Anita Baker (born January 26, 1958, in Toledo, Ohio) is a soul and adult co… Read Full Bio ↴Anita Baker (born January 26, 1958, in Toledo, Ohio) is a soul and adult contemporary Rhythm and blues singer.

With her classy, refined brand of romantic soul, Anita Baker was one of the definitive quiet storm singers of the '80s. Gifted with a strong, supple alto, Baker was influenced not only by R&B, but jazz, gospel, and traditional pop, which gave her music a distinctly adult sophistication. Smooth and mellow, but hardly lifeless, it made her one of the most popular romantic singers of her time.

Baker was born January 26, 1958, in Toledo, OH, and raised in nearby Detroit, where she grew up listening to female jazz singers like Sarah Vaughan, Nancy Wilson, and Ella Fitzgerald. At age 12, she began singing a gospel choir, and by age 16 she was performing with several local bands. In 1975, she successfully auditioned for Chapter 8, one of Detroit's most popular acts at the time; the group eventually signed with Ariola and released an album in 1979, but were immediately dropped when the label was acquired by Arista (which didn't care for Baker's vocals). Chastened, Baker worked low-paying jobs in Detroit and eventually found steady work as a receptionist at a law firm. In 1982, Otis Smith -- an executive who'd worked with Chapter 8 -- contacted Baker about recording for his new label Beverly Glen. Happy with her employment benefits and skittish over the experience with Arista, Baker was reluctant at first, but eventually flew out to the West Coast to record her debut album, The Songstress, in 1983. Though it didn't gain quite enough exposure to become a hit, it did help Baker build a strong fan base through word-of-mouth and she was signed by Elektra in 1985.

Working with producer Michael J. Powell (an old Chapter 8 cohort), Baker released her major-label debut Rapture in 1986. It was a platinum, Grammy winning smash, appealing to both urban and adult contemporary listeners and producing two all-time quiet storm classics in "Caught Up in the Rapture" and "Sweet Love." Baker toured the world in 1987 and her guest appearance on the Winans track "Ain't No Need to Worry" won a Grammy. Her equally stylish follow-up album, Giving You the Best That I Got, appeared in 1988, spawning more staples in the title track and "Just Because." "Giving You the Best That I Got" also won Baker two more Grammys, for Best Female R&B Vocal and Best R&B Song. For her third Elektra album, Baker decided to handle a greater share of the songwriting, hence the title Compositions, which was released in 1990 and featured even stronger jazz inflections than Baker's previous work (not to mention all live instruments).

Following Compositions, Baker took a break from recording and touring; after having her first son in 1993, she returned to the studio to craft Rhythm of Love, which was released in 1994. In the years that followed, Baker was mostly silent, despite her fans' clamoring for a jazz album; instead, she raised her family and became embroiled in contract disputes with Elektra, which eventually led her to move to Atlantic. She began working on a new album in 2000, but had to start over from scratch due to defective recording equipment that made the original tracks unsalvageable. In 2004 it was announced that she had signed with Blue Note and still working on her new album. In the meantime, the Atlantic imprint Rhino released Night of Rapture: Live, a 1987 concert originally available on video. Baker finally returned to the studio in 2003 and issued My Everything, her first album in 10 years. Two years later she released her first holiday album, Christmas Fantasy.

The Look Of Love
Anita Baker Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The look of love
Is in your eyes
A look your smile can't
disguise

The look of love
Is saying so much more than
Just words could every say

And what my heart has heard
Well it takes my breath away

[Chorus]
I can hardly wait to hold you
Feel my arms around you
How long I have waited
Waited just to love you
Now that I have found you

You've got the look of love
It's on your face
A look that time can't erase
Baby be mine, tonight

Let this be just the start of
So many nights like this
Let's take a lovers vow
And seal it with a kiss

[Chorus]

Don't ever go
Don't ever go
I love you so
The look of love

Let this be just the start of
So many nights like this
Let's take a lover's vow
And baby we'll seal it with a kiss

[Chorus]

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Anita Baker's "The Look of Love" is a beautiful and romantic song that speaks about the power of nonverbal communication. The first verse talks about how the look of love can be found in the other person's eyes, and how a smile can't hide this feeling. The second verse highlights the depth of the look of love by saying that it says more than what words could express, and how it can take away one's breath. The chorus then talks about how the singer can't wait to hold the other person in their arms, as this is something they have been waiting for, and now that they have found it, they want to cherish it.

The second half of the song then talks about how the singer doesn't want the experience to end and how they want to make a lover's vow and seal it with a kiss. The song's lyrics are a declaration of love and capture the essence of what it means to be in love. The song's melody and lyrics beautifully capture the emotion of love and are a treat to listen to.

Line by Line Meaning

The look of love
The expression on your face is filled with affection

Is in your eyes
Your eyes reveal your fondness

A look your smile can't disguise
Even though you try to hide it, your smile cannot conceal your love

Is saying so much more than
The expression of your love conveys a depth of emotion

Just words could ever say
That words could never do justice to express

And what my heart has heard
My heart is aware of the feeling conveyed through the look of love

Well it takes my breath away
It is overwhelming and breathtaking

I can hardly wait to hold you
I am eager to embrace you

Feel my arms around you
I want to hold you tightly

How long I have waited
I have yearned for this moment for a long time

Waited just to love you
I only waited for the opportunity to love you