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.
Not Like This
Al Jarreau Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We can't just walk away as
if it never happened
Our kind of love has never talked
in whispers
So if it's time to go, lets do it right
and go out loud
But not like this without a backward
glance
Did all our feeling die the moment
love was over
Well, not in me 'cause i still feel
you in my soul
So I will leave you tenderly
or bitterly
But not like this
The lyrics to Al Jarreau's song "Not Like This" convey the difficulties that come with the end of a relationship. The singer insists that the breakup cannot be handled without a single tear, that they cannot just walk away pretending it never happened. Their love was never whispered, so if it is time to end things, they should do it right and go out loud. However, they insist that they cannot end things without looking back, wondering if all of their feelings for each other died the moment love was over. The singer suggests that although the love may have ended, it still remains in their soul. Therefore, they will leave the other person tenderly or bitterly, but not like this.
The song showcases the difficulty of ending a relationship and the pain that comes with it. It highlights how deeply we can love and how hard it can be to let go of that love, even if it no longer serves us well. The artist's smooth vocals and soothing melody add to the poignancy of the message, transporting listeners into the depths of their own lost love.
Line by Line Meaning
Not like this without a single tear
We can't just leave each other without any emotions or memories attached to our relationship.
We can't just walk away as if it never happened
We can't pretend that our relationship didn't exist and ignore its impact on our lives.
Our kind of love has never talked in whispers
We have always expressed our love openly and passionately, without hiding our emotions.
So if it's time to go, lets do it right and go out loud
If our relationship has run its course, we should acknowledge it and end it in a way that honors the love we once shared.
But not like this without a backward glance
We should acknowledge the memories and experiences that we shared together before we part ways.
Did all our feeling die the moment love was over
Is it possible that our love was only temporary and didn't have any deeper meaning?
Well, not in me 'cause i still feel you in my soul
Even though our relationship has ended, I still carry the memories and emotions connected to our love in my heart.
So I will leave you tenderly or bitterly
I will say goodbye to you with love and compassion or with sadness and pain, depending on how our relationship ends.
But not like this
Our love was too real and significant to end without acknowledging its impact on our lives and hearts.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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