Born in Chicago, Illinois, Jones' upbringing was rough. He struggled between wanting to be a musician and to be a member of a street gang. After a brush with death, Jones left the gang and focused on a music career forming the group Porscha. However, Jones was gaining notice as a writer penning songs for established R&B acts such as Usher, producing the singer's 1995 hit, "Think of You", 702's "Get It Together" and also wrote for groups such as Brownstone and Silk.
In 1996, he signed with LaFace Records and released his debut album, My Heart, which included his hit cover of Stevie Wonder's 1976 ballad "Knocks Me Off My Feet". It wasn't until 1999 however that Jones began to establish himself as a R&B hit maker with the album, Where I Wanna Be. The album yielded the number-one hits such as "U Know What's Up", which featured TLC member Lisa "Left-Eye" Lopes and the title track. Other hits included "Shorty (Got Her Eyes on Me)" and "This Luv".
In 2002, Jones released the gold-selling Life Goes On album, which featured the hits, "You Know That I Love You" and "Put Me Down" featuring Styles P.. Four years later, he released his fourth album, Journey of a Gemini, which featured the Tim & Bob hit, "I'm Gonna Be", which became a big hit on Urban AC. Jones is currently writing songs for Usher, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey on their upcoming albums.
My Gift To You
Donell Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Each other gifts Oh yeah, yeah
Most people never seem to think about the things
We really need oh ho oh whoo
So I'm offering this wrapped present
Wrapped up in a package that you can get from someone
(Get from someone)
Is my gift to you
We must not predict without giving up ourself you know
It's just not a gift oh no huh
So how can you expect a gift from someone else unless you give
That's just the sign of a selfish man
So I'm offering my heart and soul
And every single part I have to give of myself
(To give of myself)
My love is what I bring to you
Is my gift to you
Oh yeah my gift, my gift, my gift to you
So I'm offering this wrapped present
Wrapped up in a package that you can get from someone oh yeah
(Get from someone)
This package that they'll bring to you
Is my gift to you
Said it's my gift yeah huh
Gonna say it again
My gift to you
Yeah (my gift to you)
Do you hear what I'm talking about baby
My gift, my gift, my gift to you
Oh yeah yeah
My gift to you
Said it's my gift
Said it's my gift
My gift to you
In "My Gift To You," Donell Jones sings about the true meaning of Christmas and the spirit of giving. He talks about how people often don't give meaningful gifts and instead opt for things that aren't essential or necessary. He offers himself as a present, stating that the best gift someone can give is themselves. He goes on to say that we shouldn't expect to receive anything without giving first, and that it is selfish behavior to act otherwise.
Jones stresses the importance of genuine giving over just going through the motions of the holiday season. He offers his heart and soul to the person he is singing to, emphasizing that his love is the greatest gift he can give. Throughout the song, we see that while there is a physical gift being given, the real gift is the selflessness behind it. This message is what makes the song relatable to so many people, as it transcends the holiday season and applies to all acts of giving.
Overall, "My Gift To You" reminds us all that during the holiday season, and in general, the act of giving should come from the heart and be genuine. Donell Jones stresses that the material value of the gift is not as important as the sentiment and thought behind it.
Line by Line Meaning
Christmas is the time we have picked to give
The holiday season is when we choose to exchange gifts
Each other gifts Oh yeah, yeah
We give presents to one another during this time
Most people never seem to think about the things
Many people fail to consider what gifts would truly be valuable
We really need oh ho oh whoo
What we truly need is often overlooked
So I'm offering this wrapped present
I am offering a gift that is wrapped up
Wrapped up in a package that you can get from someone
This gift will be given to you by someone else
(Get from someone)
It may not come directly from me
This package that they'll bring to you
When someone gives you their gift, it will be like a package
Is my gift to you
What they give you is actually from me
We must not predict without giving up ourself you know
We cannot predict what we will receive without giving something of ourselves
It's just not a gift oh no huh
Expecting a gift without giving is not truly a gift
So how can you expect a gift from someone else unless you give
We must give to receive
That's just the sign of a selfish man
Not giving is a sign of selfishness
So I'm offering my heart and soul
I am giving all that I have to offer
And every single part I have to give of myself
Every part of me is dedicated to this gift
(To give of myself)
I am giving everything I can
My love is what I bring to you
The gift I bring is my love
Is my gift to you
My love is the true essence of my gift
Oh yeah my gift, my gift, my gift to you
I want you to know that this is my gift to you
Said it's my gift yeah huh
I want to emphasize that this is from me
Gonna say it again
I want to repeat it to make it clear
My gift to you
This is my special present for you
Yeah (my gift to you)
I want you to remember that it's from me
Do you hear what I'm talking about baby
I hope you understand the significance of this gift
My gift, my gift, my gift to you
This is my gift to you
Oh yeah yeah
I want you to be excited about this gift
My gift to you
This is a special gift just for you
Said it's my gift
I want to reiterate that this is from me
Said it's my gift
I want to emphasize that it's from me
My gift to you
This is my gift to you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JAMES SAMUEL III HARRIS, JAMES HARRIS III, TERRY LEWIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Donell1975
sound of heaven when you hear legend donell jones singing.
SHANEAKQUA PARMLEY
Can't stop playing this song!!! Love it! 😍
KENNY PHOUN
I agree it's absurd ! DONELL JONES HAS A SILKY VOICE AND HE CAN BRING RHYTHM AND SOUL BETTER THAN ANY OTHERS SO CALLED TALENTED SINGERS .......PEACE EVERYONE !!
Rav Pol
I get in my feelings of wanting to be in love every time I hear this song
yanh479
One of the best Christmas songs. it touches your soul. Classic
Guillermo Bailey
Love his voice
Denishea Bates
All her love and Where I wanna be are my two favorite songs by Donell Jones
Torry Ewing
Wow this is deep! Well done Donnell! You made my favorite Christmas song from Alexander O'neal that my much special this holiday season!
Cheryl Barlow
It doesn’t feel like Christmas until you hear this song
bigsis1977
When Pandora shows u a gem. Didn't know he remade this song. But I knew who it was soon as I heard that voice.