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.
L Is for Lover
Al Jarreau Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To come from tomorrow
Don't wait for your love
To come from yesterday
Your heart better skip a
Beat tomorrow
Your heart better jump
A beat from yesterday
Love you lost
When someone needs
The love that you have
Don't ache for the
Love you need
Someone somewhere
wants what you've got
Maybe she's looking
For you in London
L is for lover
Maybe she's looking
For you in Boston
O is for an offer
Maybe she's looking
For you in Houston
V you got to venture
Maybe she's looking
For you in Kingston
E maybe forever
Don't wait for your mum
To lesson your sorrow
Don't wait for the crown
To bring you brighter days
Your heart better skip
A beat to tomorrow
Your heart better jump
A beat from yesterday
Don't wait for the love you lost
When someone needs
The love that you have
Don't ache for the love you need
Someone somewhere
wants what you've got
Don't cry for the love you lost
When someone needs
the love that you have
Don't sigh for the love you need
Someone somewhere
wants what you've got
Do not cry for the love you lost
Do not cry for the love you need
Do not mourn for the love you lost
Don't mourn for the love you need
Do not cry for the love you lost
Do not ache for the love you need
Do not mourn for the love you lost
Don't mourn for the love you need
Maybe she's looking for you in Moscow
L is for lover
Looking for you in Glasgow
O is for an offer
Maybe she's looking for you in Rio
V you got to venture
Maybe she's looking for you in Tokyo
E maybe forever
Maybe she's looking for you in Sydney
L is for lover
Maybe she's looking for you in Philly
O is for an offer
Maybe she's looking for you in Lisbon
V you got to venture
Maybe she's looking for you in Brooklyn
E maybe forever
The song "L Is for Lover" by Al Jarreau is a love song with a message of hope for those looking for true love. The lyrics are an encouragement to not wait for love to come from the past or the future but to be open to the possibility of love coming in the present. The song suggests that one's heart should skip a beat tomorrow or jump a beat from yesterday and not hold onto the love lost or needed. The song tries to motivate the listener to open up and embrace the possibility of finding love.
The chorus is the key message of the song, where "L is for lover, O is for an offer, V you got to venture, and E maybe forever" are the acronym for LOVE. This is a message for the listener to live in the moment and be open to new adventures and destinations to find love. The song also indicates that someone out there is looking for the love that the listener has, so the message is also one of hope and encouragement to not give up on love.
In summary, "L Is for Lover" is a song that encourages listeners to embrace the present and not wait for love to find them. Love can be found worldwide by venturing out to new places, and the song inspires the listener to pursue this quest for love without hesitation.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't wait for your love
To come from tomorrow
Do not anticipate getting love from the future
Don't wait for your love
To come from yesterday
Do not expect to get love from the past
Your heart better skip a
Beat tomorrow
Your heart should beat faster for the future
Your heart better jump
A beat from yesterday
Your heart should beat faster than the past
Don't wait for the
Love you lost
Do not waste time waiting for lost love
When someone needs
The love that you have
Provide love to people who need it
Don't ache for the
Love you need
Do not long for love that you do not have
Someone somewhere
wants what you've got
Someone out there desires what you have
Maybe she's looking
For you in London
L is for lover
Perhaps she is searching for you in London
Maybe she's looking
For you in Boston
O is for an offer
She might be seeking you in Boston
Maybe she's looking
For you in Houston
V you got to venture
She may be exploring in Houston
Maybe she's looking
For you in Kingston
E maybe forever
She could be searching in Kingston forever
Don't wait for your mum
To lesson your sorrow
Do not depend on your mother to ease your pain
Don't wait for the crown
To bring you brighter days
Do not wait for others to improve your life
Do not cry for the love you lost
Do not cry for the love you need
Do not lament over lost or desired love
Do not mourn for the love you lost
Don't mourn for the love you need
Do not grieve over lost or desired love
Don't sigh for the love you need
Someone somewhere
wants what you've got
Do not desire love that you do not have; someone desires what you possess
Maybe she's looking for you in Moscow
L is for lover
She might be looking for you in Moscow
Looking for you in Glasgow
O is for an offer
She could be seeking you in Glasgow
Maybe she's looking for you in Rio
V you got to venture
Perhaps she is exploring in Rio
Maybe she's looking for you in Tokyo
E maybe forever
She could be searching in Tokyo forever
Maybe she's looking for you in Sydney
L is for lover
She might be looking for you in Sydney
Maybe she's looking for you in Philly
O is for an offer
She could be seeking you in Philly
Maybe she's looking for you in Lisbon
V you got to venture
Perhaps she is exploring in Lisbon
Maybe she's looking for you in Brooklyn
E maybe forever
She could be searching in Brooklyn forever
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID GAMSON, DAVID H. GAMSON, GREEN GARTSIDE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind