In addition, he performed very frequently with other artists, including Bill Withers on "Just the Two of Us" (a song still in regular rotation on radio today) and Phyllis Hyman on "Sacred Kind of Love". He is also remembered for his take on a Dave Brubeck classic, called "Take Another Five", as well as for his hit "Soulful Strut". His work continues to inspire jazz artists even today.
Washington was born in Buffalo, New York, 12 December 1943. Regarded as one of the revolutionaries in jazz music and is considered one of the greatest saxophone players in modern jazz history. He led many others to follow in his footsteps.
Washington's history was music-filled. His mother was a church chorister, and his father was a collector of old jazz 78s and a saxophonist as well, so music was everywhere in the home. He grew up with the great jazz men and big band leaders like Benny Goodman, Fletcher Henderson, and others like them. At the age of 8, with the desire for him to be more than he could be, Grover Sr. gave Jr. a saxophone. He practiced and sneaked into clubs to see famous Buffalo blues musicians.
He left Buffalo and played with a mid-west group called the Four Clefs. He was drafted into the US Army shortly thereafter, but this was to be to his advantage, as he met drummer Billy Cobham. Cobham, a mainstay in New York City, introduced Washington to many New York musicians. After leaving the Army, Washington freelanced his talents around New York City, eventually landing in Philadelphia in 1967.
Grover's big break came at the expense of another artist. Alto sax man Hank Crawford was unable to make a recording date with Prestige Records, and Washington took his place, even though he was a backup. This led to his first album, Inner City Blues. He was talented, and displayed heart and soul with soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones. Refreshing for his time, he made headway into the jazz mainstream. His fifth album, 1974's Mister Magic was a commercial success, and introduced guitarist Eric Gale in as a near-permanent member in Washington's arsenal.
A string of acclaimed records brought Washington through the 1970s, which culminated in the signature piece for everything Washington would do from then on. 1980's Winelight was the album that defined everything Washington was about. The album was smooth, fused with R and B and easy listening feel. Washington's love of basketball, especially the Philadelphia 76ers, led him to dedicate his first track, Let It Flow to Julius Erving (Dr. J). The highlight of the album, and a main staple of radio airplay everywhere, was his great collaboration with soul artist Bill Withers, Just The Two of Us. It was also the final step away from Motown, landing him on Elektra Records and into a new era of jazz excellence. The album went platinum in 1981, and also won Grammy Awards in 1982 for Best R and B Song ("Just The Two of Us"), and Best Jazz Fusion Performance ("Winelight"). "Winelight" was also nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
From that point, Washington is credited (or scorned, as some may say) for giving rise to a new batch of talent that would make its mark in the late 80s and early 90s. He is blamed for bringing Kenny G to the forefront, but also credited with bringing such smooth jazz artists as Walter Beasley, Steve Cole, Pamela Williams, Najee, George Howard, and The Philadelphia Experiment into popular attention.
The tragedy and irony of Washington's life was that while he was able to get his big break from another artist's absence, Washington lived long enough to bring smooth jazz to the last points of the old millennium, but didn't outlive Hank Crawford, whose absence gave him his big break (and is still alive, as of 2005). On December 17th, 1999, while waiting in the green room after taping four songs for the The Early Show, at CBS Studios in New York City, Washington collapsed. He was taken to St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at about 7:30 p.m. His doctors determined that he had suffered a massive heart attack.
Grover Washington Jr.'s legacy lives on in the futures of up-and-coming jazz artists, and his life is celebrated from college campuses all around the nation to the hallowed streets of his own Philadelphia, his adopted hometown.
Just the two of us
Grover Washington Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the beauty of it all
Is when the sun comes shining through
To make those rainbows in my mind
When I think of you sometime
And I wanna spend some time with you
Just the two of us
Just the two of us
(Just the two of us)
Just the two of us
Building castles in the sky
Just the two of us
You and I
We look for love, no time for tears
Wasted water's all that is
And it don't make no flowers grow
Good things might come to those who wait
Not for those who wait too late
We gotta go for all we know
Just the two of us
We can make it if we try
Just the two of us
(Just the two of us)
Just the two of us
Building them castles in the sky
Just the two of us
You and I
I hear the crystal raindrops fall
On the window down the hall
And it becomes the morning dew
And darling when the morning comes
And I see the morning sun
I wanna be the one with you
Just the two of us
We can make it if we try
Just the two of us
(Just the two of us)
Just the two of us
Building big castles way on high
Just the two of us
You and I
(Just the two of us) just the two of us
(We can make it, just the two of us)
Let's get it together baby (yeah)
(Just the two of us)
Just the two of us
(We can make it, just the two of us)
(Just the two of us)
(We can make it, just the two of us)
(Just the two of us)
(We can make it, just the two of us)
(Just the two of us)
(We can make it, just the two of us)
(Just the two of us)
(We can make it, just the two of us)
(Just the two of us)
The opening lines of the song, "I see the crystal raindrops fall, And the beauty of it all", sets the stage for Grover Washington Jr.'s song Just The Two Of Us, in which he expresses the sentiment of finding beauty in the simple things in life. He further says, "Is when the sun comes shining through, To make those rainbows in my mind, When I think of you sometime, And I wanna spend some time with you.' These lines imply that the singer finds joy in the relationship that he has with his loved one, and that the simple act of spending time together is sometimes enough to bring beauty and joy into his life.
The song's main theme centers on the romantic relationship between two people who are determined to make their love work. They look for love but have no time for tears and wasted moments. They understand the importance of taking action and not waiting for things to come to them. The song's catchy chorus, "Just the two of us, We can make it if we try, Just the two of us, Building castles in the sky, Just the two of us, You and I," emphasizes the idea of working hard to build something beautiful with the person they love.
Overall, this song's message is one of hope, perseverance, and love. It teaches about the importance of cherishing the small moments in life and taking action to make dreams a reality. It is a perfect song for lovers, reminding them that anything is possible when they work together.
Line by Line Meaning
I see the crystal raindrops fall
I notice the beauty in nature when I see the crystal raindrops fall
And the beauty of it all
The beauty of nature and the world never ceases to amaze me
Is when the sun comes shining through
The sun has the power to bring new life and beauty to everything it touches
To make those rainbows in my mind
The sight of a rainbow always brings joy and inspiration to me
When I think of you sometime
Thoughts of you often bring me happiness and comfort, even when you're not here
And I wanna spend some time with you
I cherish the time we spend together and always want to be with you
We look for love, no time for tears
We focus on finding love and happiness in life, rather than dwelling on past sorrows
Wasted water's all that is
Crying and lamenting over the past is only a waste of time and emotion
And it don't make no flowers grow
Negativity and sadness only bring about more negativity, rather than happiness and growth
Good things might come to those who wait
Patience can lead to good things in life, but it's important not to wait too long
Not for those who wait too late
Don't wait until it's too late to go after what you want in life
We gotta go for all we know
We must be bold and take risks in order to achieve our goals and find happiness
Building castles in the sky
We dream big and aspire to achieve great things together
I hear the crystal raindrops fall
The sound of raindrops can be soothing and relaxing, bringing peace to my mind
On the window down the hall
The sound of raindrops can be heard from a distance and reminds me of the beauty in nature
And it becomes the morning dew
The raindrops transform into dew on the grass in the morning, bringing new life to nature
And darling when the morning comes
When the morning arrives, I want to be with you to welcome the new day
And I see the morning sun
The sight of the sun rising in the morning is a beautiful reminder of the new opportunities each day brings
Building big castles way on high
Together, we aim to achieve great things and reach new heights in life and love
Let's get it together baby (yeah)
Let's work together to achieve our dreams, my love
We can make it, just the two of us
As long as we work together, we can overcome any obstacles and achieve our goals
Lyrics © BLEUNIG MUSIC, BMG Rights Management, MIMIL LTD, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Ralph Macdonald, William Salter, Bill Withers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Nefariwhore
I see the crystal raindrops fall
And the beauty of it all
Is when the sun comes shining through
To make those rainbows in my mind
When I think of you sometime
And I wanna spend some time with you
Just the two of us
We can make it if we try
Just the two of us
(Just the two of us)
Just the two of us
Building castles in the sky
Just the two of us
You and I
We look for love, no time for tears
Wasted water's all that is
And it don't make no flowers grow
Good things might come to those who wait
Not for those who wait too late
We gotta go for all we know
Just the two of us
We can make it if we try
Just the two of us
(Just the two of us)
Just the two of us
Building them castles in the sky
Just the two of us
You and I
I hear the crystal raindrops fall
On the window down the hall
And it becomes the morning dew
And darling when the morning comes
And I see the morning sun
I wanna be the one with you
Just the two of us
We can make it if we try
Just the two of us
(Just the two of us)
Just the two of us
Building big castles way on high
Just the two of us
You and I
Just the two of us
(We can make it, just the two of us)
Let's get it together baby (yeah)
(Just the two of us)
Just the two of us
(We can make it, just the two of us)
(Just the two of us)
(We can make it, just the two of us)
(Just the two of us)
(We can make it, just the two of us)
(Just the two of us)
(We can make it, just the two of us)
(Just the two of us)
(We can make it, just the two of us)
(Just the two of us)
@yamatanoorochi3149
I hear the crystal raindrops fall...
And the beauty of it all...
That'd be when the sun's shining through
But the thunder still rings in my mind
And I can't recall your face in time
So please share these moments with someone new
Just the two of you
I don't want to make you cry
Just the two of you
(Just the two of you)
Just the two of you
Safe, out of reach in the sky
Just the two of you
You and that guy
Can't look for love when I can't see
Everything's blurred in front of me
From the flashing rainstorm in my eyes
Good things do come for those who wait
But some of us should wait too late
I'm unworthy of you, I realize
Just the two of you
I don't want to make you cry
Just the two of you
(Just the two of you)
Just the two of you
Safe, out of reach in the sky
Just the two of you
You and that guy
I see the crystal raindrops fall
On the window down the hall
Still waiting for them to shine anew
But darling, too many mornings passed
And I'm still sleeping through sunrise
While you need someone there with you
Just the two of you
I don't want to make you cry
Just the two of you
(Just the two of you)
Just the two of you
Safe, out of reach in the sky
Just the two of you
You and that guy
Just the two of you
Yes, the two of you
You can make it just the two of you
@sofail4738
His face looks like he told a joke that no-one laughed at and someone said it louder and everyone bursted out laughing.
@loisglover2793
YESS THIS IS THE ONLY ACCURATE ONE😭😭
@womenhateme442
Pain when that happens
@blur_710
Lmao
@fluffydiced4212
Bruh moment
@matthewwims3386
I wish I were high on potenuse.
@Man-lw5ik
He’s looking at you like you just asked the stupidest question in the entire conversation
@garden7364
“Ayo, is cereal a soup bruh?”
@NotFoods
His disappointment is immeasurable and his day is ruined
@yewbus8621
@@garden7364 j