Raised in Syracuse, New York, she found success in the 70s as a model, working in New York and Paris (where she shared an apartment with Jerry Hall and Jessica Lange), before rising to public prominence as a singer and personality.
Jones secured a record deal with Island Records, which resulted in a string of club hits. The three disco albums she recorded - Portfolio (1977), Fame (1978), and Muse (1979) - generated dance singles such as Sorry That's The Trouble, I Need A Man, and a classic cover of La Vie En Rose. During this period, she also became a muse to Andy Warhol, appearing in his portraits and accompanying him to Studio 54 on many occasions.
As the 70s drew to a close, Jones adapted the emerging New Wave music to suit a different style, a significant departure from her previous output that resulted in some of her strongest work. Still with Island, and now working with producers Alex Sadkin and Chris Blackwell at Compass Point Studios, and with the considerable talents of Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare (Sly & Robbie) behind her, she released the acclaimed Warm Leatherette (1980) and Nightclubbing (1981). These included re-imaginings of songs by Sting, Iggy Pop, The Pretenders, Roxy Music, Flash And The Pan, The Normal, and Tom Petty, as well as originals like the innuendo-filled Pull Up To The Bumper and the haunting I've Seen That Face Before (Libertango). Parallel to her musical shift was an equally dramatic visual departure; Jones - working heavily with style artist Jean-Paul Goude - adopted a severe, androgynous look that enhanced her already striking presence, the iconic cover of Nightclubbing exemplifying this new identity. Her collaboration with Sadkin and Blackwell continued with the dub reggae-influenced album Living My Life, which featured Nipple To The Bottle, The Apple Stretching, and the Jones-penned and much-sampled My Jamaican Guy.
Later in the 80s, she worked with Trevor Horn for the conceptual musical collage Slave to the Rhythm (1985), and with Nile Rodgers for Inside Story (1986) - her first album away from the Island label. Inside Story produced her last US Hot 100 hit to date, I'm Not Perfect (But I'm Perfect For You), while Bulletproof Heart in 1989 produced the #1 US club hit Love on Top of Love - Killer Kiss, produced by C+C Music Factory's David Cole and Robert Clivilles. Though a chart regular in the UK Grace Jones never achieved mainstream musical success in the US, but most of her singles became huge hits in the dance underground.
Jones' strong visual presence was extended to her stage work. Her performances were unique spectacles as she adopted various personas and wore outlandish costumes throughout, particularly during her years with Goude. Her most memorable performances include the Paradise Garage in 1985, wherein she collaborated with legendary visual artist Keith Haring for her costume and the extraordinary One Man Show filmed in Drury Lane Theatre London and in New York and released on video in 1982 (it is yet to be re-released).
In 2008 she returned with the album "Hurricane".
Love You to Life
Grace Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Definition of the end
Don't ask me will die for you
Question always looks for an answer
Question:
I love you to life
I love you to life
I love you to life
(And not to death)
Could your dark heart be contagious?
Would you pray for someone's demise?
If there is no law, there are no crimes
Is fear the air you breathe?
Breathe
I love you to life
I love you to life
I love you to life
(And not to death)
Your creator is what you are jealous of
You're still existing on another plane
If you should venture on a question not asked
So strange, we're all so different somehow
Different
Falling like a star, that leaves a trail
Then vanishes behind you
You play with the same feelings
That the gods must possess
I love you to life
And I won't ask you, to die, for me
I love you to life
I won't die for you
(Love you to life)
Calling all the gods
Calling all the gods
Calling all the gods
Don't you die for me
Between the beginning and the end
You'll find magnitudes of questions that divide
Attracted to immorality. A magnet to immortality
If I could have my way
There would never be an end to this beginning
If I could have my way
I love you to life
(Love, love, love. Live, live, live)
I love you to life
And I won't ask you to die for me
I won't die for you
Don't you die for me
I won't die for you
The lyrics in Grace Jones's song Love You to Life explore questions of mortality, jealousy, fear, and love. The line "who can define infinity" poses a seemingly unanswerable question, just like the questions about the end of life, which the next line defines as a process rather than a stop, "definition of the end." The artist notes that she won't die for anyone, as can be seen in the lines "Don't ask me will die for you/question always looks for an answer," but that she is happy to "love you to life."
The song also addresses darker themes about mortality and fear. The lyric "could your dark heart be contagious? Would you pray for someone's demise?" alludes to the toxic effects of selfish and malevolent intentions, highlighting the importance of compassion and love. Additionally, the line "is fear the air you breathe" suggests the dangerous impact of constant fear on one's life, as it can lead to an obsession with mortality and a lack of enjoyment of life.
Overall, Love You to Life is a complex exploration of life and death, fear and love, and the impermanence of existence.
Line by Line Meaning
Who can define infinity?
Infinity is undefinable
Definition of the end
The end has a definition
Don't ask me will die for you
Asking that question is pointless
Question always looks for an answer
Questions need answers
Question:
The next line will be a question
I love you to life
My love for you is unending
I love you to life
My love for you is unending
I love you to life
My love for you is unending
(And not to death)
I will not love you till you die
Could your dark heart be contagious?
Could your negativity affect me?
Would you pray for someone's demise?
Do you wish bad for others?
If there is no law, there are no crimes
Without rules, there is no breaking them
Is fear the air you breathe?
Is fear all-consuming for you?
Breathe
Take a moment to calm down
Your creator is what you are jealous of
Jealousy towards your own potential
You're still existing on another plane
You're stuck in your own reality
If you should venture on a question not asked
Asking questions is always encouraged
So strange, we're all so different somehow
It's amazing how different we all are
Different
Being different is okay
Falling like a star, that leaves a trail
Leaving an impact before vanishing
Then vanishes behind you
Leaving a mark that can't be erased
You play with the same feelings
Playing with others' emotions
That the gods must possess
Emotions that are god-like
I won't ask you, to die, for me
I don't expect you to sacrifice for me
Calling all the gods
Asking for the divine's attention
Don't you die for me
I don't want you to sacrifice for me
Between the beginning and the end
The journey from start to finish
You'll find magnitudes of questions that divide
There will be divisive questions aplenty
Attracted to immorality. A magnet to immortality
Dabbling in the forbidden, desiring immortality
If I could have my way
In an ideal world
There would never be an end to this beginning
The start would never end
I love you to life
My love for you is unending
(Love, love, love. Live, live, live)
Love continuously and live infinitely
And I won't ask you to die for me
I don't want you to sacrifice for me
Don't you die for me
I don't want you to sacrifice for me
I won't die for you
I won't sacrifice for you
Contributed by Elliot P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.