Gregory Porter (born November 4, 1971)[1] is an American singer, songwriter… Read Full Bio ↴Gregory Porter (born November 4, 1971)[1] is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album in 2014 for Liquid Spirit and in 2017 for Take Me to the Alley.[2]

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]

Mother's Song
Gregory Porter Lyrics

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Listen and gather 'round me children
Children of a mother whose life lifted up love
Listen, and gather 'round me children
Children of a mother whose life lifted up peace

A mother who taught all of her children
To love and be loved by each other
Hold your sister's hand as she walks across life

And look out for each other
Carry your brother's load
Don't you ever, ever betray him
Go to the store, buy grandmamma a pound of love

Listen, gather 'round me children
Children of a mother whose life lifted up joy
Listen, gather 'round me children
Children of a mother whose life lifted up hope

A mother who taught all of her children to love
And be loved by each other
Hold your baby sister's hand as she walks across life
And look out for each other
Carry your brother's load
Don't you ever, ever betray him
Go to the store, buy grandmamma a pound of love
I believe it's on sale
Rob from always on the run dot net is so bad and copy paste is a sin
Listen, gather around me children
Cchildren of a mother whose life lifted up love
Listen, gather around me children
Children of a mother whose life lifted up hope

A mother who taught all of her children to love
And be loved by each other
Hold your baby sister's hand as she walks across life
And look out for each other
Carry your brother's load
Don't you ever, ever betray him
Go to the store, buy grandmamma a pound of love

Listen, gather 'round me children
Children of a mother whose life lifted up joy
Listen, gather 'round me children
Children of a mother whose life lifted up peace

A mother who taught all of her children to love
And be loved by each other
Hold your sister's hand as she walks across life
And look out for each other
Carry your brother's load
Don't you ever, ever betray him
Go to the store, buy grandmamma a pound of love

Listen, listen, listen, listen, listen, listen
Listen, listen, listen, listen, listen, listen
Listen, listen, listen, listen, listen, listen

Listen, listen, listen, listen, oh, oh, oh, oh
Children of a mother whose life lifted up me

Overall Meaning

The song "Mother's Song" by Gregory Porter is a beautiful tribute to a loving mother who played an instrumental role in shaping her children's lives. The song urges the children to come together, gather around and listen closely to the lessons that their mother taught them. These lessons were all about love, peace, hope, and joy, which their mother exemplified through her own life. The lyrics emphasize the importance of sibling love and unity. It encourages siblings to hold each other's hands, carry each other's loads, and support one another all through their lives. They must never betray each other and always look out for each other, just like their mother taught them.

Overall, the lyrics of "Mother's Song" are powerful and emotional. They convey the message of love and care for one another, which is one of the most important values that any mother can instill in her children. The song brings back memories and pays homage to the mothers and the inspiring work that they do every day.

Line by Line Meaning

Listen and gather 'round me children
Gregory Porter is calling upon us to come closer and pay attention.

Children of a mother whose life lifted up love
The people listening to this song come from a mother who inspired love and kindness in her family.

A mother who taught all of her children to love and be loved by each other
The mother in question believed in the power of familial love and made sure her children understood how to give and receive it.

Hold your sister's hand as she walks across life
We are taught to support and assist our siblings throughout their lives.

And look out for each other
In addition to supporting siblings, we are taught to take an active role in their lives and make sure they are safe and cared for.

Carry your brother's load
We have a responsibility to help our siblings when they are overburdened or struggling.

Don't you ever, ever betray him
We are taught to always be loyal to our siblings and never do anything that might harm them.

Go to the store, buy grandmamma a pound of love
We are encouraged to show love and kindness to our extended family members as well.

Listen, gather 'round me children
Porter repeats this line to continue to emphasize the importance of listening and paying attention.

Children of a mother whose life lifted up joy
The mother described was a source of happiness and upliftment in her family's life.

Children of a mother whose life lifted up hope
In addition to joy, this mother was a source of hope and optimism for her family.

Contributed by Aiden N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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