Gene Harris (September 1, 1933, Benton Harbor, Michigan – January 16, 2000)… Read Full Bio ↴Gene Harris (September 1, 1933, Benton Harbor, Michigan – January 16, 2000) was an American jazz pianist known for his warm sound and blues and gospel infused style. From 1956 to 1970, he played in The Three Sounds trio with bassist Andy Simpkins and drummer Bill Dowdy. He was mostly retired to Boise, Idaho when Ray Brown convinced him to go back on tour in the early 1980s. He played with the Ray Brown Trio and then led his own groups, recording mostly on Concord Records, until his death from kidney failure in 2000. Gene's Ode to Billy Joe is known as a jazz classic.

(2) One of the most accessible of all jazz pianists, Gene Harris' soulful style (influenced by Oscar Peterson and containing the blues-iness of a Junior Mance) was immediately likable and predictably excellent. After playing in an Army band (1951-1954), he formed a trio with bassist Andy Simpkins and drummer Bill Dowdy which was, by 1956, known as the Three Sounds. The group was quite popular, and recorded regularly during 1956-1970 for Blue Note and Verve. Although the personnel changed and the music became more R&B-oriented in the early '70s, Harris retained the Three Sounds name for his later Blue Note sets. He retired to Boise, ID, in 1977, and was largely forgotten when Ray Brown persuaded him to return to the spotlight in the early '80s. Harris worked for a time with the Ray Brown Trio and led his own quartets in the years to follow, recording regularly for Concord and heading the Phillip Morris Superband on a few tours; 1998's Tribute to Count Basie even earned a Grammy nomination. While awaiting a kidney transplant, he died on January 16, 2000, at the age of 66. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi

Exactly Like You
Gene Harris Lyrics

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I used to have a perfect sweetheart
Not a real one, just a dream
A wonderful vision of us as a team
Can you imagine how I feel now
Love is real now, it's ideal
You're just what I wanted
And now it's nice to live
Paradise to live

I know why I've waited
Know why I've been blue
Prayed each night for someone
Exactly like you

Why should we spend money
On a show or two
No one does those love scenes
Exactly like you

You make me feel so grand
I want to hand the world to you
I hope you'll understand
Each foolish little scheme I'm schemin'
And dream I'm dreamin'

Now I know why mother
Taught me to be true

She meant me for someone
Exactly like you

Overall Meaning

In the song "Exactly Like You" by Gene Harris, the singer talks about his perfect sweetheart, which wasn't real, just a dream. He had a perfect vision of being in a team with her, which is now a reality. He expresses how he feels now that love is real and ideal, and how he's glad to have found exactly what he wanted. Being with her feels like paradise, and he's now happy to live in this paradise.

The singer then goes on to explain how he knows why he's waited and been blue, he prayed for somebody exactly like her. He then compares their love to love scenes in movies, saying that no one does those love scenes exactly like they do, without having to spend money on a show or two. She makes him feel grand, and he wants to give her the world, hoping she'll understand. He also mentions that he's always scheming and dreaming about their future together.

Towards the end of the song, the singer talks about his mother teaching him to be true, saying that she meant him for someone exactly like her. In summary, the singer is filled with joy and gratitude for having found the love of his life and acknowledges that it was worth waiting for.

Line by Line Meaning

I used to have a perfect sweetheart
I had an idea of my perfect companion in my head

Not a real one, just a dream
But it was just a figment of my imagination

A wonderful vision of us as a team
A great thought of us together as a team

Can you imagine how I feel now
Do you understand how I feel at present?

Love is real now, it's ideal
Love is a reality now, it's exactly what I always wanted

You're just what I wanted
You are everything I was looking for

And now it's nice to live
I'm so content and happy now

Paradise to live
Living with you feels like being in paradise

I know why I've waited
I understand why I waited for the perfect match

Know why I've been blue
I realize why I've been depressed

Prayed each night for someone
I prayed every night for someone special

Exactly like you
Just like you, in every way possible

Why should we spend money
Why spend money on movies or shows

On a show or two
When nobody does a love story like ours

No one does those love scenes
No one can recreate our romantic moments

You make me feel so grand
You make me feel so incredible

I want to hand the world to you
I want to give you everything

I hope you'll understand
I hope you will perceive

Each foolish little scheme I'm schemin'
All the stupid things I'm imagining

And dream I'm dreamin'
The dreams that I imagine when asleep

Now I know why mother
I now understand why my mother

Taught me to be true
Always said to stay loyal to oneself

She meant me for someone
She wanted me to be with someone

Exactly like you
Just like you, my perfect soulmate

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dorothy Fields, Jimmy Mchugh

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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