Strawberry Letter #23
Brothers Johnson Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hello my love, I heard a kiss from you
Red magic satin playing near, too
All through the morning rain I gaze, the sun doesn't shine
Rainbows and waterfalls run through my mind

In the garden, I see
West purple shower bells and tea
Orange birds and river cousins
Dressed in green

Pretty music, I hear
So happy and loud
Blue flowers echo
From a cherry cloud

Feel sunshine sparkle pink and blue
Playgrounds will laugh
If you try to ask
"Is it cool?" (is it cool)

If you arrive and don't see me
I'm going to be with my baby
I am free, flying in her arms
Over the sea

Stained window, yellow candy screen
See speakers of kite
With velvet roses diggin'
Freedom flight

A present from you
Strawberry letter twenty-two
The music plays
I sit in for a few

Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh

A present from you
Strawberry letter 22
The music plays
I sit in for a few

Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh

Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh

Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh

Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh




Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Brothers Johnson's song Strawberry Letter #23 evoke a dreamlike state of mind. The opening line "Hello my love, I heard a kiss from you" suggests a spiritual or transcendental connection between the singer and their lover. The reference to "red magic satin playing near" creates a sensual atmosphere while the following lines suggest that the singer is lost in thought, gazing at rainbows and waterfalls that run through their mind.


The second verse brings the listener into a garden where the singer sees various colorful elements, including purple shower bells, orange birds, and river cousins dressed in green. The music that the singer hears is described as "pretty" and "happy and loud," with blue flowers echoing from a cherry cloud. The line "Playgrounds will laugh if you try to ask 'Is it cool?'" suggests a childlike innocence and joy, something that the singer wants the listener to experience as well.


Line by Line Meaning

Hello my love, I heard a kiss from you
Starting the song with a greeting from the lover, indicating that he felt a kiss from her


Red magic satin playing near, too
The atmosphere seems romantic with magic and satin playing around them


All through the morning rain I gaze, the sun doesn't shine
He is looking at the rain in the morning and feels sad that the sun is not shining


Rainbows and waterfalls run through my mind
Despite the gloomy weather, he has colorful thoughts of rainbows and waterfalls


In the garden, I see
He sees a garden and is now describing what he observes


West purple shower bells and tea
He sees purple flowers showering and tea growing in the garden


Orange birds and river cousins
Besides flowers, he also sees birds and relatives living by the river


Dressed in green
All the creatures he sees are wearing green


Pretty music, I hear
He hears melodious music and finds it pleasing


So happy and loud
The music feels joyful and loud


Blue flowers echo
The music echoes in the blue flowers


From a cherry cloud
The music seems to come from a cloud with a cherry-like color


Feel sunshine sparkle pink and blue
He feels a sensation of pink and blue colors sparkling in the sunshine


Playgrounds will laugh
The playgrounds seem happy and laughing


If you try to ask
However, if someone asks if it's cool, they won't understand what he feels


"Is it cool?"
A rhetorical question proposed in the previous line


If you arrive and don't see me
He tells his lover that if she doesn't find him, he will probably be with his baby


I'm going to be with my baby
He is going to meet his lover


I am free, flying in her arms
He feels like he is flying in his lover's arms because he loves her


Over the sea
He is flying over the sea with his lover


Stained window, yellow candy screen
He describes a window with yellow candy-colors on it


See speakers of kite
He observes the kite's sound amplification system


With velvet roses diggin'
He describes how the roses are deep in velvet material


Freedom flight
The overall feeling of the song reflects freedom and liberation


A present from you
He says that his lover gave him a present


Strawberry letter 22
The present he received had the name Strawberry Letter 22


The music plays
The song clarifies that music is playing in the background


I sit in for a few
He takes some time to listen to the music before he gets back to his chores


Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
The song ends in a repetitive and catchy chorus




Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Tratore, Unison Rights S.L., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Shuggie Otis

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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