Benson's next recording was It's Uptown with the George Benson Quartet with Lonnie Smith on organ and Ronnie Cuber on baritone sax. This album showcases Benson's talent in constructing swinging bebop lines at blistering tempos. Benson followed it up with "The George Benson Cookbook," also with Lonnie Smith and Ronnie Cuber.
One of his major hits is the song "This Masquerade", which is included in the top-selling album Breezin' . This album represents a shift to more commercially oriented music which brought Benson a wider audience but alienated some jazz fans. Other singles that have made the Billboard Hot 100 charts include "On Broadway" (1978), "Love Ballad" (1979), "Give Me The Night" (1980) and "Turn Your Love Around" (1982).
Benson continues to play outstanding jazz guitar, as evidenced on recordings such as Jimmy Smith's Off the Top, Benson's own live album Par Excellence, and Tenderly, on which Benson is accompanied by McCoy Tyner on piano.
For his contribution to the recording industry, George Benson has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7055 Hollywood Blvd.
Late At Night
George Benson Lyrics
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When the feeling gets to hard to fight
He reaches for the phone
Then stops himself afraid that he may find she′s not alone
Late at night
She lies awake and holds her pillow tight
And cries his name out loud
The lady's much to proud
Two lost and lonely people
Living apart and belonging together
Regretting that they let each other go oh
Two sad and starving people
Giving up the chance of forever
Never letting one and other know
They still need each other so
Late at night (at night)
Waiting out the hours ′til it's light
They know how wrong they've been
But both of them are caught up in believing
Reaching out means giving in
So he hopes that he′ll stop hurting
And she prays she′ll be alright
And they both wait for the morning
Late at night
Two foolish frightened people
Giving up a chance at forever
Never letting one an other know
They still want each other so
Late at night
Waiting out the hours 'til it′s light
They know how wrong they've been
But both of them are caught up in believing
Reaching out means giving in
And so he settle down to drinking
She takes another pill to keep from thinking
And neither makes a move (and neither move)
To make it right (right)
As they both wait for the morning
Late at night
Late at Night by George Benson is a powerful ballad that tells the story of two people who are in love but cannot be together due to their own fears and stubbornness. The song depicts a scene of two lonely people who are lying in bed alone, contemplating each other. It opens with the man, who is struggling to resist the temptation to call the woman he loves. He is afraid she might not be alone, and that would only add to his misery. Likewise, the woman is lying in bed, holding her pillow tight, and crying out his name. However, she is too proud to call him. Both of them are afraid of getting hurt, so they prefer to wait it out until the morning arrives.
The lyrics reveal that the two people belong together, but they are living apart. They both regret letting each other go and missing the chance to be together. They are two lost and lonely souls that cannot seem to communicate their love for each other. They are starving for affection and companionship but refuse to give in to their feelings. They both know they have been wrong but are still caught up in their beliefs that reaching out means giving in. Consequently, they both settle for temporary solutions to ease their pain. The man resorts to drinking while the woman takes pills to avoid thinking. The song's message is clear: they still want and need each other, but their unwillingness to take a risk and make a move is what keeps them apart.
Line by Line Meaning
Late at night
During the late hours of the night
When the feeling gets too hard to fight
When the emotions become overwhelming
He reaches for the phone
He attempts to call someone
Then stops himself afraid that he may find she's not alone
He cancels the call thinking that the intended recipient may not be alone
She lies awake and holds her pillow tight
She is unable to sleep and clings to her pillow
And cries his name out loud
She expresses her emotions by calling out his name loudly
But she would never ever call
She would not initiate contact
The lady's much too proud
Her pride prevents her from admitting her emotions
Two lost and lonely people
Two individuals who are lost and lonely
Living apart and belonging together
Despite living separately, they feel a sense of belonging together
Regretting that they let each other go oh
They have regrets about the decision to separate
Two sad and starving people
Two unhappy and unfulfilled individuals
Giving up the chance of forever
They have lost the opportunity for a long-term future together
Never letting one and the other know
They do not communicate their true emotions to each other
They still need each other so
Despite everything, they still have a strong emotional attachment to one another
Waiting out the hours until it's light
Passing time until morning arrives
They know how wrong they've been
They acknowledge their mistakes
But both of them are caught up in believing
Both individuals are unable to let go of their beliefs
Reaching out means giving in
Initiating contact would be a sign of weakness
So he hopes that he'll stop hurting
He desires an end to his emotional pain
And she prays she'll be alright
She hopes for the best outcome in her situation
And they both wait for the morning
Both individuals await the morning
And neither makes a move
Neither individual takes action
To make it right
Neither of them attempts to resolve the situation
Late at night
During the late hours of the night
Writer(s): Mann Barry, Weil Cynthia
Contributed by Claire E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.