Ebo Taylor has been a vital figure on the Ghanaian music scene for over six decades.
In the late '50s he was active in the influential highlife bands the Stargazers and the Broadway Dance Band, and in 1962 he took his own group, the Black Star Highlife Band, to London, which led to collaborations with Fela Kuti and other African musicians in Britain at the time.
Returning to Ghana, he worked as a producer, crafting recordings for Pat Thomas, C.K. Mann, and others, as well as exploring his own projects, combining traditional Ghanaian material with Afro-beat, jazz, and funk rhythms to create his own recognizable sound in the '70s.
Love & Death
Ebo Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lend me your ears
Listen to my story
Of love and death
I felt deep in love With ___
A girl of my dreams
You see what I mean
On our wedding day
With tears in her eyes
It was the kiss of death
Love and death
Walk hand in hand
The way to the grave
Is just the same
Love and death
They walk hand in hand
The way to the grave is just the same __
In the song "Love & Death" by Ebo Taylor, the artist is telling a story of a tragic love affair. He speaks to his audience, asking them to lend him their ears and listen closely to his tale. He describes falling deeply in love with a woman he sees as the girl of his dreams. On their wedding day, she gives him a kiss with tears in her eyes, and the artist describes it as the "kiss of death." He emphasizes that love and death go hand in hand, as they both ultimately lead to the grave.
The lyrics are a reflection on the fragility of life and the inevitability of death. The artist notes that regardless of how much love one may have in their life, it will ultimately come to an end. The use of the kiss as a symbol for both love and death is powerful, as it represents the intersection of these two intense emotions. The artist is acknowledging that love can be both beautiful and devastating, leading to both joy and sorrow in life.
Overall, "Love & Death" is a poignant reminder of the fleeting nature of life and the certainty of death. Despite the sadness in the lyrics, the melody and rhythm are upbeat and lively, creating a sense of celebration for the love that was shared.
Line by Line Meaning
Brothers and sisters
Addressing a group, possibly close friends or family
Lend me your ears
Asking for the attention and focus of the listener
Listen to my story
Requesting the act of actively hearing and processing a personal narrative
Of love and death
Indicating that the story will involve both strong emotions and an end-of-life event
I felt deep in love with / A girl of my dreams / You see what I mean
Describing a strong connection and attraction to a specific person, with a degree of certainty that the audience will understand
On our wedding day / She gave me a kiss / With tears in her eyes / It was the kiss of death
Depicting a poignant and emotional moment where the physical act of romantic love is overlaid with a sense of finality and impending tragedy
Love and death / Walk hand in hand / The way to the grave / Is just the same
Articulating a philosophy or observation that these two concepts are mutually connected and equally inevitable, that the journey we take through life and love will ultimately be no different from the journey of life's end
Love and death / They walk hand in hand / The way to the grave is just the same
Reiterating and emphasizing the main idea, that these two fundamental parts of human existence are inextricably linked
Writer(s): EBO TAYLOR, EKOW SAVAGE, BEN ABARBANEL WOLFF, JAN WEISSENFELDT
Contributed by Ruby N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ayden
on Love and Death
One of my favorites of all time -- wondering where the non-english part of the song is?