belushi, among others.
He was spotted by Warner Bros. in 1975 and soon thereafter released his critically acclaimed debut album, We Got By, which catapulted him into international fame and garnered him a German Grammy Award. A second German Grammy would follow with the release of his second album, Glow.
One of Jarreau's most commercially and artistically successful albums is Breakin' Away (1981), which includes the hit song "We're in This Love Together." He wrote and performed the Grammy-nominated theme to the 1980s American television show Moonlighting. Among other things, he is well-known for his scat singing and the ability to perfectly imitate conventional guitar, bass and percussive instrumentation. He was also a featured vocalist on USA for Africa's "We are the World" and sang the line, "...and so we all must lend a helping hand."
He has toured and performed with such greats as Joe Sample, Kathleen Battle, Miles Davis, David Sanborn and Rick Braun. He also performed the role of the Teen Angel in a 1996 Broadway production of Grease. On March 6, 2001 he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His star is located at 7083 Hollywood Boulevard on the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and La Brea Avenue.
All I Got
Al Jarreau Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We gonna get busy.
Say good-bye to the late, to
The great Mr. Nice Guy.
Do or die, I'm (gonna) open your eyes.
Start a wild, wild fire inside ya' baby.
Undecided, heart divided.
You can fight it, but tonight it's all about how strong.
I'm gonna hit you with all I got.
Get ready,
All I got.
Touch your sky,
All I got.
You'll be so pretty.
Church in the mornin',
But for the moment it's alright,
Yes, it's on.
East or West, full of stress.
Troublin' reaction.
I'll never rest,
'Til I get your request for some attraction
I'm gonna hit ya with all I got.
I'm gonna hit you, all I got.
Close your eyes, all I got.
Can you imagine.
The radio be singin', uh-huh, uh-huh.
All I got.
Be ready,
All I got.
Touch your sky,
All I got.
We'll be shoulder to shoulder,
Over & over it's alright,
Baby.
Baby, baby, the talkin' time is over.
Now we got to hurry to the real thang.
Didn't we let the season go rollin' right by.
What've we got to lose by givin' it all we got.
We gonna come out the winner, believe it or not.
Just rally around the funk and say I love ya.
Baby!
Goin' in through the window, stayin' through the summer.
Woe unto the woman that's startin' to doubt.
All I got.
All I got.
All I got.
All I got.
The song "All I Got" by Al Jarreau is a playful and suggestive track about love and passion. The lyrics are about letting go, giving in to your desires, and fully committing to a romantic relationship. Al Jarreau urges his love interest to get comfortable as they are going to get busy. He encourages her to say goodbye to the late and great Mr. Nice Guy, and he promises to open her eyes and start a wild fire inside her.
The lyrics convey Al Jarreau’s desire to provide all he has to his love interest, both physically and emotionally. He sings of undivided hearts and fighting the passion that they share. However, he urges her to let go and let him hit her with all he's got, touching her sky, and making her feel pretty. The song suggests that they can put aside their doubts and reservations to have a good time in the moment, even with the knowledge that life might be complicated in the morning.
The song’s upbeat tempo and Al Jarreau's captivating vocals pair well with the lyrics’ playful and suggestive nature. Listeners can’t help but sing and dance along to the infectious rhythm. "All I Got " is a romantic track that speaks to the thrill of falling in love and letting go.
Line by Line Meaning
You oughta get comfortable.
Get ready, we are about to do something that requires comfort.
We gonna get busy.
We are going to be very active.
Say good-bye to the late, to The great Mr. Nice Guy.
We will stop being polite and start being aggressive.
Do or die, I'm (gonna) open your eyes.
I am going to reveal the truth to you no matter what happens.
Start a wild, wild fire inside ya' baby.
I will ignite a passionate and uncontrollable desire in you.
Undecided, heart divided.Wonderin' how should, you ask me how longYou can fight it, but tonight it's all about how strong.
You are unsure and conflicted, wondering how long you can resist. But tonight is all about being strong and giving in.
I'm gonna hit you with all I got.
I am going to do everything in my power to achieve my goal.
Get ready, All I got.
Prepare yourself for what I am about to show you; I am fully committed.
Touch your sky, All I got.
I will reach the highest point of your desire and satisfaction.
You'll be so pretty.
You will look stunning in the end.
Church in the mornin', But for the moment it's alright, Yes, it's on.
We can worry about religion later; for now, let's focus on the present moment and what is happening right now.
East or West, full of stress.Troublin' reaction.
No matter where we are, there will always be challenges and obstacles.
I'll never rest, 'Til I get your request for some attraction
I will not stop until I receive your approval and affection.
Close your eyes, all I got.Can you imagine.The radio be singin', uh-huh, uh-huh. All I got.
Imagine a scenario where the radio station is singing about what I am going to do with you. Trust me, it will be worth closing your eyes for.
We'll be shoulder to shoulder, Over & over it's alright, Baby.
We will persevere together, and no matter how many times we go through this, it will be okay.
Baby, baby, the talkin' time is over.Now we got to hurry to the real thang.
Enough talking; it is time to take action and move to the main event.
Didn't we let the season go rollin' right by.What've we got to lose by givin' it all we got.
We allowed time to pass us by too quickly; why risk wasting more time? Let's give this our all and see what happens.
We gonna come out the winner, believe it or not.Just rally around the funk and say I love ya.Baby!
We will eventually succeed, whether you believe it or not. Let's embrace the energy and passion of the music and say 'I love you' to one another.
Goin' in through the window, stayin' through the summer.Woe unto the woman that's startin' to doubt.
We will enter in secret and stay through the summer. Do not doubt my intentions and actions.
All I got.
This is everything I have to offer.
All I got.
I am fully committed; this is all I have to give.
All I got.
Everything I have will be given to you.
All I got.
This is all we have and all we need.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ROSS BOLTON, AL JARREAU, ARNO LUCAS, JOSE MORELLI, FREDDIE RAVEL, JOE TURANO, CHRIS WALKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind