Born in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, he learned to play the saxophone and started his first band, The Harlem Hotshots, while he was still in high school. In 1943, he was recruited as a saxophonist by bandleader Lucky Millinder, and the musicians in Millinder's band gave him the nickname "Bull Moose" for his appearance. He began singing when required to stand in for Wynonie Harris at a show in Texas.
Millinder encouraged Jackson to sign a solo contract with Syd Nathan of King Records to play rhythm and blues. He first recorded in his own right in 1946, with "I Know Who Threw the Whiskey", an answer song to Millinder's "Who Threw the Whiskey in the Well". The following year, his recording of "I Love You, Yes I Do" reputedly became the first R&B single to sell a million copies, holding the #1 spot on the R&B chart for three weeks and crossing over to the pop chart, where it made #24.
He formed his own group, The Buffalo Bearcats, and over the next five years recorded in a wide variety of musical styles, including both romantic crooning and bawdy jump blues. Other big hits in 1948 included the double-sided hit "All My Love Belongs to You" / "I Want a Bowlegged Woman", and his biggest R&B chart hit, "I Can't Go On Without You", which stayed at # 1 on the R&B chart for eight weeks. He also made an appearance in the 1948 film, Boarding House Blues, with Millinder.
In 1949, he covered "Why Don't You Haul Off and Love Me" a song that been successful for Wayne Raney as well as several country and western performers.
Jackson toured throughout the late 1940s and early 1950s. Around 1951, his band included bebop composer and arranger Tadd Dameron on piano, and another jazz musician, Benny Golson, on saxophone.
Some of Jackson's later risqué material, including "Big Ten Inch Record" (later covered by Aerosmith on Toys in the Attic) and "Nosey Joe" (written by Leiber and Stoller), both from 1952, were too suggestive for airplay, but remained popular.
Jackson continued to record until the mid-1950s, but as musical tastes changed began working for a catering firm in Washington, D.C. In 1961 he re-recorded and had a minor hit with "I Love You, Yes I Do".
In the early 1980s he was persuaded by Carl Grefenstette to perform and record again with the Pittsburgh R&B revival band, The Flashcats, who had been playing his songs, and to record the album Moosemania! in 1985. Jackson also toured nationally and internationally. However, his health began to fail, and he died of lung cancer in Cleveland in 1989.
I Love You Yes I Do
Bull Moose Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I want you, yes, I do
I know you know it's true
From the way I looked at you
You love me, yes, you do
You need me, I need you
That's why I'm never blue
Since I first laid eyes on you
From the day you took my heart
You're the one girl I'll always admire
Darling, you're my guiding star
I must be wherever you are
You set my world on fire
I miss you, yes, I do
Must hug you, kiss you too
I'm yours my whole life through
I love you, yes, I do
I love you, yes, I do
Bull Moose Jackson's song "I Love You, Yes I Do" is a classic declaration of love from a man to his woman. The song marvels about the depth of feeling he has for her, emphasizing the extent to which his life is enriched by her presence. He sings about his love for her and how much he desires her. He acknowledges that she reciprocates his feelings and that they are meant to be together.
The song's narrator praises his beloved, stating that he has always admired her, and that she is his guiding star. He pledges to follow her wherever she goes since being with her sets his world on fire. He acknowledges that he misses her whenever they are apart and that he looks forward to hugging and kissing her again. He concludes that she is his forever, and he will continue to love her for the rest of his life.
In conclusion, the song is an excellent representation of the euphoria of love, the feeling of joy and gratitude that one experiences when in love. It paints a vivid picture of a man so deeply in love that he can't help but express his adoration in song.
Line by Line Meaning
I love you, yes, I do
I have deep affection for you, and I'm not afraid to express it
I want you, yes, I do
I desire to be with you and have you by my side
I know you know it's true
I'm sure that you can sense how much I care for you
From the way I looked at you
My intense gaze toward you is a clear indication of my feelings
You love me, yes, you do
I'm aware that you have romantic feelings for me as well
You need me, I need you
We both rely on each other for emotional support and companionship
That's why I'm never blue
Having you in my life makes me happy and fulfilled
Since I first laid eyes on you
From the moment I met you, I was taken with your beauty and charm
I guess you knew it from the start
You probably had an inkling about my feelings toward you from our first encounter
From the day you took my heart
You captured my heart and have held it ever since
You're the one girl I'll always admire
You are the only girl who I hold in the highest regard and respect
Darling, you're my guiding star
You are my beacon of light, directing me towards happiness and contentment
I must be wherever you are
I feel compelled to be wherever you are, as that is where I am happiest
You set my world on fire
You ignite a deep passion within me, making me feel alive
I miss you, yes, I do
I feel a great sense of longing for you when you're not around
Must hug you, kiss you too
I yearn to express my love physically by embracing and kissing you
I'm yours my whole life through
I am committed to spending my entire life loving and caring for you
I love you, yes, I do
I cannot stress enough how deeply I care for you
I love you, yes, I do
My love for you is unwavering, and I desire to reiterate it as often as possible
Writer(s): Sally Nix, Sol Marcus, Henry Glover, Edward Eddie Seiler, guy B. Wood
Contributed by Amelia A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@swingman5635
This blows all other versions out of the water,including James Brown's and the Platters'!
@robertorick6383
Thanks for putting this clean copy up. It's difficult to find this classic in really good condition. This song was a smash the year my mama was born (May 21, 1947.)
@robertorick6383
Apparently, this hit came out a few months after mama was born. Mama was born in May 1947, this record came out around November-December 1947, and charted in early 1948.
@jimbrown1559
Tadd Dameron's biographer suspects he was the arranger.