Billy Stewart began singing publicly with his mother's group, the Stewart Gospel Singers, as a teenager. He made the transition to secular music by filling in occasionally for the Rainbows, a D.C. area vocal group led by future soul star Don Covay. It was also through the Rainbows that Stewart met another aspiring singer, a very young Marvin Gaye. Seminal rock and roller Bo Diddley has been credited with discovering Stewart playing piano in Washington, D.C. in 1956 and inviting him to be one of his backup musicians. This led to a recording contract with Bo Diddley's label, Chess Records, and Bo Diddley played guitar on Stewart's 1956 recording of "Billy's Blues". Stewart then moved to Okeh Records and recorded "Billy's Heartache" backed by the Marquees, another D.C. area group which was now featuring Marvin Gaye.
Back at Chess in the early 1960s, Stewart began working with A&R man Billy Davis. He cut a song called "Fat Boy". Showing additional promise with his recordings of "Reap What You Sow" and "Strange Feeling", major chart success was not far away. Stewart hit both the pop and R&B charts big in 1965 with the songs, “I Do Love You” and “Sitting in the Park.” His improvisational technique of doubling-up, scatting his words and trilling his lips made his style unique in the 1960s.
In 1966, wishing to appeal to a wider audience, Stewart recorded the LP "Billy Stewart Teaches Old Standards New Tricks" in 1966. The first single released from that album was Billy's radical stand-out interpretation of the George Gershwin classic "Summertime", a top ten hit on both the pop and R&B charts in 1966. The follow-up single was Billy's remake of the Doris Day hit "Secret Love", which just missed the top ten on the R&B chart.
While Stewart continued to record throughout the remainder of the 1960s, his weight problem worsened and he developed diabetes. He also suffered minor injuries in a motorcycle accident in 1969. His life was tragically cut short on January 17, 1970, just 2 months prior to his 33rd birthday, when the car he was driving plunged into the Neuse River in North Carolina, killing him and three members of his band.
Billy Stewart was inducted into the Washington Area Music Association Hall of Fame in 1982.
Because I Love You
Billy Stewart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ooh, ooh, I love you
I'll follow a rainbow
Bring you a pot of gold
Give my coat if you are cold
Why, because I love you
Buy you things and take you out
Sing how I feel
Why, because I love you
I love you
Put none above you
I need you
Say, little girl
I want to give you
Said now, baby (baby)
Don't you know I love you
(I love you)
I said I love you
Ooh, ooh, I love you
Ooh, ooh, I love you
I'll take the sunlight
So we'll have a moon at night
Protect you like a Roman knight
Why, because I love you
I'll hire a big band
Just so we can dance
All night long
I'll hold your hand
Why, because I love you
I love you
Put none above you
Said I need you
I want to please you
Baby (baby)
Baby (baby)
Don't you know I said
Baby (baby)
Don't you know I love you
I said I love you
Ooh, ooh, I love you
Ooh, ooh, I love you
La la la la...
I said I love you
La la la la...
Don't you know I love you
Ooh, ooh, I love you
Ooh, ooh, I love you
The song, "Because I Love You", by Billy Stewart is a declaration of love from a man to his lover. The lyrics are written in first-person narrative, the man promises to do everything in his power to care, protect and express his love for his woman. The song is filled with poetic language that portrays the depth and sincerity of the man's feelings for his partner. In the first verse, he says he will follow a rainbow to bring her a pot of gold, give her his coat when she's cold, and work a paper route to buy her things and take her out. These lines symbolize the lengths he would go to make her happy and comfortable.
In the second verse, he promises to protect her like a Roman knight, hire a big band so they can dance all night long and hold her hand. The language used to express these emotions conveys the idea that love isn't just a feeling; it's the actions that someone takes to show their love. The chorus is repeated throughout the song, reaffirming his love and devotion to his partner.
Overall, the song "Because I Love You" is an expression of unwavering love from a man towards his partner. It depicts an idealized version of love that is pure, selfless, and all-consuming. The lyrics are poetic, and the emotions are sincere and profound.
Line by Line Meaning
Ooh, ooh, I love you
I love you very much
I'll follow a rainbow
Bring you a pot of gold
Give my coat if you are cold
Why, because I love you
I will go to great lengths to make you happy because my love for you is strong
I'll even work a paper route
Buy you things and take you out
Sing how I feel
Why, because I love you
I am willing to work hard and spend money on you because of how much I love you
I love you
Put none above you
I need you
My love for you is the strongest and I cannot imagine my life without you
Say, little girl
I want to give you
Said now, baby (baby)
Don't you know I love you
(I love you)
I said I love you
I want to express my love for you and make sure you know how much I care
I'll take the sunlight
So we'll have a moon at night
Protect you like a Roman knight
Why, because I love you
I will do everything in my power to make sure you are safe and happy because I love you so much
I'll hire a big band
Just so we can dance
All night long
I'll hold your hand
Why, because I love you
I want to create special moments for us to enjoy together and show you how much I care
Baby (baby)
Baby (baby)
Don't you know I said
Baby (baby)
Don't you know I love you
I said I love you
I want to make sure that you understand just how much I love you and how important you are to me
Ooh, ooh, I love you
Ooh, ooh, I love you
I can't say it enough, I love you so much
Contributed by Avery J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.