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.
Go Away Little Girl
Al Jarreau Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wish you wouldn't stay (little girl)
Won't you go away (little girl)
Wooo ooo go away.
Go away little girl
Go away little girl
I'm not supposed to be alone with you
But our lips must never meet
I belong to somebody else and I must be true.
Please go away little girl
Go away little girl
It's hurting me more each minute that you delay
When you are near me like this
You're much too hard to resist
So go away little girl before I beg you to stay.
Won't you go away (little girl)
Wish you wouldn't stay (little girl)
Won't you go away (little girl)
Wooo ooo go away.
Go away little girl
Go away little girl
It's hurting me more each minute that you delay
When you are near me like this
You're much too hard to resist
So go away little girl
Call it a day little girl
Please go away little girl before I beg you to stay.
Won't you go away (little girl)
Wish you wouldn't stay (little girl)
Won't you go away (little girl)
Please go away.
The lyrics of Al Jarreau's "Go Away Little Girl" tell the story of a man who is torn between his desire for a woman and his commitment to another. He asks her to leave, knowing that he cannot act on his feelings because he belongs to someone else. The repetition of the phrase "go away little girl" emphasizes his inner struggle and the urgency of the situation. He knows that the longer she stays, the harder it will be to resist her, and he pleads with her to go before he loses control.
The lyrics are simple, but they convey a complex emotional state. The man is clearly conflicted and struggling with his sense of duty versus his desires. He wants the woman to leave, but at the same time, he finds her irresistible. The song captures the tension between passion and responsibility, and the difficulty of making the right choice when both options have their own appeal.
Overall, the song is a poignant exploration of the human heart and the challenges of love and fidelity.
Line by Line Meaning
Won't you go away (little girl)
I really want you to leave and go away from me, little girl.
Wish you wouldn't stay (little girl)
I don't like it when you're around, little girl. Please leave.
Won't you go away (little girl)
I'm still hoping you'll leave, little girl.
Wooo ooo go away.
Go away from me, little girl.
Go away little girl
I really need you to leave, little girl.
Go away little girl
I'm asking you to leave because I can't be alone with you, little girl.
I'm not supposed to be alone with you
I have a responsibility to stay away from you, little girl.
Oh yes I know that your lips are sweet
I am aware that you are attractive, little girl.
But our lips must never meet
We can never kiss because that would be wrong, little girl.
I belong to somebody else and I must be true.
I am in a committed relationship and I cannot be with you, little girl.
Please go away little girl
I am begging you to leave, little girl.
It's hurting me more each minute that you delay
It's getting harder and harder for me to resist you, little girl.
When you are near me like this
Your presence is making it difficult for me, little girl.
You're much too hard to resist
I am finding it very tempting to be with you, little girl.
So go away little girl before I beg you to stay.
If you don't leave now, I might change my mind and ask you to stay, little girl.
Call it a day little girl
It's time for you to leave, little girl.
Please go away little girl before I beg you to stay.
I am warning you to leave before I convince myself to be with you, little girl.
Won't you go away (little girl)
I'm still hoping you'll leave, little girl.
Wish you wouldn't stay (little girl)
I don't like it when you're around, little girl. Please leave.
Won't you go away (little girl)
I really want you to leave and go away from me, little girl.
Please go away.
I am pleading with you to leave, little girl.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Gerry Goffin, Carole King
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind