Sanborn, who suffered from polio in his youth, has been a highly regarded session player since the mid 1970s. One of his first professional gigs was as a member of Paul Butterfield's band. One of Sanborn's earliest guest recordings was on David Bowie's Young Americans. Around this time his output as a session player became prolific and over the next ten years he played with a dazzling array of artists, such as Paul Simon, James Taylor (contributing to the remake of the Marvin Gaye classic "How Sweet It Is"), The Rolling Stones, The Eagles and Stevie Wonder.
In the late 1980s he was a regular guest member of Paul Shaffer's band on Late Night with David Letterman. From 1988-89, he co-hosted a late-night TV music show on NBC with Jools Holland. The show, "Night Music", following producer Hal Willner's eclectic approach, drew Sanborn together with many famed musicians, such as Miles Davis, Lou Reed, Santana, Curtis Mayfield, and many others.
Throughout his career, Sanborn has skirted the edges of free jazz: In his youth he studied with Roscoe Mitchell and Julius Hemphill, and performed on Tim Berne's Diminutive Mysteries, dedicated to Hemphill. His 1991 album Another Hand, produced by Hal Willner, features Charlie Haden, Jack DeJohnette, Bill Frisell, Marc Ribot, and various other players not usually associated with smooth jazz.
In television, Sanborn is well-known for his sax solo in the theme song for the NBC hit drama L.A. Law. He has also dabbled in writing for film, contributing to such scores as Lethal Weapon and Scrooged.
In 2004, David Sanborn was inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame.
You can find photographs and additional information on David's official website, www.DavidSanborn.com.
Neither One of us
David Sanborn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I keep wondering
To do without you
ooooooooo
????
Neither one of us
At the time I'd thought I'd found the nerve
To say I'm leaving
precious memories
get in my way
lord knows that it's only me
and I'm receiving
farewell my love, goodbye
it's a simple word that
I just cannot say
There can be no way
Happy endings
So I guess you'll go on
?????
oooooooooooo
neither one of us
neither one of us
wants to be the first to say
neither one of us
wants to be the first to say
farewell my love
goodbye
David Sanborn's song "Neither One of Us" is a song about a relationship that has come to a crossroads. The singer is conflicted about whether or not to end the relationship, although they know deep down that it might be the right thing to do. The song starts with the lyrics "I can't see the future," which highlights the singer's uncertainty about the future of this relationship. They wonder what life would be like without their partner, but at the same time, they know that neither one of them wants to be the first to say goodbye.
Throughout the song, the singer thinks about their past with their partner, and how they have shared some precious memories. But these memories are also what's holding them back from making a decision to end the relationship. They know that saying goodbye will be a difficult thing to do, and that there can be no way to have a happy ending. However, as much as they want to hold on, they know that neither one of them wants to be the first to say goodbye.
Overall, "Neither One of Us" is a poignant song that captures the complexities of relationships and the difficulties of ending them. It's a relatable song that speaks to anyone who has ever struggled with the decision to end a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't see the future
The singer is unsure of what lies ahead
I keep wondering
The singer is constantly curious about what will happen
To do without you
The singer is struggling to imagine a future without the person they're addressing
ooooooooo
The artist is conveying their emotions through a non-verbal sound
?????
The artist's feelings are too intense to put into words
Neither one of us
Both people in the relationship are in a similar emotional state
At the time I'd thought I'd found the nerve
The singer had initially thought they could end the relationship but now realizes they can't
To say I'm leaving
The artist wants to end the relationship
no sweet memory
There are no happy memories that are making it hard for the artist to leave
precious memories
The artist is reminiscing about the good times they've had with the other person
get in my way
The memories are making it difficult for the singer to move on
lord knows that it's only me
The artist acknowledges that the decision to end the relationship is theirs alone
and I'm receiving
The singer is ready to accept the consequences of ending the relationship
farewell my love, goodbye
The singer is saying goodbye to the other person
it's a simple word that
The word 'goodbye' may be simple but the act of saying it is not
I just cannot say
The artist is struggling to actually say goodbye
There can be no way
There is no possibility for the relationship to continue
Happy endings
The singer knows that their relationship will not end happily
So I guess you'll go on
The singer is trying to come to terms with the fact that the other person will move on without them
oooooooooooo
The artist is making another non-verbal sound to convey their emotions
neither one of us
Both people in the relationship realize that they are not in a good place
neither one of us
Both people are equally at fault and are struggling with the decision to end the relationship
wants to be the first to say
Neither person wants to be the first to say goodbye
farewell my love
The artist is saying goodbye to the person they love
goodbye
The singer is ending the relationship, even though it's hard for them to do so
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JAMES D. WEATHERLY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind