When Benton was young he enjoyed gospel music and wrote songs and in 1948 he went to New York to pursue his music career.
He was a member of several gospel groups including "The Langfordairies", "The Jerusalem Stars", and "The Golden Gate Quartet".
After returning to his home state he joined a R&B singing group, "the Sandmen", and soon went back to New York to try for a big break. Eventually the record company decided to drop The Sandmen and push Brook as a solo artist.
Benton wrote songs for artists such as Nat King Cole, Clyde McPhatter, and Roy Hamilton. Soon he released his first minor hit A Million Miles From Nowhere, and later he joined the Mercury label, which would later bring him big success.
In 1952 he got his big break with It's Just a Matter of Time and Endlessly.
It's Just a Matter of Time made it to #3 on the U.S. Pop charts, while Endlessly made it to #12 . Both hits were written by Benton himself.
Benton had many #1 hits including Rainy Night in Georgia and Hotel Happiness. According to Songfacts, his version of the blues standard The Boll Weevil Song has the unique distinction of being the first #1 song on Billboard's Easy Listening chart.
Altogether, Benton had 38 hit singles through out his career. His last album was "Fools Rush In", released posthumously in 2005. He died on April 9, 1988.
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Brook Benton Lyrics
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Then I'll squeeze it till it's sweet
I'll take the "O" from the ocean
While the waves are asleep
I'll take the "V" from Venus
We'll sail on to victory
Well, if I can take that much effort
Baby, I'm sure you can add the "E"
(We'll have love)
In the morning when the sun comes up
(We'll have love)
In the evening when the sun goes down
(We'll have love)
When the moon is shining bright
(We'll have L-O-V-E, love)
Well, then we'll get the preacher
To lead us down the aisle
You know I'll say, "Indeed I do"
With a great, big, pretty smile
Then we'll be together
For eternity
Because we took caution
To find L-O-V-E
(Ain't that love?)
In the morning when the sun comes up
(Ain't that love?)
In the evening when the sun goes down
(Ain't that love?)
When the moon is shining bright
(Ain't that L-O-V-E, love?)
I'll put on the dress with roses
Open your eyes; I'll see that glow
We'll catch that Midnight Flyer
And on a honeymoon we'll go
We don't have to have a lot of money
But I'll swear by the stars above
We've got a lot of one thing, yeah
That's L-O-V-E, love
So, ain't that love
In the morning when the sun comes up?
Ain't that love
In the evening when the sun goes down?
(Ain't that love?)
When the moon is shining bright
Ain't that L-O-V-E, love?
I said
(Ain't that L-O-V-E, love)
Well, we'll have
(Ain't that L-O-V-E, love?)
Hallelujah, I said
(Ain't that L-O-V-E, love?)
(Ain't that L-O-V-E, love?)
(Ain't that L-O-V-E, love?)
The lyrics of the song "L-O-V-E" by Brook Benton revolve around the theme of love and commitment. In the first verse, the singer makes an effort to put forth each letter of the word "love" by using different objects or things that begin with each letter. He uses a lemon for the letter "L", takes the "O" from the ocean while the waves are asleep and uses "V" from "Venus." He ends by saying that even after making an effort to spell out love, it's quite effortless for his partner to add the letter "E," suggesting that his partner reciprocates the love.
In the chorus, the singer talks about having love no matter what time of day it is. He says that they'll have love in the morning when the sun comes up, in the evening when the sun goes down, and when the moon is shining bright. He uses the word "ain't" to suggest that it doesn't matter what time of day it is, they'll always have love.
The second verse of the song talks about the couple getting married, walking down the aisle and saying, "I do." The singer suggests that they are taking caution when it comes to finding love so that they can be together for eternity. This is followed by the chorus which repeats the promise that they will have love no matter what and implies that it’s the only thing that they need to make their life together successful.
Overall, the song "L-O-V-E" by Brook Benton is a timeless classic that communicates the idea that love is the most important thing in life, reaffirming the power of love in relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll take the 'L' from a lemon
I will take something sour and use it to cultivate something sweet
Then I'll squeeze it till it's sweet
I will put in the time and effort to turn something sour into something sweet
I'll take the 'O' from the ocean
I will take something vast and unpredictable and harness its power
While the waves are asleep
I will take advantage of a temporary moment of calm to achieve my goals
I'll take the 'V' from Venus
I will look to the stars and draw inspiration from something beyond our world
We'll sail on to victory
We will triumph over our challenges and achieve our dreams
Well, if I can take that much effort
If I am willing to work hard to achieve my goals
Baby, I'm sure you can add the 'E'
Then surely you can put in the effort too
(We'll have love)
Our love will be strong and enduring
In the morning when the sun comes up
Every day will be a new opportunity to experience the joy of our love
(We'll have love)
Our love will last through the ups and downs of life
In the evening when the sun goes down
Every night we will find comfort and love in each other's arms
(We'll have love)
Our love will shine bright, even in the darkest of times
When the moon is shining bright
Our love will be like a light in the darkness
(We'll have L-O-V-E, love)
We will have a love that is true and never-ending
Well, then we'll get the preacher
We will make our love official in the eyes of others
To lead us down the aisle
We will take this important step together
You know I'll say, 'Indeed I do'
I will make a sincere vow to love and cherish you forever
With a great, big, pretty smile
I will be filled with joy and happiness on this special day
Then we'll be together
We will be united in our love for each other
For eternity
Our love will last forever
Because we took caution
Because we were careful in choosing and nurturing our love
To find L-O-V-E
We found a love that was true and meant to be
(Ain't that love?)
Isn't that the essence of true love?
I'll put on the dress with roses
I will get dressed up for this special occasion
Open your eyes; I'll see that glow
I will be able to see the happiness and love in your eyes
We'll catch that Midnight Flyer
We will go on a journey together to start our new life
And on a honeymoon we'll go
We will take some time to celebrate our love and each other
We don't have to have a lot of money
We don't need material things to be happy
But I'll swear by the stars above
I promise to love you and be faithful to you always
We've got a lot of one thing, yeah
We have an abundance of the one thing that truly matters - love
That's L-O-V-E, love
We have a love that is true and everlasting
(Ain't that love)
Isn't that the most beautiful thing in the world?
Hallelujah, I said
I am filled with joy and gratitude for our love
(Ain't that L-O-V-E, love?)
Our love is something to be celebrated and cherished
(Ain't that L-O-V-E, love?)
Our love is something that will always be a part of us
(Ain't that L-O-V-E, love?)
Our love is something that will endure forever
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ALPHONSO HIGGINS, DINAH WASHINGTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind