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.
Tell Me
Al Jarreau Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I can see
How you shine
Here I am alone with nothin'
But a dream
That you are mine
Just exactly what I'll do
I don't know baby
A way to reach you
Tell me what I gotta do
To get to your house
Tell me where I gotta go
To be with you
Tell me what I gotta say
To speak to your heart
Tell me what I need
To know tonight
So everything will be all right
Every night I wonder
Just how it would feel
Close to you
I imagine that this
Fantasy is real
You love me too
Got to get from here to there
Here and now baby
Open up your arms
And let me love you
Tell me what I gotta do
To get to your house
Tell me where I gotta go
To be with you
Tell me what I gotta say
To speak to your heart
Tell me what I need
To know tonight
So everything will be all right
Got to get from here
To there
Here and now baby
Open up your arms
And let me love you
Tell me what I gotta do
To get to your house
Tell me where I gotta go
To be with you
Tell me what I gotta say
To speak to your heart
Tell me what I need
To know tonight
So everything will be all right
In Al Jarreau's song "Tell Me," the lyrics describe the singer's desire to be with someone they're infatuated with. The song opens with the singer observing the person they're interested in, noting how much they "shine." The singer is filled with the hope that this person could someday be theirs. They are aware of the distance between them and this person, but they're determined to find a way to be with them. The chorus repeats the line "tell me what I gotta do to get to your house," emphasizing the longing desire to be with this person.
The second verse continues this theme. The singer spends their nights imagining what it would be like to be close to this person they love. The singer believes that this person returns their affection and prompts them to open their arms and let the singer love them. The chorus repeats, and it becomes clear that the singer is fully committed to finding a way to be with this person.
Overall, the song is a moving portrayal of the feeling of infatuation and the desire to be with someone you love. The lyrics emphasize the lengths that someone can go to try to win over a person's heart.
Line by Line Meaning
Everyday you're walkin' by
I see you every day as you walk by
And I can see
I can see your radiance and beauty
How you shine
You stand out and are remarkable
Here I am alone with nothin', but a dream
I am lonely with nothing, but a dream of being with you
That you are mine
My dream is to have you as mine
Just exactly what I'll do
I'm not sure what I should do
I don't know baby
I'm uncertain about the course of action
But I gotta find a way to reach you
I need to find a way to communicate with you
Tell me what I gotta do
Please let me know the actions I need to take
To get to your house
How can I come to your house?
Tell me where I gotta go
Guide me to the place I need to be
To be with you
So I can be with you
Tell me what I gotta say
What are the words I need to express?
To speak to your heart
To touch your emotions and sentiments
Tell me what I need
Please let me know what I require
To know tonight
So that I may learn tonight
So everything will be alright
To make sure that everything will end up okay
Every night I wonder
Each night, I contemplate
Just how it would feel
How wonderful it would be
Close to you
To be near you
I imagine that this fantasy is real
I picture this imagination as a reality
You love me too
You feel affection for me too
Got to get from here to there
I need to travel from this place to another
Here and now baby
Right here and right now, my dear
Open up your arms
Please embrace me warmly
And let me love you
Let me express my feelings of love for you
Got to get from here
I need to move from this place
To there
To the place where you are
Tell me what I gotta do
Please enlighten me about the actions that I should take
To get to your house
So I can go to your home
Tell me where I gotta go
Let me know the location where I should be
To be with you
So that I can spend time with you
Tell me what I gotta say
Please share with me the words I need to convey
To speak to your heart
To reach your heart and soul
Tell me what I need
Please inform me of what I require
To know tonight
So that I can understand everything today
So everything will be alright
To make things end up fine
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, GARDEN RAKE MUSIC
Written by: PETER COX, RICHARD DRUMMIE, JAY GRAYDON, JEFF PESCETTO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
clbzone
"Come on and help me syncopate. Let your heart beat like mine. This is an easy step to take. Easy to dance in time..."What a master at making you feel each song he sang. A world treasure, this man. We lost one of the absolute greatest voices of all time. I adored his music. It got me through so much over the years. Thank you God for giving us Al Jarreau. My prayers to his family, friends & fans.
Edward Abrahams
an absolute artist indeed my friend....we lost an amazingly gifted person in Al...my dad introduced me to his music when I was a little child...beautiful memories I will never forget.
cummingsgsc
No one voice has inspired me more than AL Jarreau's. Rest well my mentor, my inspiration. He made me think every song was sung for me. Happy 1st Birthday in your afterlife.
canuckdybdahl
Jay Graydon is a genious, took Jarreau to a whole new level without compromising a great vocal artist
Kjell Grøndahl
I love the sharp, "minimalistic" synth and production on this song.
turntable1985
Some of the sharpest production and vocals ever. You can hear a lot of the technological advances that had been made in the recording studio from 1983 to 1984 when you compare his "Jarreau" album to his "High Crime" album.
Keith Witcher
Al Jarreau Tell Me song is a classic. High Crime album is good. I like the album pictures. I like Al Jarreau. RIP Al Jarreau.
TashaJuanna Muhammad
Thank you so much for posting this song! I've been trying to find this for over 20 years!!!!!
Ravnura Sab
here you have it . enjoy
88feji
I don't get why this is not released as a single, its his most creative song musically and his best song alongside After All ..