Born Ezekiel Christopher Montanez in Los Angeles, California, Montez was brought up in Hawthorne, California. His early musical influences included the latino music played and performed by residents of his neighborhood, as well as Ritchie Valens. After the release of the highly successful "Let's Dance" on Monogram Records, Montez spent several years touring with artists such as Sam Cooke, The Platters, and Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, as well as The Beatles, then relatively unknown outside of Liverpool.
Early in 1963, Montez would score another hit with "Some Kinda Fun". Reaching #43 on the charts, the song utilized the same catchy keyboard instrumentation as did "Let's Dance"; fittingly, both were million sellers, and were awarded gold discs. 1963 also saw the release of Montez's only album on Monogram, Let's Dance and Have Some Kinda' Fun!!!. Shortly before Monogram folded, Montez was paired up with Kathy Young, releasing two singles as the duo Chris & Kathy, most notably surf rock classic "Shoot That Curl". While at Monogram, Montez wrote, or co-wrote, several of his own songs, such as "Chiquita Mia", "Let's Do the Limbo" and "No No No".
Two years later, Montez was practically a non-entity in the music business; however, Herb Alpert, co-founder of A&M Records, cordially invited Montez to resume his recording career at A&M. When Montez attempted to replicate his earlier rock 'n' roll success, however, Alpert personally suggested that Montez try a different approach: a middle of the road, soft ballad sound. While not particularly interested in changing his style of music, Montez decided to trust Alpert's instincts.
"Call Me", a cover version of a Petula Clark song, was the first single from his 1966 album, The More I See You / Call Me, earning Montez his biggest hit in years, eventually reaching #22. The song has since become an easy listening standard. The album's title cut, Montez's second single, was a source of confusion for certain radio disc jockeys who were unfamiliar with Montez' past as a rocker; when back-announcing the song, they would often refer to Montez as being female, likely owing to Montez's falsetto singing style. This confusion would be cleared up by the time the album, bearing Montez's pictures on the front and back sleeve, was released.
Montez would record three more albums for A&M: Time After Time (1966), Foolin' Around (1967), and Watch What Happens (1968). Although quite stylistically similar to his first hit album on A&M, they failed to mirror its success, although Time After Time's title cut and "Because of You" both managed to crack the Hot 100. In 1968, Montez departed from A&M on a three-year sabbatical. In 1972, Montez released a big hit single in Brazil, "Loco por ti". By this time, he had returned to his rock roots, albeit with more noticeable pop influence than before.
Two years later, now with CBS Records, Montez released The Best of Chris Montez, a compilation consisting of both old and new material, the newer bearing little to no resemblance to his past hits. While at CBS, he released one more album: Raza: Ay no digas, which fared well in international markets but failed to make an impact in the US. In 1983, Montez released his final album, Cartas de Amor, all of its songs being sung in Spanish. Although his recording career appears to be behind him, Montez is still an active musician, performing to mostly foreign audiences.
In 2008, Frozen Pictures announced plans to make a documentary on Montez's life and career, El viaje musical de Ezekiel Montanez: The Chris Montez Story. The film, focusing on Montez's multi-faceted musical career and considerable influence, has been previewed at several film festivals, but has not seen domestic release.
More I See You
Chris Montez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Somehow this feeling just grows and grows
With every sigh I become more mad about you
More lost without you and so it goes
Can you imagine how much I love you?
The more I see you as years go by
I know the only one for me can only be you
Can you imagine how much I love you?
The more I see you as years go by
I know the only one for me can only be you
My arms won't free you, and my heart won't try
Chris Montez's song "More I See You" is a romantic ballad that captures the feeling of falling in love more and more each time you see the person you adore. The lyrics are simple but express a deep sense of love and desire. The song begins with the line "The more I see you, the more I want you," which sets the tone for the rest of the song. It is clear that the singer is deeply infatuated with the person they are singing to.
The lyrics also touch on the idea of separation and longing. The singer says that with every sigh, they become more lost without the person they love. They express their love by saying, "Can you imagine how much I love you?" and then later emphasize this by saying that they know the only one for them is the person they are singing to. They also make it clear that they will never let go of their love by saying, "My arms won't free you, and my heart won't try."
Overall, "More I See You" is a song about the intensity of love and how it continues to grow over time. It captures the feeling of being completely consumed by someone and never wanting to let them go.
Line by Line Meaning
The more I see you, the more I want you
As I spend more time in your presence, my desire for you grows stronger
Somehow this feeling just grows and grows
Despite my attempt to resist, my emotions continue to intensify
With every sigh I become more mad about you
Each time I express my longing for you, my infatuation deepens
More lost without you and so it goes
Your absence leaves me feeling alone and purposeless, a cycle that repeats endlessly
Can you imagine how much I love you?
Do you comprehend the extent to which I adore you?
The more I see you as years go by
As time passes, my affection for you only grows stronger
I know the only one for me can only be you
There is no other person who can fulfill me like you do
My arms won't free you and my heart won't try
I cannot allow myself to let you go, I am committed to this love and will not let it waver
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Mack Gordon, Harry Warren
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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The more I see you, the more I want you
Somehow this feeling just grows and grows
With every sigh I become more mad about you
More lost without you and so it goes
Can you imagine how much I love you?
The more I see you as years go by
I know the only one for me can only be you
My arms won't free you, and my heart won't try
Can you imagine how much I love you?
The more I see you as years go by
I know the only one for me can only be you
My arms won't free you, and my heart won't try
🙏🏻♥️🙏🏻
Andrew Wood
my dad played this for my mother when they met, I played it for them when they left this earth
Reichensperger
That's beautiful. Well done.
Andrew Wood
@Reichensperger just because you cant see them does not mean they are gone
Reichensperger
@Andrew Wood You're preaching to the converted.
Chicken Little
@Andrew Wood My wife died last Easter (was taken away from me by God) and I'm not happy about it. It wasn't right. As far as I see it... She's gone forever.
Andrew Wood
@Chicken Little no she is with you, can you see oxygen, no but you know its around you. the spirit is made of energy a proven fact, and as energy cant be destroyed only dispersed she is with you
Jackie Hyland
I love ❤️ this song 🎵 because Chris Montez has an excellent voice
Andy Howlett
I love the backing vocals in this, they sound as though he's invited a few mates around and rehearsed only once. I was at secondary school when this came out and at the age of 64 I still love it. A great but slightly rough sound that always makes me smile.
Gi Gi
Love this song. I’ve been listening to it for over 50 years and will never tire of it. The words are so meaningful. It meant so much to me and my hubby, who’s passed away. 😢💕
Thomas Ottey
He is with you always as long as you remember all the times he was with you. Peace and his love for you will see you through anything.