Szabó was born in Budapest and began playing guitar at the age of 14, inspired by jazz music on the Voice of America broadcasts. He escaped Hungary and moved to the United States in 1956, a year of attempted revolt against Soviet-dominated Communist rule, and attended the Berklee School of Music in Boston. In 1958, he was invited to perform at the Newport Jazz Festival. Szabó performed with the Chico Hamilton quintet from 1961 to 1965, and beginning in 1966 he recorded a well-received span of albums under his own name on the Impulse! label.
In the late 1960s he co-founded the short-lived Skye record label along with Cal Tjader and Gary McFarland. On the Skye label, Szabo recorded his album with Lena Horne in October and November 1969. Szabo had been part of Horne's backup band when she performed at The Nugget in Nevada in November 1966 and when she performed (with Harry Belafonte) at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas in September 1969.
His playing incorporated elements of folk music from his native Hungary and rock music's use of feedback. His composition "Gypsy Queen" became a hit for Santana in 1970 (see "Black Magic Woman"). Szabo's album for Impulse!, Wind, Sky And Diamonds, features "The California Dreamers", a vocal-ensemble consisting of Ron Hicklin, Al Capps, Loren Farber, John Bahler, Tom Bahler, Ian Freebairn-Smith, Sally Stevens, Sue Allen and Jackie Ward. During his solo career, he performed with artists such as Ron Carter, Paul Desmond, Lena Horne and Bobby Womack.
Gabor felt he was never fully accepted as a jazz artist in the US. During a 1977 engagement at the Catamaran Hotel in San Diego, he complained to the audience about George Benson's success with "Breezin'" (composer, Bobby Womack). He indicated that he had recorded that song before Benson and that Benson had basically stolen the arrangement from him. His version can be heard on the High Contrast album with Bobby Womack.
He died in Budapest in 1982 from liver and kidney disease while on a visit to his homeland, partly to find treatment for the drug habit he had been battling for years.
The Look Of Love
Gabor Szabo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is in your eyes
A look your smile can't
disguise
The look of love
Is saying so much more than
Just words could every say
Well it takes my breath away
[Chorus]
I can hardly wait to hold you
Feel my arms around you
How long I have waited
Waited just to love you
Now that I have found you
You've got the look of love
It's on your face
A look that time can't erase
Baby be mine, tonight
Let this be just the start of
So many nights like this
Let's take a lovers vow
And seal it with a kiss
[Chorus]
Don't ever go
Don't ever go
I love you so
The look of love
Let this be just the start of
So many nights like this
Let's take a lover's vow
And baby we'll seal it with a kiss
[Chorus]
The Look of Love by Gabor Szabo is a romantic ballad that conveys the depth of emotion and attraction that the singer feels towards their beloved. The lyrics are a tribute to the power of non-verbal communication and the impact that it can have on two people who are falling in love. The opening lines "The look of love is in your eyes, a look your smile can't disguise," suggest that the singer is keenly aware of the way that their lover is communicating their feelings through their facial expressions and body language. The singer acknowledges that this look is more powerful than any words that could be spoken, and goes on to say that it takes their breath away.
The chorus of the song expresses the singer's eagerness to hold their lover and to be able to express their feelings physically. The lines "I can hardly wait to hold you, feel my arms around you, how long I have waited, waited just to love you, now that I have found you," convey the sense of longing and anticipation that the singer feels for their lover. They are eager to make up for lost time and to start expressing their love in a tangible way. As the song progresses, the singer becomes more and more insistent that their lover stay with them, promising to love them forever and to seal their love with a kiss.
Line by Line Meaning
The look of love
There is a certain glance in your eyes that is reserved only for when you are in love.
Is in your eyes
This look of love is visible in your eyes and is a manifestation of your love for me.
A look your smile can't disguise
Even if you try to conceal your feelings with a smile, the look of love in your eyes is too evident to be hidden.
Is saying so much more than just words could ever say
This glance of love communicates a depth of emotion that mere words cannot express.
And what my heart has heard, well it takes my breath away
The emotion that your glance conveys is so intense that it affects me deeply and leaves me speechless.
I can hardly wait to hold you
I am eagerly looking forward to the moment when I can embrace you in my arms.
Feel my arms around you
The physical act of holding you close is something that I crave and long for.
How long I have waited, waited just to love you
I have been patiently waiting for the right person to come along and now that I have found you, I am willing to commit to loving you fully.
You've got the look of love
You are displaying a visual expression of affection and passion that is unique to the experience of love.
It's on your face
This look of love is so evident that it is visible even in the features of your face.
A look that time can't erase
This look of love is not a fleeting expression but a deep and lasting emotion that can withstand the test of time.
Baby be mine, tonight
I am asking that you become romantically involved with me from this moment onwards.
Let this be just the start of so many nights like this
I am hoping that our current experience is just the beginning of a long-term romantic relationship.
Let's take a lovers vow
I am suggesting that we make a commitment to each other, pledging to love and cherish each other in a committed relationship.
And seal it with a kiss
The act of sealing our commitment with a physical expression of love, like a kiss, is essential to completing our vow.
Don't ever go
I am expressing my love in a plea, asking you not to leave me and to stay committed to our relationship.
I love you so
I am expressing my love for you through words, telling you how deeply I care about you.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Burt Bacharach, Hal David
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind