As a child, Dennis was singing as part of a church choir in Brooklyn at the age of 7, but later moved to Virginia, and signed up to the US Air Force at 18, with whom he served for six years. Taylor then returned to New York, and following his earlier success in a talent competition, was able to secure a minor recording contract, although he failed to garner any wide-scale success. His biggest break came when he was asked to perform backing vocals on the Robin S hit Gonna Raise The Child in the early 1990s.
It wasn't until the year 2000 that he recorded his first album, 'Enough is Enough' at the Homeboy Studios in New Jersey, working with producers Fred McFarlane and Darryl James, a DJ well-known for his mixes on New York radio station WRKS. The album was received favourably, particularly among UK soul critics. Taylor performed his first UK concert at the Jazz Café in London, a gig that was partially responsible for the artist securing a contract with UK-based record label Dome in 2001. Dennis was well-received by the UK audience who particularly loved his songs 'Enough is Enough' and 'Out of Control'. His second album 'Unconditional' also won over reviewers, and owed its success in part to the heavy airplay of singles Steppin' and It's Over on the London radio station 102.2 Jazz FM (and then jazzfm.com which relaunched as Jazz FM). A subsequent UK tour followed.
Taylor also duetted with soul performer Beverlei Brown on her album 'Next To You', collaborating on the song Could Be You.
Taylor's most recent album, 'In The Mood', was released in 2003 and included the Sam Dees-penned duet Am I Dreaming?, recorded with Wincey Terry. He continues to sporadically tour the UK.
Steppin'
Dennis Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I feel nothing and in my
Heart I'm still searching
For something and in the morning
When I come from the mountains
The smell of
The rain is on my witness
And in the valley the
But my heart is weakened
Still I am willing but my
Flesh is weak I come back
To the throne but when I fall down he
Comforts me and he picks me up and
When I look back and all I see is one
Set of footprints he carried me in the
Splash and rain of whitewash I hear a
Voice that speaks into thunder but soft
Enough for creation to hold a part of me
The lyrics of Dennis Taylor's "Steppin' in" speak to overcoming personal difficulties and finding strength through faith. The opening lines set the tone of the song, describing a feeling of emptiness even when searching for something. The following lines evoke a sense of natural beauty, with the smell of rain on the mountains and the singing of sparrows in the valley. Despite this beauty, the singer's heart is weakened and their flesh is weak, hinting at physical and emotional struggles. The chorus describes a repeated cycle of falling down and being picked up, with a reference to the famous "Footprints in the Sand" poem where God is said to have carried the singer during their hardest times.
The song's personal lyrics are bolstered by soulful instrumentation, mixing together gospel and R&B influences. Taylor's smooth, emotive voice sits atop a bed of rhythmic drums and stirring piano melodies. This blend of styles draws on Taylor's background, having grown up in both the church and listening to soulful icons like Marvin Gaye and Donny Hathaway.
Line by Line Meaning
When my well is dry and
When I am feeling empty and devoid of inspiration,
I feel nothing and in my
I lack any sense of purpose and direction,
Heart I'm still searching
I am desperately seeking for something to fill the void inside me,
For something and in the morning
I keep on yearning for something that will give my life meaning and in the new day,
When I come from the mountains
As I return from my journey,
The smell of
I am reminded of
The rain is on my witness
The refreshing rain that has just fallen on the land,
And in the valley the
As I reach the valley and hear
Sparrows sing of comfort
The sweet sound of the birds singing a song of comfort,
But my heart is weakened
But despite all of this, my heart is still aching and weak,
Still I am willing but my
Yet, I am determined to keep going, although my
Flesh is weak I come back
Body is tired and weak, I return
To the throne but when I fall down he
To my faith and God, but when I stumble and falter,
Comforts me and he picks me up and
God gives me comfort and lifts me up again,
When I look back and all I see is one
Looking back, all I can see are the
Set of footprints he carried me in the
Footprints of God who carried me through the difficult times,
Splash and rain of whitewash I hear a
In the midst of the turbulence and chaos, I can hear a
Voice that speaks into thunder but soft
Voice that speaks through the storms, but in a gentle
Enough for creation to hold a part of me
Enough for me to feel a connection with the universe and the divine.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CLIF MAGNESS, DAVID ROBERT PACK, GLEN BALLARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ian
Did we really appreciate how good this guy was back when this gem dropped 💎
AP
Charme bom d +
From Brazil...
jock barr
Just playing this on my deck FULL BLAST
astmvantage
classic track nice beat
Manjit Sanghera
Classic Tune !
suga jones
Love this, two stepping
Heidi Myhal
so I have loved for a good while. xx any help for the UK? cheers. love his voice
texassoul
Would someone please post Dennis Taylor's "Don't Give Up".....NOT "Don't Wanna Give Up". Â Thank you.
DeeDees Sharp
#SoulLegendsRadio Â
Jos Zengers
Great