Mitchell was born and raised in Miami, Florida. He began playing trumpet in high school where he acquired his nickname, Blue.
After high school he played in the rhythm and blues ensembles of Paul Williams, Earl Bostic, and Chuck Willis. After returning to Miami he was noticed by Cannonball Adderley, with whom he recorded for Riverside Records in New York in 1958. He then joined the Horace Silver Quintet playing with tenor Junior Cook, bassist Gene Taylor and drummer Roy Brooks. Mitchell stayed with Silver's group until the band's break-up in 1964. After the Silver quintet disbanded, Mitchell formed a group employing members from the Silver quintet substituting the young pianist Chick Corea for Silver and replacing a then sick Brooks with drummer Al Foster. This group produced a number of records for Blue Note disbanding in 1969, after which Mitchell joined and toured with Ray Charles till 1971. From 1971 to 1973 Mitchell performed with John Mayall on Jazz Blues Fusion. From the mid – 70s he recorded, and worked as a session man in the genres noted previously, performed with the big band leaders Louie Bellson, Bill Holman and Bill Berry and was principal soloist for Tony Bennett and Lena Horne. Other band leaders Mitchell recorded with include Lou Donaldson, Grant Green, Philly Joe Jones, Jackie McLean, Hank Mobley, Johnny Griffin, Al Cohn, Dexter Gordon and Jimmy Smith. Blue Mitchell kept his hard-bop playing going with the Harold Land quintet up until his death from cancer on May 21, 1979 in Los Angeles, California at the age of 49.
I Wish I Knew
Blue Mitchell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wish I knew you place no one above me
Did I mistake this for a real romance?
I wish I knew, but only you can answer.
If you don't care, why let me hop[e and pray so
Don't lead me on, if I'm a fool just say so,
Should I keep dreaming on, or just forget you?
Blue Mitchell's song "I Wish I Knew" is a beautiful and emotional expression of the confusion and insecurity that can come from falling in love. Through his lyrics, Mitchell captures the essence of someone who is struggling to understand their own feelings and whether the person they have fallen for shares those sentiments.
The opening lines of the song express the desperation of someone who is longing for someone to love them. The repetition of the phrase "I wish I knew" highlights the uncertainty that the singer is feeling about their relationship. They are unsure if their feelings are reciprocated, and whether they are making a mistake by pursuing this person.
The second verse speaks to the frustration that can be felt when there is a lack of clarity in a relationship. The singer is unsure if they are being led on or if their feelings are being taken seriously. They are at a crossroads, unsure of whether to continue to hope and dream or to move on.
Overall, "I Wish I Knew" is a beautiful and poignant expression of the complexities of love and the uncertainty that we can all feel when we put ourselves out there.
Line by Line Meaning
I wish I knew someone like you could love me
I am surprised that someone as amazing as you could have feelings for someone like me, and I wish I had known for sure before allowing myself to fall deeply in love.
I wish I knew you place no one above me
It's difficult for me to trust that you have feelings for only me and that no one else is competing for your attention, and I wish I could be certain of your true intentions.
Did I mistake this for a real romance?
Sometimes it feels like this relationship is just pretend or that I've imagined your feelings for me, and I wonder if I've been misguided in thinking that what we have is a true romance.
I wish I knew, but only you can answer.
I am left feeling confused and unsure about the nature of our relationship and what lies ahead, but only you can provide the clarity and reassurance that I need.
If you don't care, why let me hope and pray so
If you don't truly care for me, then why do you keep leading me on and letting me believe that there is potential for a lasting relationship between us?
Don't lead me on, if I'm a fool just say so
If my feelings for you are misguided and you don't share them, please don't continue to give me false hope and lead me on, and instead just tell me the truth.
Should I keep dreaming on or just forget you?
I am in a state of confusion about where our relationship stands, and I'm not sure if I should continue hoping and dreaming about a future together or if I should try to move on and forget about you.
What shall I do, I wish I knew
I am in a state of uncertainty and confusion about what to do next, and I wish I had more clarity about your feelings toward me and the direction of our relationship.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Harry Warren, Mack Gordon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind