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.
Sailing
George Benson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At least it's not for me
And if the wind is right you can sail away
And find tranquillity
The canvas can do miracles
Just you wait and see
Believe me
No reason to pretend
And if the wind is right you can find the joy
Of innocence again
The canvas can do miracles
Just you wait and see
Believe me
Oh oh
Oh oh
Sailing
Takes me away
To where I've always heard it could be
Just a dream and the wind to carry me
And soon I will be free
Fantasy
It gets the best of me
When I'm sailing
All caught up in the reverie
Every word is a symphony
Won't you believe me
It's not far back to sanity
At least it's not for me
And when the wind is right you can sail away
And find serenity
The canvas can do miracles
Just you wait and see
Believe me
The song "Sailing" by George Benson is a reflective and uplifting piece that describes the joys of sailing, which can take you away to a place of tranquility and freedom. The opening verse, "It's not far down to paradise, at least it's not for me," suggests that paradise is not some unreachable place, but rather it is within reach, and all we need to do is find the right conditions to allow us to sail away and find it. The line "And if the wind is right you can sail away, and find tranquility," suggests that the wind has a powerful role to play in our lives, it can either hold us back or allow us to move forward towards our goals and dreams.
Benson then goes on to describe how sailing can help us find our innocence, joy, and serenity again, phrases like "find the joy of innocence again," and "find serenity" suggest that life can sometimes be a chaotic and stressful journey, but by sailing, we can find a temporary escape from the difficulties of everyday life. The final verse; "It's not far back to sanity, at least it's not for me, and when the wind is right you can sail away and find serenity" suggests that sailing can help us find our way back to sanity, and that just like paradise, sanity and peace of mind are not unattainable, they are within reach.
Line by Line Meaning
It's not far down to paradise
It feels like paradise is within reach, not far away.
At least it's not for me
Everyone's paradise might be different, mine is close by.
And if the wind is right you can sail away
Sometimes you need to align with the right opportunity to achieve your desires.
And find tranquillity
It is possible to find inner peace and calmness if you seek it.
The canvas can do miracles
The power of creativity and imagination can bring about wondrous things.
Just you wait and see
Patience is key, trust the process and something magical will happen.
It's not far to never never land
Neverland, a place of eternal youth, is not too far.
No reason to pretend
There's no need to pretend or be someone else, just be yourself and let the wind carry you.
And if the wind is right you can find the joy
Sometimes, finding joy requires letting go and allowing the elements around you to guide you.
Of innocence again
One can rediscover the purity and naivete of innocence again.
Oh oh
An expression of delight or wonderment.
Sailing
The act of sailing or journeying, either physically or metaphorically.
Takes me away
Sailing takes me away to another place, time, or state of mind.
To where I've always heard it could be
To a place where I've always imagined or dreamed, a utopia.
Just a dream and the wind to carry me
All I need is a dream and the universe to carry me towards it.
And soon I will be free
Soon I will be free from my worries and struggles.
Fantasy
The world of make-believe, enchantment, and magic.
It gets the best of me
Sometimes my imagination and dreams can consume me and take over.
When I'm sailing
When I'm journeying or exploring, my fantasies come alive.
All caught up in the reverie
Fully engaged in a daydream, lost in thought or imagination.
Every word is a symphony
Every thought and feeling creates a harmonious blend, like that of a beautiful musical piece.
Won't you believe me
I know it may sound unreal, but just believe me, it's possible.
It's not far back to sanity
If I ever feel like I'm losing my grip on reality, I can always sail back home.
And when the wind is right you can sail away
There's always a chance to escape, to go away and search for something better if you catch the right wind.
And find serenity
Along the way, one can discover tranquility and inner peace.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Christopher Cross
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Edgar Cardona
Love how they just sing "sailing takes me away" and the rest is just magical.
M Hughes
absolutely beautiful on this rainy morning - thank you for sharing.
Phoenix
Meu tema favorito,valeu cara!
jhobbs174
Does it get any more peaceful and relaxing than this?
Edgar Cardona
Right???
Linda Hill
Beautiful & Peaceful Classic!
Sydwell Sibiya
Highly talented and highly intellectual selected musical notes
Juliana Vital de Oliveira.
Uma perfeição dessa
Baddy Boisde
Superbe reprise de la chanson de Christopher Cross, BRAVO George ! C'est superbement bien interprété
María Esther Wenceslá Gómez
Gracias por compartirlo. Es precioso. Si ya me encantaba el tema original de Christopher Cross, escuchar esta versión instrumental de George Benson fue una auténtica delicia.
Lo escuché por casualidad en una emisión de versiones en Radio 3 de RNE, y justo cuando comenzaba el tema, mi pareja acababa de aparcar el coche para salir. Yo decidí quedarme para escucharlo relajadamente, reclinando el asiento del coche.
Mientras escuchaba esta maravilla encontré otras: El paisaje que tenía delante de mis ojos, un jardín precioso, y a lo lejos, en una terraza de un pequeño hogar, pude ver a un niñito acariciar a su perro; al momento llegó su madre, quien abrazó y besó a su hijo cariñosamente, después llegó el padre e hizo lo mismo, y sentándose ambos a su lado disfrutaban de ese precioso atardecer juntos, acariciando y jugando con su mascota. Esto fue hace tan sólo unas semanas, por Asturias.
Me encantó ser testigo de aquello tan precioso, porque, por lo general, solemos ir por la vida con prisas y no nos paramos a observar lo que tenemos delante.
La belleza de la vida no pasa inadvertida si nos fijamos bien a nuestro alrededor. Incluso en las casas más humildes y entre la gente más sencilla se puede hallar la felicidad y el amor; y aprender de ellos. <3