1.) ARTHUR is the solo project of American multi-instrumentalist Con Shea, … Read Full Bio ↴1.) ARTHUR is the solo project of American multi-instrumentalist Con Shea, a co-founder of the indie band Joy Again. A native of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Shea cites the biodiversity and "eldritch" nature of his home town as inspirations for his music. Alongside his upbringing, Shea has repeatedly listed Nintendo, Ween, Gram Parsons, and The Beach Boys as inspirations.

2.) The artist name "Arthur" is also used by the south african kwaito musician Arthur Mafokate.

All my life
Arthur Lyrics

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Until we kissed, I never knew
The thrills that could be tasted
Until we kissed, I never knew
The years that I had wasted

But now I know
I was waiting for you to come by
I was waiting, girl

Won't you please tell me why
This took so long to begin
Darling, where have you been all my life?

Oh, don't you know that 'til we touched
I never knew the touch was worth revealing
Until we touched
I never knew my heart was really beating

But now I know
I was waiting for you to come by
I was waiting
Won't you please tell me why
This took so long to begin
Darling, where have you been all my life?

Oh, darling
Where have you been
Where you been
Where you been
When I was feeling blue

Where have you been
Where you been
Where you been
When I was needing you

Oh, where you been
Where you been

Where you been

Now don't you know
I was waiting for you to come by
I was waiting, girl
Won't you please tell me why
This took so long to begin
Darling, where have you been all my life?

Oh, darling
Where have you been
Where you been
Where you been
When I was feeling blue
Feeling blue

Where have you been
Where you been
Where you been
When I was needing you

Oh, where you been
Where you been

Overall Meaning

Arthur Alexander’s “Where Have You Been” is a song about the discovery of love and the realization of its transformative power. The lyrics depict the singer’s sudden awakening to the pleasures of love and companionship, likening it to a long-awaited and much-needed answer to his romantic yearning. The first verse describes how the singer was unaware of how much he had been missing out on until he shared a kiss with his lover. The second verse expands on this feeling, describing how the singer found out that his heart had been beating, but he had not been aware of it.

The lyrics also explore the singer’s sense of confusion and frustration about why he had to wait so long for this feeling to develop. The repeated question of “where have you been” expresses his longing for this love to have been present in his life for longer. The final verse reveals the singer’s deep-seated emotions of loneliness and sadness, which were lifted by the arrival of this newfound love. The song ends on a hopeful note, as the singer asks his lover where she had been and expresses his gratitude for her presence in his life.

One interesting aspect of the song is that it was written by Arthur Alexander himself, who was known for his soulful and introspective lyrics. The song was released in 1962 and became one of Alexander's most popular songs. The song was also covered by many artists, including The Beatles, Linda Ronstadt, and Elvis Costello.

Line by Line Meaning

Until we kissed, I never knew
Before we kissed, I was unaware

The thrills that could be tasted
Of the excitement that awaited

Until we kissed, I never knew
Before we kissed, I was not aware

The years that I had wasted
Of the time I spent aimlessly

But now I know
But now I am aware

I was waiting for you to come by
I had been anticipating your arrival

I was waiting, girl
I was waiting for you, my love

Won't you please tell me why
Can you explain the reason?

This took so long to begin
Why it took so much time to start

Darling, where have you been all my life?
My love, why did it take so long for us to meet?

Oh, don't you know that 'til we touched
Do you not remember that we did not touch?