Taylor began his recording career with 1983's GT, a solid pop/soul album that featured the mid-tempo cut "Just What I Had In Mind." While the album was not a hit, Taylor showed his talent as both a songwriter and producer, and was soon finding work writing for such artists as Anita Baker ("Good Love"), the Whispers ("Just Gets Better With Time") and Carl Anderson ("I'm No Stranger"). It was five years before he would release his sophomore disc, Compassion, on Virgin Records. It again failed to reach a large audience, and the experience convinced Taylor to pursue his recording career as an independent recording artist -- long before the emergence of the internet allowed independents to reach new levels of acceptance.
Over the next decade and a half Taylor created the template for a successful independent singing career through his half dozen releases on his Morning Crew Records. He also continued writing for other great artists, including Lalah Hathaway, Vanessa Williams and Grover Washington, Jr.
Known primarily for writing songs of love and relationships, Taylor departed from that mold with his 2006 release Retro Blackness, his most socially charged release that examines African American culture. As Taylor put it, the disc is a "soulful music celebration and heartfelt contemplation of a people and a culture."
By Chris Rizik
Check here: http://www.thesoulofamsterdam.com/gary-taylor-biography-discography.htm and http://www.soultracks.com/gary_taylor.htm
Do You Know
Gary Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Do you, do you, do you)
Do you love me?
Do you really love me?
Do I dare give my best
Or is this just another love testing me again?
Will my heart come to rest
Feeling lost, growing weak
Will the flower ever come to bloom?
(Do you know?)
My love is losing seed all over the room
Can your soul feel this face?
(Can your soul feel this face?)
Does it know where I’ve been?
Is the best that you can give
What you’re truly giving, yeah
Do you know from that place in your heart?
Tell me, baby
(Do you know? Do you really know?)
Do you know from a smile in the dark?
Can you feel me?
(Do you know?)
Can you feel me baby?
Do you know who you are
From the day you were born?
(Do you know? Do you really know?)
Could you possibly know your fabric was torn
(Do you know?)
Could you know it baby?
Do you know what to say when the love reaches you?
(Do you know? Do you really know?)
Do you know what to feel
When you’re so overdue?
(Do you know?)
Is that something you could know, oh baby?
(Is that something you could possibly know?)
Do you know better time
When your time spent alone?
(Do you know? Do you really know?)
Do you what is house, what is home?
(Do you know?)
Do you really know me baby, yeah?
(Do you know?)
Can your soul feel this face
It's the best you can give, what you're really giving
(Do you really know? Do you really know?)
(Do you know?)
The lyrics to Gary Taylor's song Do You Know delve into the uncertainty and fear that comes with falling in love and questioning whether or not the other person truly loves you in return. The repetition of the phrase "do you, do you, do you" throughout the song emphasizes the desperation and longing for confirmation of the other person's love. The singer is grappling with whether or not to give their all to this person and risk getting hurt once again. The line "my love is losing seed all over the room" suggests a feeling of being vulnerable and exposed, like they are putting everything on the line for this love.
The chorus poses several questions that the singer desperately wants answers to. They want to know if the person truly loves them from the depths of their heart and if they can feel the singer's love and devotion. The repetition of the question "Do you know?" emphasizes the uncertainty and fear around their relationship. The singer is questioning not only the other person's love but also their identity and ability to foster a healthy relationship. The final plea "do you really know me baby?" hammers home the vulnerability and desire for connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Do you, do you, do you, baby?
Asking the question repeatedly, do you love me?
Do you love me?
Asking the direct question, do you love me?
Do you really love me?
Asking to confirm the love is true and genuine.
Do I dare give my best
Asking if it’s worth giving the best to the person in question.
Or is this just another love testing me again?
Questioning if this is another test of love that will lead to heartbreak.
Will my heart come to rest
Questioning if the love will provide peace and stability.
At the door near your feet?
Wondering if the love will be nurtured or rejected by the person in question.
Feeling lost, growing weak
Feeling confused and vulnerable.
Will the flower ever come to bloom?
Questioning if the love will ever bear fruit.
(Do you know?)
Asking the person in question for insight.
My love is losing seed all over the room
Expressing that the love is not bearing fruit and is becoming scattered and unfocused.
Can your soul feel this face?
Questioning if the person can feel their emotions and connect on a deeper level.
Does it know where I’ve been?
Asking if the person understands and accepts their past.
Is the best that you can give
Asking if the person is truly giving their all in the relationship.
What you’re truly giving, yeah
Asking if the person is being honest about what they’re giving in the relationship.
Do you know from that place in your heart?
Asking if the person truly knows their feelings in their heart.
Tell me, baby
Asking the person to share their feelings.
(Do you know? Do you really know?)
Reiterating the question to confirm if the person truly knows.
Do you know from a smile in the dark?
Asking if the person can read their emotions even in difficult or dark situations.
Can you feel me?
Asking the person to connect on a deeper emotional level.
Do you know who you are
Asking the person to reflect on their own identity.
From the day you were born?
Asking if the person truly knows themselves from the very beginning.
Could you possibly know your fabric was torn
Questioning if the person understands their own flaws and vulnerabilities.
(Do you know?)
Reiterating the question to confirm if the person truly knows.
Do you know what to say when the love reaches you?
Asking if the person knows how to express and handle love when it’s reciprocated.
Do you know what to feel
Asking if the person knows how to process their feelings about love.
When you’re so overdue?
Asking if the person has been waiting and hoping for love for a long time.
Is that something you could know, oh baby?
Questioning if it’s even possible to truly know and understand love.
Do you know better time
Asking if the person knows of a time when love was more authentic or pure.
When your time spent alone?
Asking if the person knows when they were truly alone and unaffected by past relationships.
Do you what is house, what is home?
Asking if the person knows what a true home is, not just a physical place, but an emotional one as well.
Do you really know me baby, yeah?
Asking if the person truly knows and understands the singer.
Can your soul feel this face
Asking if the person can sense the singer’s emotions and connect on a deeper level.
It's the best you can give, what you're really giving
Asking if the person is truly giving their all in the relationship.
(Do you really know? Do you really know?)
Reiterating the question to confirm if the person truly knows.
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: JAMES W. TAYLOR, MARCUS QUINTANILLA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind