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.
I'm Beginning To See The Light
Al Jarreau Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm beginning to think
I should say never
Never, no no never
Take my advice
No never
I'm beginning to see what's missing
Shadowboxing in the dark
Then you came and lit a spark
Burnin' desire, house on fire
Never, no never, never
I'm beginning to see what you talking 'bout
I never cared much for moonlit skies
I never wink back at fireflies
But now that the stars are in your eyes
I'm beginning to think I was wrong
I never went in for afterglow
Or candlelight on the mistletoe
But now when you turn the lamp down low
I'm beginning to see the light
Used to ramble through the park
Shadowboxing in the dark
Then you came and lit a spark
A forgone conclusion
Too used to losin'
I never made love by lantern-shine
I never saw rainbows in my wine
But not that your lips are burning mine
Been seein' polka dots and moonbeams
Used to ramble through the park
Shadowboxing in the dark
Then you came and lit a spark
Burnin' desire
House on fire
I never made love by lantern-shine
I never saw rainbows in my wine
But not that your lips are burning mine
I'm beginning to see the light
Walk too slow and never been bright
I'm beginning to see the light
The lyrics to Al Jarreau's "I'm Beginning to See the Light" speak to a realization of something missing and newfound love. The song starts with the phrase "Never, no never, never," which expresses a sense of finality and impossibility. But as the song progresses, the singer begins to reconsider their position, saying "I'm beginning to think I was wrong" and "I'm beginning to see the light." The singer describes their past experiences, such as rambling through the park and shadowboxing in the dark, but now that they have found love, they see the world in a different way. They remark that they never cared much for moonlit skies and fireflies before, but now that they see the stars in their lover's eyes, they are beginning to see the light. The song speaks to the transformative power of love and the way it can change one's perspective and understanding of the world.
Through the use of metaphors and imagery, the song paints a picture of a person who was lost and without direction until they found love. The use of phrases like "Burnin' desire, house on fire" and "A forgone conclusion, too used to losin'" create a sense of desperation and hopelessness that is then contrasted with the singer's newfound sense of purpose and hope. The song has a swing-style musical arrangement that matches the playful and lighthearted lyrics. The use of repetition in the lyrics, particularly with the phrase "Never, no never, never" adds emphasis to the final realization that the singer has found love and is beginning to see the light.
Line by Line Meaning
Never, no never, never
I have never thought about changing my ways
I'm beginning to think I should say never
I am starting to see that 'never' might be the right answer
Never, no no never
I have never thought much about changing things
Take my advice
Listen to what I am about to say
No never
I have never seen things this way before
I'm beginning to see what's missing
I am starting to understand what is lacking in my life
Used to ramble through the park
I used to wander aimlessly
Shadowboxing in the dark
I was fighting imaginary opponents
Then you came and lit a spark
Your arrival ignited something in me
Burnin' desire, house on fire
My passion has been kindled and is now consuming me
I'm beginning to see what you talking 'bout
I am starting to understand what you mean
I never cared much for moonlit skies
I was never interested in the beauty of the night sky
I never wink back at fireflies
I never appreciated the simple joys of life
But now that the stars are in your eyes
Now that I see the wonder in your eyes
I'm beginning to think I was wrong
Perhaps I made a mistake
I never went in for afterglow
I never stayed around for the end of an event
Or candlelight on the mistletoe
I never indulged in the romantic traditions
But now when you turn the lamp down low
Now that you set the mood just right
I'm beginning to see the light
I am beginning to understand what I was missing
A forgone conclusion
A situation that seems so certain that the outcome is already determined
Too used to losin'
I am so accustomed to losing that I accept it as normal
I never made love by lantern-shine
I never had a romantic encounter in a dimly lit setting
I never saw rainbows in my wine
I never saw beauty in the simple things
But not that your lips are burning mine
Now that we are embracing, and our lips are touching
Been seein' polka dots and moonbeams
I have been experiencing a surreal, dreamlike state
Burnin' desire
Intense feeling of wanting, yearning
House on fire
A metaphor for passion and desire that is consuming
I'm beginning to see the light
I am starting to have a revelation
Walk too slow and never been bright
I have been moving too slowly and not thinking clearly
I'm beginning to see the light
I am starting to see the truth/reference>
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Cloud9, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Edward Kennedy Ellington, Don George, Harry James, Johnny Hodges
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind