Gregory Porter was born in Sacramento and was raised in Bakersfield, California, where his mother was a minister. A 1989 graduate of Highland High School, he received a "full-ride" (tuition, books, medical coverage, and living expenses) athletic scholarship as a football lineman to San Diego State University (SDSU Aztecs), but a shoulder injury during his junior year cut short his football career.[3] At the age of 21, Porter lost his mother to cancer, but only after she entreated him from her death bed: "Sing, baby, sing!"
Porter moved to the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn in 2004, along with his brother Lloyd. He worked as a chef at Lloyd's restaurant Bread-Stuy (now defunct), where he also performed. Porter performed at other neighborhood venues including Sista's Place and Solomon's Porch, and moved on to Harlem club St. Nick's Pub, where he maintained a weekly residency. Out of this residency evolved what would become Porter's touring band.[4]
Porter released two albums on the Motéma label together with Membran Entertainment Group, 2010's Water and 2012's Be Good, before signing with Blue Note Records (under Universal Music Group) on May 17, 2013. His third album, Liquid Spirit, was released on September 2, 2013, in Europe and on September 17, 2013, in the US.[5] The album was produced by Brian Bacchus.[6] The album won the 2014 Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album.[7]
Liquid Spirit enjoyed commercial success rarely achieved by albums in the jazz genre, reaching the top 10 on the UK album charts. It was certified gold by the BPI, selling over 100,000 units in the UK.[8]
In August 2014 Porter released "The 'In' Crowd" as a single.[9] On May 9, 2015 Porter participated in VE Day 70: A Party to Remember, a televised commemorative concert from Horse Guards Parade in London, singing "As Time Goes By".[10]
His fourth album, Take Me to the Alley, was released on May 6, 2016.[11] In UK's The Guardian it was Alexis Petridis's album of the week.[12]
On June 26, 2016, Porter performed on the Pyramid Stage at the Glastonbury Festival 2016. Writing for The Daily Telegraph, Neil McCormick said, "The portly middle-aged jazzer may be the oddest pop star on the planet but he is a refreshing testament to the notion that the most important organ for musical appreciation should always be our ears. And Porter has one of the most easy-on-the-ear voices in popular music, a creamy baritone that flows thick and smooth across a rich gateaux of juicy melody. It's a voice that makes you want to lick your lips and dive right in."[13]
In September 2016 Porter performed at Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park from Hyde Park, London. He would go on to perform in the annual BBC Children in Need show in November, a night dedicated to Sir Terry Wogan, who hosted it in previous years and was a fan of Porter.[14]
In January 2017 Porter performed the song "Holding On" on BBC One's The Graham Norton Show.[15] In September 2017 he performed as part of the Later... with Jools Holland: Later 25 concert at the Royal Albert Hall.[16]
In October 2017 he performed the song "Mona Lisa" on BBC One's The Graham Norton Show with Jeff Goldblum on piano.[17]
Mona Lisa
Gregory Porter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You′re so like the lady with the mystic smile
Is it only 'cause you′re lonely they have blamed you
For that Mona Lisa strangeness in your smile
Do you smile to tempt a lover, Mona Lisa
Or is this your way to hide a broken heart
Many dreams have been brought to your doorstep
Are you warm, are you real, Mona Lisa
Or just a cold and lonely lovely work of art
Do you smile to tempt a lover, Mona Lisa
Or is this your way to hide a broken heart
Many dreams have been brought to your doorstep
They just lie there and they die there
Are you warm, are you real, Mona Lisa
Or just a cold and lonely lovely work of art
Mona Lisa
Mona Lisa
The lyrics to Gregory Porter's song "Mona Lisa" delve into the enigmatic nature of the famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci and explore the emotions behind the mysterious smile of the subject. The repetition of the name "Mona Lisa" emphasizes the fascination and allure she holds over men throughout history. The line "You're so like the lady with the mystic smile" suggests that the subject's smile has an elusive quality that intrigues and captivates people.
The next line "Is it only 'cause you're lonely they have blamed you" hints at the possibility that the subject's solitude may have led to her being unfairly judged or misunderstood. There is a suggestion here that people might assign a certain strangeness to her, possibly in an attempt to make sense of her solitary existence. The lyrics then question whether her smile is meant to charm lovers or merely a façade to conceal a broken heart. This implies that the Mona Lisa's smile could be either a seductive come-on or a defense mechanism to hide her emotional pain.
The following lines "Many dreams have been brought to your doorstep, They just lie there and they die there" suggest that people have come to the subject with hopes and aspirations, but these dreams ultimately go unfulfilled. This could refer to the longing and desire that the Mona Lisa evokes in people, but also the realization that their fantasies are ultimately futile.
The final lines of the song question the true nature of the Mona Lisa's existence. "Are you warm, are you real, Mona Lisa, Or just a cold and lonely lovely work of art?" The lyrics ponder whether the subject behind the painting is a living, breathing, and feeling human being, or merely an object of admiration and artistic beauty. This contrast between warmth and coldness, reality and artifice, taps into the essence of the Mona Lisa's enduring fascination and the ambiguity surrounding her smile.
Ultimately, the song "Mona Lisa" by Gregory Porter invites us to contemplate the complexities and mysteries of the famous painting, encouraging us to see beyond the surface and explore the emotions and experiences that may lie behind the enigmatic smile.
Line by Line Meaning
Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa, men have named you
You, Mona Lisa, have been given the name by men
You're so like the lady with the mystic smile
Your resemblance to the lady with the mysterious smile is striking
Is it only 'cause you're lonely they have blamed you
Are they blaming you solely because you are lonely
For that Mona Lisa strangeness in your smile
They attribute the peculiar nature of your smile to you, Mona Lisa
Do you smile to tempt a lover, Mona Lisa
Are you smiling to entice a lover, Mona Lisa
Or is this your way to hide a broken heart
Or is this your method of concealing a heart that is broken
Many dreams have been brought to your doorstep
Numerous dreams have been brought to your doorstep
They just lie there and they die there
However, they merely lay there and perish
Are you warm, are you real, Mona Lisa
Are you affectionate and genuine, Mona Lisa
Or just a cold and lonely lovely work of art
Or are you merely a cold and lonely, yet beautiful, piece of art
Mona Lisa
Mona Lisa
Writer(s): Ray Evans, Jay Livingston, Cyro Mendes De Aguiar
Contributed by Lila P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.