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.
Step By Step
Al Jarreau Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everywhere you roam, whoa
Step by step I'll follow through
Comin' to bring you home, whoa
I keep reachin' out for you
Wondering if I'm touchin' you
You say "Yeah"
You are nearly mine
Then you're off and gone
Again, ooh
[Chorus]
Lady be kind,
Lady be mine
Lady divine,
I adore you
Give me a sign,
Where is it goin' to
Will of the wisp,
Maid of the mist
Forever and ever
Waitin' for you
My name on a list
I never did this till you
Step by step I'm keepin' time
Lady it's runnin' low, whoa
Step by step just makin' time
And I want to make it grow,
Whoa
There's a diamond in the sun
There's somebody for everyone
There's a movie that you know
That makes you smile
Love ain't everything
But girl we should try it
For a while
[Chorus]
My father told me it's okay
To be lonely
Just don't be taken for the fool
I sit here waitin' anticipatin'
I think I broke my daddy's rule
Let go and let it be ' cause
I can't bear to see
Us lose the best we ever had
The song Step By Step by Al Jarreau is a musical expression of enduring love and the commitment one is willing to undertake for it. The first two lines of the song, "Step by step I'll follow you, Everywhere you roam," show the devotion of someone who wants to be around the person they love all the time, tracking their every move, and being present in their lives. But, later in the song, the lyrics reveal how the person they love seems to slip away, "Then you're off and gone again." He is reaching out to make a connection with the object of his love, but she is almost out of his reach.
Al Jarreau's lyrics encompass the highs and lows of romantic relationships. In the chorus, Jarreau pleads with his love interest to be kind to him and to give him a sign, "Lady be kind, Lady be mine, Lady divine, I adore you. Give me a sign, where is it going to."Despite the obstacles, he remains hopeful for their future together, as he mentions in the line, "Forever and ever waitin' for you." In the third verse, Jarreau refers to his father's advice about being lonely but not falling for being a fool, which is a more pragmatic and sober understanding of love. Finally, the last line of the song, "Let go and let it be 'cause I can't bear to see us lose the best we ever had," conveys his ultimate desire to cling to his love.
Line by Line Meaning
Step by step I'll follow you
I will accompany you through every journey
Everywhere you roam, whoa
No matter where you go
Step by step I'll follow through
I will come through for you
Comin' to bring you home, whoa
I will ensure that you come back home
I keep reachin' out for you
I continuously make an effort to reach out to you
Wondering if I'm touchin' you
Uncertain if I am able to reach you
You say "Yeah"
You say yes
But when it's on the line
But when it really matters
You are nearly mine
You are almost in my grasp
Then you're off and gone
Then you leave suddenly
Lady be kind,
Be gentle, my lady
Lady be mine
Will you be mine, my lady?
Lady divine,
You are divine, my lady
I adore you
I love you deeply
Give me a sign,
Show me a sign
Where is it goin' to
Where is this heading?
Will of the wisp,
Uncertain of what's next
Maid of the mist
Like a mysterious fog
Forever and ever
For eternity
Waitin' for you
Just waiting for you
My name on a list
I am on your mind
I never did this till you
I never felt like this before you
Step by step I'm keepin' time
I am keeping track of every moment
Lady it's runnin' low, whoa
Time is running out, my lady
Step by step just makin' time
I am just taking one step at a time
And I want to make it grow,
But I want to make it bigger
There's a diamond in the sun
There's something precious
There's somebody for everyone
There's someone for everyone
There's a movie that you know
There's a movie that makes you happy
That makes you smile
That brings a smile to your face
Love ain't everything
Love is not the only thing
But girl we should try it
But we should give love a chance, my lady
For a while
Even if it's just for a short time
My father told me it's okay
My father said it's alright
To be lonely
To be alone
Just don't be taken for the fool
But don't let anyone take advantage of you
I sit here waitin' anticipatin'
I am here waiting and anticipating
I think I broke my daddy's rule
I may have broken my father's advice
Let go and let it be ' cause
Let go and don't worry, because
I can't bear to see
I don't want to see
Us lose the best we ever had
Losing the best thing we ever had would be unbearable
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, GARDEN RAKE MUSIC
Written by: TOM CANNING, JAY GRAYDON, AL JARREAU
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind