Richard Allen (Blue) Mitchell (March 13, 1930 – May 21, 1979) was an Americ… Read Full Bio ↴Richard Allen (Blue) Mitchell (March 13, 1930 – May 21, 1979) was an American jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, rock, and funk trumpeter, known for many albums recorded as leader and sideman on Blue Note Records.

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.

Why Do I Love You?
Blue Mitchell Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Why do I love you I love you not only for what you are
But for what I am when I'm with you
I love you not only for what you've made of yourself
But for what you're making of me
I love you for ignoring the possibilities of the fool in me
And for laying firm hold of the possibilities for good in me
Why do I love you I love you for closing your eyes to the dischords
And for adding to the music in me by worshipful listening

I love you because you're helping to make of the lumber of my life
Not a tavern but a temple
And out of the words of my everyday not a reproach but a song
I love you because you have done more than any creed to make me happy

You have done it without a word without a touch without a sign
You have done it just by being yourself and after all perhaps that's what love means

Overall Meaning

In this beautiful love song, Blue Mitchell expresses his feelings of love towards his partner. He explains that he does not love them only for who they are, but also for the person he becomes when he is with them. Their presence in his life has made him a better person, and he loves them for that.

The lyrics also suggest that the writer's partner has helped him to see the best in himself while ignoring his flaws. They've brought out the good in him and inspired him to be a better person. They've been able to listen to him wholeheartedly, and their support has made him feel valued and loved. He goes on to say that his partner has turned his life around, and they've inspired him to become a better person. Ultimately, love is not just about words or actions, but it's about the feeling of being with someone who accepts and loves you for who you truly are.

Line by Line Meaning

Why do I love you I love you not only for what you are
I love you not only for your qualities and traits

But for what I am when I'm with you
But for how you make me feel and who I become around you

I love you not only for what you've made of yourself
I love you not only for your achievements and successes

But for what you're making of me
But for how you inspire and motivate me to be a better person

I love you for ignoring the possibilities of the fool in me
I love you for looking beyond my flaws and weaknesses

And for laying firm hold of the possibilities for good in me
And for recognizing and nurturing my strengths and virtues

Why do I love you I love you for closing your eyes to the dischords
I love you for being able to overlook the negatives and focus on the positives

And for adding to the music in me by worshipful listening
And for enhancing my life through active and attentive listening

I love you because you're helping to make of the lumber of my life
I love you because you are contributing to the development and improvement of my life

Not a tavern but a temple
Turning it into a more sacred and meaningful place

And out of the words of my everyday not a reproach but a song
Turning my everyday life into a positive and uplifting experience

I love you because you have done more than any creed to make me happy
I love you because you have brought great joy and happiness to my life

You have done it without a word without a touch without a sign
You have done it without any explicit or tangible actions or signs

You have done it just by being yourself and after all perhaps that's what love means
You have done it simply by being your authentic self, and maybe that is the essence of love

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JEROME KERN, OSCAR II HAMMERSTEIN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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