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.
Make Me a Memory
Grover Washington Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah
Dah, dah, dah, dah
Dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah
Dah, dah, dah
Rockets, moon shots
Spend it on the have nots
Money, we make it
Oh, make you wanna holler
The way they do my life
Make me wanna holler
The way they do my life
This ain't livin', this ain't livin'
No, no baby, this ain't livin'
No, no, no
Inflation no chance
To increase finance
Bills pile up sky high
Send that boy off to die
Make me wanna holler
The way they do my life
Make me wanna holler
The way they do my life
Dah, dah, dah
Dah, dah, dah
Hang ups, let downs
Bad breaks, set backs
Natural fact is
I can't pay my taxes
Oh, make me wanna holler
And throw up both my hands
Yea, it makes me wanna holler
And throw up both my hands
Crime is increasing
Trigger happy policing
Panic is spreading
God know where we're heading
Oh, make me wanna holler
They don't understand
Dah, dah, dah
Dah, dah, dah
Dah, dah, dah
Mother, mother
Everybody thinks we're wrong
Who are they to judge us
Simply cause we wear our hair long
The lyrics of Grover Washington Jr.'s song "Inner City Blues” are a powerful reflection of the social and economic struggles of life in the inner city. The opening lines talk about the money spent on space exploration while there are people in the inner city who are struggling to make ends meet. The song goes on to describe the feelings of anger and frustration that arise when struggling to make a living and seeing people around us die. The lyrics make a bold statement about the injustices and the struggles that inner city communities face and how they are often overlooked by those in power.
The song highlights the issue of inflation, where the cost of living is rising but the salary is not. Bills are piling up, and people are struggling to pay taxes. There is no chance to increase finances, and the only option is to send young men off to die. The song talks about how natural it is for people to face setbacks, let-downs, and bad breaks but the fact remains that people in the inner city have to bear more than just the regular misfortunes, including trigger-happy policing or rampant crime, and panic spreading among people. The song also tackles the issue of societal judgment where people can be judged based on their appearance or cultural practices, rather than character and personal values.
Line by Line Meaning
Dah, dah, dah, dah
A musical interlude with no lyrics
Dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah
A musical interlude with no lyrics
Dah, dah, dah, dah
A musical interlude with no lyrics
Dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah
A musical interlude with no lyrics
Dah, dah, dah
A musical interlude with no lyrics
Rockets, moon shots
The government is spending a lot of money on space travel and exploration
Spend it on the have nots
The government should be allocating this money towards helping people who are struggling
Money, we make it
We work hard and earn money
Fore we see it you take it
The government takes taxes out of our paychecks before we even get to use the money
Oh, make you wanna holler
All these factors are frustrating and make you want to scream out in anger
The way they do my life
This frustration and anger is directed towards the government and their policies
Make me wanna holler
Reiterating the feeling of frustration
The way they do my life
Continuing to direct frustration towards the government and their policies
This ain't livin', this ain't livin'
The current situation is not sustainable or enjoyable
No, no baby, this ain't livin'
Emphasizing that the current situation is not a satisfactory way of life
No, no, no
Stressing the previous point
Inflation no chance
The cost of living is increasing faster than incomes
To increase finance
People are struggling to make more money to keep up with expenses
Bills pile up sky high
Expenses are mounting and becoming overwhelming
Send that boy off to die
Young men are being drafted into the military to go fight wars
Hang ups, let downs
Life is full of disappointments and setbacks
Bad breaks, set backs
More emphasis on the struggles of life
Natural fact is
The reality of the situation is
I can't pay my taxes
Taxes are becoming too expensive to pay
Oh, make me wanna holler
Frustration and anger is building up again
And throw up both my hands
Feeling helpless and out of control
Yea, it makes me wanna holler
Once again emphasizing the buildup of frustration
Crime is increasing
Crime rates are going up
Trigger happy policing
Police officers are using excessive force and attacking innocent people
Panic is spreading
People are becoming more and more scared about the state of the world
God know where we're heading
The future is uncertain and unpredictable
Oh, make me wanna holler
Frustration is building to a breaking point
They don't understand
The government and those in power are not fully comprehending the struggles of the common people
Dah, dah, dah
A musical interlude with no lyrics
Dah, dah, dah
A musical interlude with no lyrics
Mother, mother
Opening a new train of thought
Everybody thinks we're wrong
Many people disagree with our way of life or opinions
Who are they to judge us
Questioning if others have the right to judge or criticize us
Simply cause we wear our hair long
Disagreeing with the notion that people should be judged based on their appearance
Dah, dah, dah
A musical interlude with no lyrics
Lyrics © Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Marvin Gaye, James Nyx
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind