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.
Since I Fell for You
Al Jarreau Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You'd better let love depart,
I know it's so and still I know,
I can't get you outta my heart.
You made me leave my happy home,
You took my love and now you're gone,
Since I fell for you.
My life has been such misery and pain,
I guess I'll never be the same,
Since I fell for you.
[Chorus]
Well, it's too bad and it's too sad,
That I'm in love with you.
Well, you love me and then you snub me,
But what can I do... I'm still in love with you.
I guess I'll never see the light,
I get these blues most every night,
Since I fell for you.
[Chorus]
Well, it's too bad and it's too sad,
That I'm in love with you.
Well, you love me and then you snub me,
But what can I do... I'm still in love with you.
I guess I'll never see the light,
I get these blues most every night,
Since I fell for you.
Since you love me... then you snub me,
I prayed you'd put the world above me,
And now I ... black and blue... scoo, doo, doo, doo...
Since I fell for you
Al Jarreau's song "Since I Fell for You" tells the story of a person who remains in love with someone who does not reciprocate the same feelings. The lyrics convey the pain and sorrow of a love that is unrequited and the hopelessness of being tempted to move on from the relationship. The first verse reveals that the person recognizes the necessity to give up on the love if it is not mutual, but cannot seem to let go, as they cannot get the person out of their heart. The second verse tells the story of how the person gave up everything to be with the other, only to be left behind, causing them so much misery and pain that they feel they will never be the same. The chorus repeatedly emphasizes the frustration and sadness the person feels that they cannot help but still love the one who causes them such distress.
The bridge of the song portrays an image of someone who kneels before and prays for their love to see the error of their ways and make things right between them, but the person remains ignored and out of their reach. The closing lines of the song offer a hint of how damaging this experience has been on the person's psyche when they sing, "And now I ... black and blue... scoo, doo, doo, doo... Since I fell for you," which may be interpreted as the person being beaten down emotionally and physically because they cannot overcome their feelings for this person.
Overall, "Since I Fell for You" is an emotional and powerful song about unrequited love, the pain of longing for someone who does not feel the same way, and the struggle to move on. Al Jarreau's soulful and heartfelt delivery accentuates the ache embedded within the lyrics and makes this song a timeless classic.
Line by Line Meaning
When you give love and never get love,
You'd better let love depart,
I know it's so and still I know,
I can't get you outta my heart.
If you love someone and they do not return that love, it is best to move on. Even though I know this, I can't help but still love you and can't forget about you.
You made me leave my happy home,
You took my love and now you're gone,
Since I fell for you.
Since I fell in love with you, you have caused me to leave my happy life and you took my love, but now you're no longer in my life.
My life has been such misery and pain,
I guess I'll never be the same,
Since I fell for you.
My life has been filled with grief and heartache since I fell in love with you. I don't think I'll ever be the same because of the pain caused by loving you.
[Chorus]
Well, it's too bad and it's too sad,
That I'm in love with you.
Well, you love me and then you snub me,
But what can I do... I'm still in love with you.
It's unfortunate that I am still in love with you, even though you only love me sometimes and ignore me other times. I can't help but still love you.
I guess I'll never see the light,
I get these blues most every night,
Since I fell for you.
Since falling in love with you, my life has been filled with sadness and I can't seem to shake this feeling. I don't know how to move on from this pain.
[Chorus]
Well, it's too bad and it's too sad,
That I'm in love with you.
Well, you love me and then you snub me,
But what can I do... I'm still in love with you.
Once again, it's unfortunate that I still love you even though you push me away sometimes. I don't know what to do because I can't help but love you.
Since you love me... then you snub me,
I prayed you'd put the world above me,
And now I ... black and blue... scoo, doo, doo, doo...
Since I fell for you
It hurts me that you love me sometimes and then ignore me other times. I was hoping that you would prioritize me above all else, but instead, I am left feeling beaten down and heartbroken. All because I fell in love with you.
Lyrics © DistroKid, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Cloud9, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BUDDY JOHNSON WOODROW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Edward Callender
Yes Randall,
I totally agree with U , great comment .
Too me 'Al Jarreau, is, was, and will remain one of the greatest Male Vocalist to ever pick up a Microphone !
He will never be forgotten and his music , and influence on Jazz and music in general is what Jazz Legends are made of .
He was a Genius and God send to the world
Ed C.
Edward Callender
Hi Doretta,
AL, was scheduled to perform in DC this month at the Howard Theater .
We were excited and ready to Go see Him !
I had asked the management for 3 years ago to invite Jarreau to perform there because it was an old movie theater with old balcony so the acoustics were perfect for a vocalist like Al Jarreau , we saw a up and coming vocalist Gregory Porter there .
For 3 , 4, years I urged the management and booking agent to Invite A.J. in to perform and I would guarantee the show would SELL OUT !
It did unfortunately he could not make it . But we love him so much and the music he left behind will never be forgotten !!!
My fav album\CD by Al Jarreau is called " All Fly Home " if you can find it
4 stars\ guaranteed , produced in 1978 ... Al J. at his Best !
Ed C.
Edward Callender
Hi Bitsy ,
I agree and once you have seen Al Jarreau Live , this is it !
First time I saw him Live was at the Carter Baron Amphitheater in DC , very similar to Mann Music center .
My fav tune by Al , We Got By , there are so many ...my favorite album by him is "All Fly Home " picked it up in 1978 , I loved the album cover and decided to buy it . So many great songs on that album .
It is available on CD ,,,Thinking About It Too , was my favorite off that Album\CD
That album is still in rotation on my direct drive Technic turntable .
I was in the USAF at the time .
By the way one of my homes is in Philly .
When I come home I go to Relish restaurant on 71st avenue and Ogantz .
It is nice to see Jazz has returned to Philly in the cafes and restaurants like back in the day . There are some young very talented musicians and vocalists in Philly .
Randall Ulmer
What a musical mind this man has. You can learn so much from this guy, regardless if you like him or not. If you love Jazz, you love Al Jarreau. If you don't like his work, you at least respect what he has brought to this true american art form. Genius.
Edward Callender
Yes Randall,
I totally agree with U , great comment .
Too me 'Al Jarreau, is, was, and will remain one of the greatest Male Vocalist to ever pick up a Microphone !
He will never be forgotten and his music , and influence on Jazz and music in general is what Jazz Legends are made of .
He was a Genius and God send to the world
Ed C.
KEL in MEMPHIS
The WORLD IS A LITTLE MORE SILENT SINCE HE LEFT US. HE WAS SOO UNIQUE AND GIFTED. BLESS YOU BROTHER.
taleinz1
What a beautiful man , miss him incredibly. Rest in love ❤️
Cheryl Gibson
I missss you sooo
Gary O
Had the pleasure of seeing this gentleman live 8 times.
That voice is a special instrument !
He enjoys every moment & note on the stage.
Nico’ Haskins
I love this man, he could sing his A B C's and it would sound good.
E. M. Sturdivant Gallieshaw
@Old Jazzy: So. Beautifully. Put.
Old Jazzy
I, too, love him to the moon and back. Been listening to him since the 70s and have really enjoyed watching him
evolve over the years. He's a complete orchestra rolled into one human body. If I'm ever in a bad mood, all I have
to do is listen to some Jarreau and it puts me back on track. You could see, hear and feel his music to the core.
Darryl Holt
One of the best male vocalist! R.I.P. Al Jarreau!