A Charlie Parker disciple who brings his own lyricism to the bebop language… Read Full Bio ↴A Charlie Parker disciple who brings his own lyricism to the bebop language, Charles McPherson has been a reliable figure in modern mainstream jazz for more than 35 years. He played in the Detroit jazz scene of the mid-'50s, moved to New York in 1959, and within a year was working with Charles Mingus. McPherson and his friend Lonnie Hillyer succeeded Eric Dolphy and Ted Curson as regular members of Mingus' band in 1961 and he worked with the bassist off and on up until 1972. Although he and Hillyer had a short-lived quintet in 1966, McPherson was not a full-time leader until 1972. In 1978, he moved to San Diego, which has been his home ever since and sometimes he uses his son, Chuck McPherson, on drums. Charles McPherson, who helped out on the film Bird by playing some of the parts not taken from Charlie Parker records, has led dates through the years for Prestige (1964-1969), Mainstream, Xanadu, Discovery, and Arabesque.

It Had To Be You
Charles McPherson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

It had to be you, it had to be you.
I wandered around and finally found the somebody who
Could make me be true, could make me feel blue,
And even be glad just to be sad thinkin' of you.

Some others I've seen might never be mean
Might never be cross or try to be boss,
But they wouldn't do.

For nobody else gave me a thrill.
With all your faults, I love you still,
It had to be you, wonderful you,
It had to be you.

It had to be you, it had to be you.
I wandered around and finally found somebody who
Could make me be true, could make me be blue,
And even be glad just to be sad thinkin' of you.

Some others I've seen might never be mean
Might never be cross or try to be boss,
But they wouldn't do.

For nobody else gave me a thrill.
With all your faults, I love you still.

It had to be you, wonderful you

It had to be you.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Charles McPherson's song, "It had to be you", reflect feelings of love and gratitude towards a particular person. The singer claims to have wandered around and finally found someone who can make them feel true and content, despite their flaws. The words "could make me feel blue, and even be glad just to be sad thinkin' of you" suggest that the person is deeply in love, to the point that even missing them is a source of joy. The singer has apparently encountered other people, who might not be mean or controlling, but they would not be enough to fulfill them in the way the loved one does. The song captures the idea that falling in love is not always rational, and that sometimes a strong connection develops regardless of compatibility or logic.

Line by Line Meaning

It had to be you, it had to be you.
Out of everyone in the world, it was fated that I would find and fall in love with you.

I wandered around and finally found the somebody who Could make me be true, could make me feel blue, And even be glad just to be sad thinkin' of you.
After a long search, I found someone who brings out the best in me, makes me feel both happy and sad in their absence, and yet grateful to be able to think of them.

Some others I've seen might never be mean Might never be cross or try to be boss, But they wouldn't do.
While some other people may be kind and easy to handle, I cannot settle for them because they do not ignite the passion and love that only you do.

For nobody else gave me a thrill. With all your faults, I love you still,
You may have flaws, but I still love and am passionate about you in a way that nobody else can evoke in me.

It had to be you, wonderful you, It had to be you.
Once again, I must reiterate that my destiny was always to find and love you, my wonderful partner.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Isham Jones, Gus Kahn

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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