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.
Love and Happiness
Al Jarreau Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Someone's on the phone, three o'clock in the morning, yea
Talking bout, how she can make it right, will
Happiness is when, you really feel good about somebody
Cause nothing wrong being in love with someone, yea, yea
Oh baby, love and happiness,
Love and happiness
Love and happiness
Interlude: horns
I have to say, love and happiness
Love and happiness`
Yea, love and happiness
Love and happiness
Be good to me,
I'll be good to you, will be together,
See each other walk away with victory, hey, oh baby
Love and happiness
Love and happiness`
Love and happiness
Love and happiness
Hey, hey, hey, make you do right, hey, love will make you do wrong,
Make you come home early, make you stay out all night long, power
Of love, wait a minute, let me tell you something, about the
Power,
Power of love, hey, hey, hey
Power, power, make you do right, love will make you do wrong,
Baby,
Love and happiness
Baby,
Love and happiness,
I say
Love,
Love and happiness,
Can you say,
Love and
Happiness,
Make you wanna dance, love and happiness
Love is, wait a minute, love is, hey, hey, walking together,
Hey, hey, talking together, singing together, laying together, make
Me wanna moan, uh, moan for love, uh, let me moan for love, uh, `
Moan for love
Al Jarreau's Love and Happiness is a song that talks about the complex emotions of love and happiness, and how they can make somebody do right or wrong. The first few lines describe how someone is trying to make things right on the phone at three o'clock in the morning, suggesting that something has gone wrong in their relationship. However, happiness is when you truly feel good about somebody, which can make being in love with that person feel so right.
The interlude of the song features horns, which add a sense of improvisation and spontaneity to the song. As the lyrics progress, Al Jarreau suggests that love and happiness should be mutually shared between partners to ensure a successful relationship. The power of love can make you do right or wrong, as it has the ability to both help or hinder a relationship. However, if both partners are good to each other, they will walk away with love and happiness, represented by victory.
Overall, Love and Happiness is a song that explores the complexities of love and happiness, and how they influence our actions within a relationship. The song suggests that mutual love and happiness are essential to a successful relationship, and that genuine happiness is what makes being in love feel so right.
Line by Line Meaning
Love and happiness, something going wrong
Despite the presence of love and happiness, something is going wrong in the current situation.
Someone's on the phone, three o'clock in the morning, yea
At an odd hour of the night, someone is calling, possibly to address the aforementioned problem.
Talking bout, how she can make it right, will
The person on the phone is discussing how they can fix the issue and make it right.
Happiness is when, you really feel good about somebody
Real happiness comes when you truly feel positively about someone else.
Cause nothing wrong being in love with someone, yea, yea
It's perfectly okay to be in love with someone and there's nothing wrong with that.
Oh baby, love and happiness,
The singer is emphasizing the importance of love and happiness in this situation.
Love and happiness
Repeated emphasis on the importance of love and happiness in the situation.
Interlude: horns
An instrumental interlude with horn instruments playing.
I have to say, love and happiness
The artist feels compelled to reiterate the importance of love and happiness in this situation.
Yea, love and happiness
More emphasis on the importance of love and happiness.
Be good to me,
The singer is calling for the other person to treat them well.
I'll be good to you, will be together,
In return for good treatment, the artist plans to reciprocate and be with the other person.
See each other walk away with victory, hey, oh baby
If they stick together and treat each other well, they'll both come out victorious in the end.
Hey, hey, hey, make you do right, hey, love will make you do wrong,
Love can be a powerful motivator to do the right thing, but it can also lead us astray at times.
Make you come home early, make you stay out all night long, power
Love can influence our behavior in various ways, including making us come home early or stay out all night.
Of love, wait a minute, let me tell you something, about the
The artist wants to emphasize the power of love and share some insights about it.
Power,
The power that love holds.
Power, power, make you do right, love will make you do wrong,
Love is a force that can make us do the right thing, but it can also lead us down the wrong path.
Baby, Love and happiness
Repeated emphasis on the importance of love and happiness.
I say
The artist emphasizes their point.
Love,
A reminder of the importance of love in this situation.
Love and happiness,
Repeated emphasis on the importance of love and happiness.
Can you say,
A direct question asking for confirmation that the listener understands the importance of love and happiness.
Love and Happiness,
Repeated emphasis on the importance of love and happiness.
Make you wanna dance, love and happiness
Love and happiness are positive feelings that can make a person want to dance with joy.
Love is, wait a minute, love is, hey, hey, walking together,
Love involves two people walking side by side, being there for each other.
Hey, hey, talking together, singing together, laying together, make
Love also involves talking, singing, and being physically intimate with each other.
Me wanna moan, uh, moan for love, uh, let me moan for love, uh,
Love can be so powerful that it can make a person moan with intense pleasure and joy.
Moan for love
Repeating the previous line for emphasis.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ALLEN GEORGIO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind