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.
The Nearness Of You
Al Jarreau Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That thrills and delights me, oh no
It's just the nearness of you
It isn't your sweet conversation
That brings this sensation, oh no
It's just the nearness of you
And I feel you so close to me
All my wildest dreams come true
It's you
I need no soft lights to enchant me
If you'll only grant me
The right to hold you ever so tight
And to feel in the night the nearness of you
In this song, Al Jarreau expresses that it's not the pale moon, sweet conversation or soft lights that excite him and bring sensations of delight. Instead, what thrills him is simply being close to the person he loves. He describes feeling complete when he's holding his loved one in his arms and feeling them close to him. The lyrics suggest that it's the physical closeness that matters more than any other superficial attraction.
Jarreau goes on to say that all his wildest dreams come true when he's close to his loved one. He doesn't need any enchantment or special ambiance as long as he has the right to hold them tight and feel their nearness in the night. The lyrics reflect a deep appreciation of the power of physical connection and how even just being near someone you love can cause incredible sensations of delight.
Line by Line Meaning
It's not the pale moon that excites me
The beauty of the moon doesn't excite me
That thrills and delights me, oh no
It doesn't thrill or delight me
It's just the nearness of you
It's just the feeling of being near you
It isn't your sweet conversation
Your sweet words don't create this feeling
That brings this sensation, oh no
They don't bring this sensation
It's just the nearness of you
It's just the feeling of being near you
When you're in my arms
When you're close to me
And I feel you so close to me
I feel your presence so strongly
All my wildest dreams come true
Everything I've ever wanted comes true
It's you
It's your presence
I need no soft lights to enchant me
I don't need romantic ambiance to feel this way
If you'll only grant me
If you'll allow me
The right to hold you ever so tight
To hold you very close to me
And to feel in the night the nearness of you
To feel your presence in the night
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Hoagy Carmichael, Ned Washington
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind