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.
Letter Perfect
Al Jarreau Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gold in school
You got a right to shout,
You been living the Golden Rule
In your time broken-hearted
Beggars danced for you, girl
"Doing alright,"I hear you shout,
(But then I hear you say)
Hurry down, sunset,
Hurry, get dark like wine
Hurry down, sunset,
Hurry, won't see, won't find
No suffering, see nobody,
You can't see nobody
You should let some love and
Kindness shine through you
You'll be alright then you'll shout,
"I'm living the Golden Rule"
Must I fall down upon my
Hands and knees
Get to begging you, please
Honey, open up your eyes
I'm before you with my
Glaring needs
You can't see nobody
Oh pretty baby, help me,
Honey, oh sweet thing
Take off them dark sunglasses,
I'm right here in front of you
Would you open up your eyes?
I need your loving
I need your care and hugging
You can't see nobody
I'm going home
Oh, leter perfect stars of
Gold in school
You live the Golden Rule
The lyrics to Al Jarreau's song "Letter Perfect" speak of a young woman who has had a privileged upbringing and has been living according to the "Golden Rule" of treating others how she would like to be treated. However, the song suggests that she may not fully understand the struggles of others and is unable to empathize with them. She seems to be living in a world of her own, blinded by her own privilege and unable to see the suffering of others around her. The singer of the song, in contrast, is in need of love and care, but the girl is oblivious to his needs, unable to see him for who he is.
The chorus, "Hurry down, sunset, hurry, get dark like wine", may suggest a desire to escape from reality, to turn away from the struggles and pain of the world. However, the song encourages the young woman to let some love and kindness shine through her, to see the world through the eyes of someone who is less privileged and in need of support. Ultimately, the song suggests that if she can do this, if she can truly live by the Golden rule, she will be able to shout out, "I'm living the Golden Rule" with conviction.
Line by Line Meaning
Letter perfect stars of Gold in school
The person being addressed was an excellent student and had a prestigious academic record.
You got a right to shout, You been living the Golden Rule
The person being addressed is proud of their virtuous behavior and morality.
In your time broken-hearted Beggars danced for you, girl
Despite being unhappy at times, the person being addressed has been shown a lot of admiration and attention from others.
"Doing alright,"I hear you shout, "I'm living the Golden Rule" (But then I hear you say)
Although the person being addressed claims to be doing well, there is an underlying issue that they are hesitant to express.
Hurry down, sunset, Hurry, get dark like wine Hurry down, sunset, Hurry, won't see, won't find No suffering, see nobody, You can't see nobody
The person being addressed is consumed by their pain and is unable to see the beauty of the world or find comfort and solace in anyone or anything.
You should let some love and Kindness shine through you You'll be alright then you'll shout, "I'm living the Golden Rule"
The singer suggests that the person being addressed should show compassion and affection to others in order to feel better about themselves and their life choices.
Must I fall down upon my Hands and knees Get to begging you, please Honey, open up your eyes I'm before you with my Glaring needs You can't see nobody
The singer is desperately seeking the love and attention of the person being addressed, but they are too consumed by their own problems to perceive the needs of others.
Oh pretty baby, help me, Honey, oh sweet thing Take off them dark sunglasses, I'm right here in front of you Would you open up your eyes?
The artist is urging the person being addressed to remove their emotional barriers and to acknowledge the artist's needs and love.
I need your loving I need your care and hugging You can't see nobody I'm going home
The artist is requesting that the person being addressed reciprocates their affection, but is ultimately met with rejection.
Oh, letter perfect stars of Gold in school You live the Golden Rule
The song ends on a positive note, with the artist recognizing the admirable qualities of the person being addressed and affirming their virtuous behavior.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: AL JARREAU
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind