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.
Silent Night
Al Jarreau Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All's asleep, one sole light,
Just the faithful and holy pair,
Lovely boy-child with curly hair,
Sleep in heavenly peace!
Silent night! Holy night!
God's Son laughs, o how bright.
As the dawn of salvation draws near,
Jesus, Lord, with your birth!
Silent night! Holy night!
Brought the world peace tonight,
From the heavens' golden height
Shows the grace of His holy might
Jesus, as man on this earth!
Silent night! holy night!
Where today all the might
Of His fatherly love us graced
And then Jesus, as brother embraced.
All the peoples on earth!
Silent night! Holy night!
Long we hoped that He might,
As our Lord, free us of wrath,
Since times of our fathers He hath
Promised to spare all mankind!
Silent night! Holy night!
Sheperds first see the sight.
Told by angelic Alleluja,
Sounding everywhere, both near and far:
"Christ the Savior is here!"
The popular Christmas carol, "Silent Night" by Al Jarreau, is a reverent homage to the Holy Nativity. The song opens with the line "Silent night! Holy night!" referring to the peace and serenity surrounding the birth of Christ. The next line, "All's asleep, one sole light," hints that all is still and quiet, and that there is only one light shining, which could reference the shining star which guided the three wise men to the site of the baby's birthplace. The third line introduces the presence of the Blessed Mother and her husband, Joseph. The fourth line, "Lovely boy-child with curly hair, Sleep in heavenly peace!" references the infant Christ, depicting His innocence, beauty and serenity.
The second verse adds more weight and significance to the birth of the Christ Child. The opening words, "God's Son laughs, o how bright," might suggest that at this moment, all of creation rejoiced, and God's love for humanity was never more evident. The second line, "Love from your holy lips shines clear," speaks to the idea that Christ was the very embodiment of love and that His birth marked an era of great blessing and grace. The third line talks about salvation inching closer to the earth, suggesting that with the birth of Christ, in such an extraordinary circumstance, salvation is given a new face, and God's grace to mankind is abounding. The final line of the verse identifies Christ as Lord, relating His birth to a crucial time in Christian history.
In the following verses, "Silent Night" continues to give reverence to the Holy Nativity in beautifully constructed verses that help one appreciate the significance of Christ's birth. The song underscores the peaceful nature of this momentous event, highlighting that it was an unwavering witness to the love of God. The song ends with a resounding message of hope, that all of mankind would be saved since the coming of Christ.
Line by Line Meaning
Silent night! Holy night!
The night is quiet and peaceful, and represents a sacred time.
All's asleep, one sole light,
Everyone is sleeping, but there is one light that shines to represent hope and faith.
Just the faithful and holy pair,
There were two people who were dedicated to their faith and were pure in their intentions.
Lovely boy-child with curly hair,
A beautiful baby with curly hair is there.
Sleep in heavenly peace!
May the baby sleep peacefully as if they were in heaven.
God's Son laughs, o how bright.
The son of God is happy and his laughter is bright and infectious.
Love from your holy lips shines clear,
The love that emanates from you is pure and genuine, and it's very apparent.
As the dawn of salvation draws near,
The salvation which people are looking forward to is about to come.
Jesus, Lord, with your birth!
Lord Jesus has been born to bring salvation to the world.
Brought the world peace tonight,
The world has been granted peace and tranquility on this night.
From the heavens' golden height
From up high, in the heavens, the grace and power of God can be seen.
Shows the grace of His holy might
God's grace and power is evident in the beauty of the night.
Jesus, as man on this earth!
Jesus has come down to earth as a human being.
Where today all the might
Today, the power of divine love is present in the world.
Of His fatherly love us graced
God has graced us with his love in a paternal way.
And then Jesus, as brother embraced.
Jesus has embraced us as if we are his brothers and sisters.
All the peoples on earth!
Everyone on earth is included in God's love and grace.
Long we hoped that He might,
Over a long period of time, people have been hoping that God would send a savior.
As our Lord, free us of wrath,
As our savior, Jesus has freed us from anger and judgement.
Since times of our fathers He hath
The promise of salvation has been around for generations.
Promised to spare all mankind!
God promised to save all humans from sin and its consequences.
Sheperds first see the sight.
The first people to witness Jesus' birth were shepherds.
Told by angelic Alleluja,
Angels appeared and told the shepherds about Jesus' birth.
Sounding everywhere, both near and far:
The angels' proclamation could be heard throughout the region.
"Christ the Savior is here!"
The angels declared that Jesus has been born and he is the savior of the world.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANDREW O'CALLAGHAN, FRANZ XAVER GRUBER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind