David Gates was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma to a band director and a piano teacher on December 11, 1940. Surrounded by music from birth, he was proficient in piano, bass and guitar by the time he was in high school. In 1957, he received a musical break when Chuck Berry came to Tulsa; Gates had his first hit, Jo-Baby, with Chuck Berry. The song was written for Gates' high school sweetheart Jo Rita, whom he married and had children with while enrolled at the university of Oklahoma. In 1961, the family moved to Los Angeles, and Gates embarked on a career of songwriting and producing. By the end of the '60s, he had worked with Elvis Presley, Bobby Darin and Merle Haggard, and produced the 1965 Glenn Yarbrough hit Baby the Rain Must Fall. Realizing that the only way his songs were sure to be recorded was to sing them himself, Gates founded Bread in 1968; the group consisted of Gates, James Griffin, Robb Royer, and later, drummer Michael Botts and keyboardist Larry Krechtel. The group's first album, Bread, was released in 1969 with hits It Don't Matter to Me, Dismal Day and Make It with You. Soft rock hits became the band's trademark and made them legends. Greater success and recognition came with the 1971 album, Manna, with the smash hit If. With the popular albums Guitar Man and Baby, I'm a Want You, the band's success led the members in different directions. The group disbanded in 1973 to pursue their own solo interests and careers, but regrouped in 1977 to produce the album Lost Without Your Love. David Gates produced albums of his own, First Album and Never Let Her Go in 1975; his songs landed him on the contemporary music charts every time, including The Goodbye Girl, from Neil Simon's play of the same name. Several of his songs have been recorded by artists such as Julio Iglesias and Boy George. Everything I Own, a tribute to his father as his greatest influence, was recorded by Nashville artists The Kendalls and Joe Stempley and then by pop rocker Boy George. His incredible songwriting ability offers versatility and a crossing over of musical genres. With a recording studio on his California ranch, David Gates continues to write and produce
Suite
David Gates Lyrics
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Everchanging as they come and go
Makes me wonder why I'm up so high
When really I am down so low
Of all the wonders I was one allowed
I think that I would always choose a cloud
Always brings my feelings right out loud
On this airplane comin' home to you
Sometimes I think I've flown my whole
Life through
My whole life... through
As I wing my way to you
See the clouds they're giving life below
In colors that the canvas cannot show
Keeping secrets no one else could know
For I'm the one who told them so
Now and then I get up close to you
I'd like to stay but I'm just passing through
So I'll have to say goodbye...
Until next time I fly.
(interlude)
Make my bed-light the light
Comin' in on the midnight flight
Touch the ground and soon you will be
Safe inside reality
Change your mind-change your name
Still the music it sounds the same
Rainfall don't bother me at all
You see the world reflected on the highway
Come on rainbow-I can't let you go
Before I reach the end of you someway
So the next time raindrops fall
If it makes you climb the walls just think
Of green.
The lyrics to David Gates's song Clouds Suite describe the experience of flying high in an airplane and looking down at the ever-changing clouds below. The singer is struck by the beauty and mystery of the clouds, which seem to represent both the heights of wonder and the depths of loneliness. The clouds bring out the singer's emotions, whether he feels proud or ashamed, and he finds himself drawn to their secrets and the sense that they are somehow alive. At the end of the song, the singer lands and returns to reality, but he knows that he will always be drawn back to the clouds, to the feeling of being suspended between heaven and earth.
Line by Line Meaning
See the clouds adrift so far below
Observing the clouds beneath him from up high
Everchanging as they come and go
The clouds change continually as they move
Makes me wonder why I'm up so high
Questioning the reason for being high up
When really I am down so low
Realizing that despite being high up, he still feels low
Of all the wonders I was one allowed
Considering the extraordinary experiences he's had
I think that I would always choose a cloud
Preferring the simple beauty of a cloud
Always brings my feelings right out loud
Clouds elicit strong emotions from him
Whether I'm ashamed or proud
His emotions are expressed openly by the clouds
On this airplane comin' home to you
Returning home on a plane
Sometimes I think I've flown my whole life through
Feeling like his life has been spent in the air
My whole life... through
Repeating the sentiment that his life has been in flight
As I wing my way to you
Flying towards his loved one
See the clouds they're giving life below
Noting the importance of the clouds in sustaining life on earth
In colors that the canvas cannot show
The colors of the clouds are indescribable
Keeping secrets no one else could know
The clouds are privy to information that no one else knows
For I'm the one who told them so
Feeling a personal connection to the clouds
Now and then I get up close to you
Occasionally being physically close to his loved one
I'd like to stay but I'm just passing through
Wishing he could stay longer but knowing it's only temporary
So I'll have to say goodbye...
Acknowledging the inevitable farewell
Until next time I fly.
Planning to see his loved one on another flight in the future
Make my bed-light the light
Requesting the room to be set up with a nightlight
Comin' in on the midnight flight
Arriving on a flight that lands at midnight
Touch the ground and soon you will be
Immediately upon landing, you'll be safe and sound
Safe inside reality
Secure in the familiar world of reality
Change your mind-change your name
Change your way of thinking or who you are on the surface
Still the music it sounds the same
The music remains consistent despite changes elsewhere
Rainfall don't bother me at all
The sound of rain doesn't upset him
You see the world reflected on the highway
The rain creates a reflection of the world on the road
Come on rainbow-I can't let you go
Urging the rainbow to stay visible for longer
Before I reach the end of you someway
Wanting to see the full extent of the rainbow
So the next time raindrops fall
Encouraging people to appreciate the beauty in every situation
If it makes you climb the walls just think of green.
Suggesting a mindset shift to focus on the positives instead of the negatives
Lyrics © DAVID GATES D/B/A KIPAHULU MUSIC
Written by: DAVID ASHWORTH GATES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind