Though he has recorded a couple of straight jazz albums, most of his recordings contain "pop-jazz" which is a type of instrumental pop music. Bob James was an important figure in turning 1970s fusion jazz more commercial. For their album One on One, Earl Klugh and Bob James received a Grammy award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance of 1981.
"Angela", the instrumental theme from the sitcom Taxi, is probably Bob James' most well-known work to date.
With his song "Take Me To The Mardi Gras", Bob James secured his place in hip-hop history when the song was sampled by Run-DMC in their song "Peter Piper" from the Raising Hell release. "Take Me To The Mardi Gras" has been sampled in numerous hip-hop songs since "Peter Piper", including Eric B. & Rakim's "Don't Sweat The Technique", the Beastie Boys' "Hold It Now, Hit It", and by Timbaland, in Missy Elliot's "Work It".
Another song by Bob James that has also been frequently sampled by the hip-hop and electronic music community is "Nautilus", being sampled by artists such as DJ Premier, Pete Rock, A Tribe Called Quest, DJ Cam and Luke Vibert, and Ghostface Killah. Nautilus has been covered by current touring acts as diverse as Greyboy Allstars and Sound Tribe Sector 9.
Bob James' recordings have practically defined pop/jazz and crossover during the past few decades. Very influenced by pop and movie music, James has often featured R&B-ish soloists (most notably Grover Washington Jr.), who add a jazz touch to what is essentially an instrumental pop set. He actually started out in music going with a much different direction.
In 1962, Bob James recorded a bop-ish trio set for Mercury, and three years later his album for ESP was quite avant-garde, with electronic tapes used for effects. After a period with Sarah Vaughan (1965-1968), he became a studio musician, and by 1973 was arranging and working as a producer for CTI.
In 1974, James recorded his first purely commercial effort as a leader; he later made big-selling albums for his own Tappan Zee label, Columbia, and Warner Bros., including collborations with Earl Klugh (Cool, One on One) and David Sanborn (Double Vision). Listeners who prefer challenging jazz to background dance music will be consistently disappointed by Bob James' post-1965 albums.
James is a member of smooth jazz supergroup Fourplay and is a Yamaha Artist.
Since I Fell For You
Bob James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You'd better let love depart,
I know it's so and still I know,
I can't get you outta my heart.
You made me leave my happy home,
You took my love and now you're gone,
Since I fell for you.
My life has been such misery and pain,
I guess I'll never be the same,
Since I fell for you.
[Chorus]
Well, it's too bad and it's too sad,
That I'm in love with you.
Well, you love me and then you snub me,
But what can I do... I'm still in love with you.
I guess I'll never see the light,
I get these blues most every night,
Since I fell for you.
[Chorus]
Well, it's too bad and it's too sad,
That I'm in love with you.
Well, you love me and then you snub me,
But what can I do... I'm still in love with you.
I guess I'll never see the light,
I get these blues most every night,
Since I fell for you.
Since you love me... then you snub me,
I prayed you'd put the world above me,
And now I ... black and blue... scoo, doo, doo, doo...
Since I fell for you
The song "Since I Fell For You" by Bob James is a classic blues ballad that delves into the pain of falling in love with someone who doesn't reciprocate the same feelings. The song begins with the words "When you give love and never get love, you'd better let love depart", which sets the stage for the heartbreak that the singer is experiencing. He is aware that this love will only bring him misery and pain, but he can't help the fact that he is still in love with this person, even though they have left him.
The lyrics also talk about how this person left him after he gave them his love and took away the happiness that he had in his life. The pain of losing that happiness is evident in the line, "You made me leave my happy home, you took my love and now you're gone, since I fell for you". As he sings about the melancholic blues that he feels "most every night", he knows that he will never be the same again.
The chorus of the song repeats the line "Well, it's too bad and it's too sad, that I'm in love with you. Well, you love me and then you snub me, but what can I do... I'm still in love with you", which highlights the bittersweet nature of the singer's love. He knows he is being mistreated by this person, but he still can't shake the feeling that he has for them. The song ends with the poignant line "I prayed you'd put the world above me, and now I ... black and blue...", emphasizing the idea that the pain of unrequited love can sometimes feel physical, as well as emotional.
Line by Line Meaning
When you give love and never get love,
When you offer your love to someone, but they don't reciprocate your feelings.
You'd better let love depart,
It's better to move on from a love that isn't returned.
I know it's so and still I know,
I understand this fact, but I can't help the way I feel.
I can't get you outta my heart.
I am unable to forget about you and move on.
You made me leave my happy home,
You caused me to leave my joyful and content life behind.
You took my love and now you're gone,
You accepted my love and then left me alone.
Since I fell for you.
My current situation has been the result of when I started to love you.
My life has been such misery and pain,
My life has become filled with great sorrow and distress since I fell for you.
I guess I'll never be the same,
I doubt I'll ever recover from this heartbreak.
[Chorus]
Repeating the chorus.
Well, it's too bad and it's too sad,
It's unfortunate and depressing, but true.
That I'm in love with you.
Despite everything, I am still hopelessly in love with you.
Well, you love me and then you snub me,
You show me affection and then reject me.
But what can I do... I'm still in love with you.
Even though you hurt me, I can't help the way I feel about you.
I guess I'll never see the light,
I doubt I'll ever experience happiness again.
I get these blues most every night,
I feel extremely sad and downhearted on a regular basis.
Since you love me... then you snub me,
You give me love and attention, but then reject me.
I prayed you'd put the world above me,
I hoped you would prioritize me over everything else.
And now I ... black and blue... scoo, doo, doo, doo...
Now I feel bruised and hurt, expressing this feeling through onomatopoeia.
Since I fell for you
My current state of pain has been caused by my love for you.
Lyrics © DistroKid, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Cloud9, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BUDDY JOHNSON WOODROW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@DubGDJ
Thank you Moonlighting for introducing me to the real Al Jarreau.
@areturntosanitywithjeremy
One of the rare, and most brilliant, pieces i ever heard. And years later it still pulls my heart strings just as strongly. Maddie and David, thank you.
@luluokafor7601
One of my absolute favourites
@mouthai4089
RIP AJ the greatest of all times jazz singer, man you’re GREAT!🎊 🎉
@warriorpoet9629
Had this one for years. One of the very best.
@njabulokhumalo1380
Thanks to all these jazz giants.
@JimCerone
I've listened to this 1,000 times - usually late at night in my empy apartment, or on long drives on winding roads in the rain.
@yolandalee2575
I love it like that too. It takes me somewhere else.
@steelydougie6947
Even though I have performed this song at least 15 times......no matter how hard I try, I still can't match his pain.....or his Eloquence
@MrRafaelmuller99
Me too