Shepp was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on May 24th, 1937, but raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he studied piano, clarinet and alto saxophone before focusing on tenor saxophone (he occasionally plays soprano saxophone). He is best known for his passionately Afrocentric music of the late sixties which focused on highlighting the injustices faced by people of African descent. He is also known for his 60's work with the New York Contemporary Five with co-founder Don Cherry and Shepp's collaborations with his "New Thing" contemporaries, most notably Cecil Taylor and John Coltrane, but also Roswell Rudd and Bobby Hutcherson.
Considered a jazz great, saxophonist Archie Shepp recorded albums like Poem For Malcolm and Live in Antibes for labels like Verve and Impulse. He was active in academia at SUNY Buffalo as a professor of African American Studies and the University of Massachusetts Amherst as a professor of music. He played with other notable musical radicals including Frank Zappa and provided the musical score to the movie Gotta Dance and is featured on the 1984 Wilebski's Blues Saloon Festival DVD.
Careless Love
Archie Shepp Lyrics
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You've fly through my head like wine
You've wrecked the life of a many poor girl
And you nearly spoiled this life of mine
Love, oh love, oh careless love
In your clutches of desire
You've made me break a many true vow
Love, oh love, oh careless love
All my happiness bereft
You've filled my heart with weary old blues
Now I'm walkin', talkin' to myself
Love, oh love, oh careless love
Trusted you now, it's too late
You've made me throw my old friend down
That's why I sing this song of hate
Love, oh love, oh careless love
Night and day, I weep and moan
You brought the wrong man into this life of mine
For my sins, till judgment I'll atone
Archie Shepp’s song “Careless Love” explores the fickle nature of love through the lyrics that describe how love has caused havoc in lives of different individuals. The lyrics in the song highlight how love is carelessly thrown around without much thought of the consequences. Using the metaphor of wine, the singer describes how love has flown through his head, creating a feeling of intoxication. The lyrics suggest that love has destroyed the lives of many women, and almost ruined the life of the singer.
The song suggests that love is the cause of great pain, as love leads people to make promises and break them. The lyrics convey that love is passionate and consuming, and can set one's very soul on fire. However, the passion and desire that love brings often lead to great sadness, as the singer's happiness is now bereft, and his heart is filled with weary old blues. Love has caused the singer to become desolate, walking and talking to himself, consumed by the pain that love has brought him.
Overall, the song is about the dangers of love and how it can be recklessly thrown around without much thought, resulting in great pain and sorrow.
Line by Line Meaning
Love, oh love, oh careless love
Love is the cause of many troubles and heartaches
You've fly through my head like wine
Love has taken over my thoughts and senses like an intoxicating drink
You've wrecked the life of a many poor girl
Love has broken the hearts and lives of many unfortunate women
And you nearly spoiled this life of mine
Love almost destroyed my life too
In your clutches of desire
Love has a strong and powerful grip on me
You've made me break a many true vow
Love has caused me to betray my promises and commitments
Then you set my very soul on fire
Love has ignited a passionate flame within my soul
All my happiness bereft
Love has taken away all my joy and happiness
You've filled my heart with weary old blues
Love has left me with a heavy heart and a melancholic mood
Now I'm walkin', talkin' to myself
Love has driven me to madness and loneliness
Trusted you now, it's too late
I have put my faith in love, but now I realize it's too late to turn back
You've made me throw my old friend down
Love has caused me to betray and abandon a loyal friend
That's why I sing this song of hate
My hatred for love and its destructive power has inspired me to write this song
Night and day, I weep and moan
Love has left me in a state of constant sorrow and despair
You brought the wrong man into this life of mine
Love has led me to choose the wrong partner and brought misery into my life
For my sins, till judgment I'll atone
I will suffer the consequences of my actions and mistakes until the end of my life
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANGELO BADALAMENTI, JOHN MAYBURY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind