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.
Better Than Anything
Al Jarreau Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Better than diving for pearls
Better than skiing in Aspen
Better than feeding the squirrels
Better than finding a horseshoe
Better than losing your head
Better than anything thought of
Better than anything said
Or being spotted in a crowd
Better than anything except being in love
Do you know, being in love
Better than four sets of Dizzy
Better than Count Basie's band
Better than Rollins and Coltrane
Better than being on the stand
Better than Ella Fitzgerald
Better than Miles' latest news
Better than Bill Evans' ballads
Better than Joe Williams' blues
Better than hearing Lady Day
Or checking in at Monterey
Better than anything except being in love
Do you know, being in love
It's a circus
Elephants dancing
Clowns on parade
Better than peanuts and popcorn
Fresh lemonade
Better than rides on the midway
Better than seals blowing horns
Better than men shot from cannons
Better than fresh ears of corn
Better than balancing a wire
Or watching tigers leap through fire
Better than anything except being in love
The lyrics of Al Jarreau's "Better Than Anything" speak to the many things that people deem to be exciting or uplifting, but ultimately fall short of the feeling of being in love. The first stanza compares various activities, such as sailing at midnight, finding a horseshoe, and feeding squirrels, and reflects that despite their charm, they are not as fulfilling as the experience of love. The second stanza continues the comparison, noting that famous musicians and performance acts fall short of the emotional experience of being in love.
The song's central message is that being in love is unparalleled to any other human experience, and the lyrics use vivid imagery to convey this message. The chorus repeats the idea that nothing is better than being in love, emphasizing that it is a feeling that transcends all else.
Overall, the song is a celebration of love and its transformative power. It aims to inspire listeners to prioritize the joy of being in love over other activities or achievements that may seem important, but ultimately fall short of the deep emotional fulfillment that love provides.
Line by Line Meaning
Better than sailing at midnight
There are a lot of things that lead to satisfaction but sailing at midnight is one of the more remarkable ones.
Better than diving for pearls
Although pearls are expensive, there are better things to experience.
Better than skiing in Aspen
Skiing in Aspen is considered one of the best experiences but there are better things to explore.
Better than feeding the squirrels
Even simple pleasures like feeding the squirrels can not make up for better things.
Better than finding a horseshoe
Finding a horseshoe is considered lucky but it is not better than certain experiences.
Better than losing your head
Losing your head means you are taken by surprise, but there are things that are still better than that.
Better than anything thought of
There are multiple better things that have not been thought of yet.
Better than anything said
Although people say there are the best things, there are still better things that they have not said.
Better than singing right out loud
Singing is a good way to express yourself but it is not better than other experiences.
Or being spotted in a crowd
Getting recognition from people in a crowd is a good feeling but there are better things than that.
Better than anything except being in love
Apart from being in love, there are things that are better than everything else.
Better than four sets of Dizzy
Even listening to music by Dizzy Gillespie can be outshone by better things.
Better than Count Basie's band
Count Basie's band is exceptional, but there are even better things to appreciate.
Better than Rollins and Coltrane
Rollins and Coltrane are top-tier players in jazz but there are other better situations.
Better than being on the stand
Even performing on the stand is not as good as certain experiences.
Better than Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald is an unmatched artist, but there are better things to experience.
Better than Miles' latest news
Miles Davis is a legend but there are still better things out there.
Better than Bill Evans' ballads
Listening to Bill Evan's Ballads, although it is emotional, can be outshone by better things.
Better than Joe Williams' blues
Joe William's Blues music is significant but there are experiences that are better than that.
Better than hearing Lady Day
Although Billie Holiday's music is an incredible experience, there are still better things to encounter.
Or checking in at Monterey
Monterey is a great place to be, but there are better things to explore.
Better than anything except being in love
Apart from being in love, there are things that are better than everything else.
Do you know, being in love
The author is acknowledging that love is the highest level of satisfaction one can experience.
It's a circus
Love is like a circus, with various things going on.
Elephants dancing
The author is expressing the diversity of the experience that comes with being in love.
Clowns on parade
The experience can be entertaining, interesting and full of laughter as seen in a clown parade.
Better than peanuts and popcorn
The joy that comes from being in love transcends simple physical pleasures like peanuts and popcorn.
Fresh lemonade
Even though lemonade on a hot day could be refreshing, it is not more pleasurable than being in love.
Better than rides on the midway
Even exciting rides at a fair are not as exciting as being in love.
Better than seals blowing horns
Seals are known to entertain people by clapping and blowing horns, but love is even more gratifying.
Better than men shot from cannons
Airborne Men from a cannon is an unbelievable sight, but it can not give the same satisfaction as love.
Better than fresh ears of corn
Delicious corn is refreshing, but being in love is even more satisfying.
Better than balancing a wire
Even walking on a high wire is not as satisfying as being in love.
Or watching tigers leap through fire
Watching a pair of tigers jump through burning hoops is an exciting act, but being in love tops it.
Better than anything except being in love
Apart from being in love, there are things that are better than everything else.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: BILL LOUGHBOROUGH, DAVE WHEAT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind