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.
Sweet Potato Pie
Al Jarreau Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Round the Fourth of July
The breeze was standing still
I'm hanging out by myself
And I'm having a good time
With the folk inside my head
And you know, Lord,
How you did a lovely thing
Than it's ever been
And anyone who's ever had
Sweet potato pie
Don't want pumpkin again,
No, they don't want
'Cause it don't taste right, no
Look-a-here city boy with your
Silks and braided hair
Don't you let nobody fool you
With no imitation nothing
Tell 'em, say, unh, unh, buddy,
I been there
Listen mama, when you
Finally walk on in
Don't forget to bring along
Your sweet potato tin
'Cause when you serve him
A slice of your sweet potato
Sin, girl, he won't want pumpkin again,
No, he won't want
Now I took a trip down to Sissy's
She's a friend of mine
She smiled and asked me in
Well, she drew a box and a big,
Fancy question mark
Said, "Brother, which one is you in?"
I told her, "Sister, don't worry
'bout the mule going blind
You just sit in the wagon and
Hold on to the line
'Cause anyone who's ever had
Sweet potato pie
Don't want pumpkin again,
Really don't want"
Now I saw the gates
Gold and pearl
And I sat right down
In a dream of you, old friend
I'm thinking some milk and
Honey and a pot of stew
Might fill that gap again
You know, I'm a thankful
Witness to the things I've seen
And times my head is lighter
Than it's ever been
And anyone who's ever had
Sweet potato pie
Really don't want pumpkin again,
No they won't want
Would you give me some
Sweet potato y'all
The song "Sweet Potato Pie" by Al Jarreau is full of vivid imagery that tells a story about a hot summer day, enjoying the company of imaginary friends, and indulging in sweet potato pie. Throughout the song, the singer is reflecting on his past experiences and appreciating the sweet moments in life that make everything else disappear. He sings about how sweet potato pie is so good that once someone has tasted it, they won't want pumpkin pie again. He also warns against imitations of the real thing, telling city folks not to be fooled by anything else. The final verse of the song reverberates with the rich and vibrant thoughts of the singer who saw "gates gold and pearl" and sat down "in a dream of you, old friend". He reflects that he is a "thankful witness to the things I've seen" and remembers how his head was "lighter than it's ever been". Overall, the song is a message that life is short, so we must learn to appreciate the simple things and not let them pass us by.
Line by Line Meaning
Now it was a hot sticky morning
The day was humid and uncomfortable.
'Round the Fourth of July
This was happening around the time of Independence Day.
The breeze was standing still
There was no wind that day.
I'm hanging out by myself
The singer is alone and enjoying his time alone.
And I'm having a good time
The singer is enjoying his time alone.
With the folk inside my head
The singer is lost in thought and thinking about people he knows.
And you know, Lord, How you did a lovely thing
The singer is grateful for something in his life that he thanks God for.
See, times my head is lighter Than it's ever been
The singer sometimes feels free from worry and is at peace.
And anyone who's ever had Sweet potato pie
Those who have tried sweet potato pie before.
Don't want pumpkin again, No, they don't want
They don't want to go back to pumpkin pie once they have tasted sweet potato pie.
'Cause it don't taste right, no
Pumpkin pie no longer tastes as good once someone has tasted sweet potato pie.
Look-a-here city boy with your Silks and braided hair
The singer is addressing someone who is dressed up and looking fancy.
Don't you let nobody fool you With no imitation nothing
The singer is advising someone not to be fooled by copycats or imitators.
Tell 'em, say, unh, unh, buddy, I been there
The singer is reminding the person he is addressing that he has been there before.
Listen mama, when you Finally walk on in
The singer is addressing a woman and advising her.
Don't forget to bring along Your sweet potato tin
The singer is asking the woman to bring her sweet potato pie.
'Cause when you serve him A slice of your sweet potato Sin, girl, he won't want pumpkin again
If she serves her sweet potato pie to him, he won't want to eat pumpkin pie anymore.
Now I took a trip down to Sissy's She's a friend of mine
The singer went to visit a friend named Sissy.
She smiled and asked me in
Sissy greeted the singer warmly and invited him inside.
Well, she drew a box and a big, Fancy question mark
Sissy drew a question mark on a box and asked the singer a question.
Said, 'Brother, which one is you in?'
Sissy is asking which category or box the singer fits into.
I told her, 'Sister, don't worry 'bout the mule going blind
The singer is telling Sissy not to worry about things that don't matter.
You just sit in the wagon and Hold on to the line
The singer is advising Sissy to trust in him and not to worry.
'Cause anyone who's ever had Sweet potato pie
The singer is referring again to anyone who has tasted sweet potato pie before.
Don't want pumpkin again, Really don't want
Once someone has tasted sweet potato pie, they don't want to eat pumpkin pie again.
Now I saw the gates Gold and pearl
The singer had a vision of golden gates.
And I sat right down In a dream of you, old friend
The singer is thinking about an old friend he misses.
I'm thinking some milk and Honey and a pot of stew
The singer is thinking of comfort food.
Might fill that gap again
Comfort food might help to make him feel better.
You know, I'm a thankful Witness to the things I've seen
The singer is grateful for the experiences he has had.
And times my head is lighter Than it's ever been
The singer is sometimes free from worry and feels at peace.
And anyone who's ever had Sweet potato pie
This is a repetition of the earlier line.
Really don't want pumpkin again, No they won't want
After tasting sweet potato pie, people don't want to eat pumpkin pie again.
Would you give me some Sweet potato y'all
The singer is asking for some sweet potato pie.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: AL JARREAU
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind