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 Keep Callin'
Al Jarreau Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What you got to do
To get through to you
Listen
You make me wonder where
Where you come from
You make me wonder where
You leave me high and dry
When I want some
Oh, you make me wonder what
What it leads to
You make me wonder what
You agreed to
You don't recognise
When I need you
I keep callin'
Ain't nobody home
You keep stallin'
Turn on your phone
I keep callin'
Ain't nobody home
You keep stallin'
Uh-huh, uh-huh.
Love is just ain't what
I expected
By myself alone
And so rejected
No-one wants to be
Disconnected
It takes you and me
To correct it
I keep callin'
Ain't nobody home
You keep stallin'
Turn on your phone
I keep callin'
You know there ain't nobody home
I'm waitin' on the phone
You keep stallin'
I'm all alone
I keep callin'
Ain't nobody home
I'm sleeping all alone
You keep stallin'
Turn on your phone
I keep callin'
You know there ain't nobody home
I'm sleeping all alone
You keep stallin'
I keep callin'
Ain't nobody home
I'm sleeping all alone
You keep stallin'
Turn on your phone
I keep callin'
You know there ain't nobody home
I'm waitin' on the phone
You keep stallin'
I'm all alone
I keep callin'
Ain't nobody home
I'm sleeping all alone
You keep stallin'
Turn on your phone
I keep callin'
You know there ain't nobody home
I'm waitin' on the phone
You keep stallin'
Turn on your phone
I keep callin'
You know there ain't nobody home
I'm sleeping all alone
You keep stallin'
I'm all alone
I keep callin'
You know there ain't nobody home
I'm waitin' on the phone
You keep stallin'
Turn on your phone
The lyrics to Al Jarreau's "I Keep Callin'" describes a person trying to reach out to their loved one, yet they are seemingly unavailable. The singer wonders about the whereabouts of the loved one and feels rejected due to the lack of communication. The opening lines of the song suggest that the singer has figured out what they need to do to connect with their partner but can't seem to get through. The repetitive lines of "I keep callin'" and "ain't nobody home" reflects the frustration of the singer trying to reach out several times with no success. The chorus of the song suggests that if the partner turned on their phone and answered the call, it would help solve the disconnection problem.
The second verse expresses a sense of disillusionment with love because it is not what the singer had expected. The song suggests that the connection between the two is vital in keeping the relationship going. The last verse repeats the frustration of the singer as they are left sleeping alone, waiting on the phone, and feeling disconnected from the person they love. Overall, the song highlights the importance of communication in maintaining relationships and the pain and frustration that comes with lack of communication.
Line by Line Meaning
Okay, now I know
I have come to understand something
What you got to do
What it takes to get through to you
To get through to you
To communicate with you effectively
Listen
Pay attention and hear what I am saying
You make me wonder where
I am curious about your origin
Where you come from
Your place of origin and upbringing
You leave me high and dry
You abandon me when I need you
When I want some
When I require something from you
Oh, you make me wonder what
I am curious about the outcome of a situation caused by you
What it leads to
The consequences of your actions
You agreed to
The things you said you would do
You don't recognize
You fail to acknowledge
When I need you
When I require your assistance
Ain't nobody home
No one is answering the phone
Turn on your phone
Activate your mobile device
Love is just ain't what
Romantic love is not what I expected
I expected
What I anticipated or hoped for
By myself alone
I am alone and isolated
And so rejected
I feel unwanted
No-one wants to be
Nobody wants to experience
Disconnected
Isolated and alone
It takes you and me
Together, we can fix the problem
To correct it
To repair our relationship
I'm all alone
I am by myself
I'm waitin' on the phone
I am patiently waiting for you to answer the phone
You know there ain't nobody home
You are aware that no one is answering the phone
I'm sleeping all alone
I am sleeping without anyone next to me
Turn on your phone
Activate your mobile device
Contributed by Jacob W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.