Mobley was born in Eastman, Georgia, but was raised in Elizabeth, New Jersey, near Newark. Early in his career, he worked with Dizzy Gillespie and Max Roach. He took part in one of the landmark hard bop sessions, alongside Art Blakey, Horace Silver, Doug Watkins and trumpeter Kenny Dorham. The results of these sessions were released as Horace Silver & the Jazz Messengers. They contrasted with the classical pretensions of cool jazz, with Mobley's rich lyricism being bluesier, alongside the funky approach of Horace Silver. When The Jazz Messengers split in 1956, Mobley continued on with pianist Horace Silver for a short time, although he did work again with Blakey some years later, when the drummer appeared on Mobley's albums in the early 60s.
During the 1960s, he worked chiefly as a leader, recording 25 albums for Blue Note Records, including Soul Station and Roll Call, between 1955 and 1970. He performed with many of the most important hard bop players, such as Grant Green, Freddie Hubbard, Sonny Clark, Wynton Kelly and Philly Joe Jones, and formed a particularly productive partnership with trumpeter Lee Morgan. Mobley is widely recognized as one of the great composers of originals in the hard-bop era, with interesting chord changes and room for soloists to spread out.
His 1961 album, Another Workout, while considered an instant classic, was inexplicably not released until 1985.
Mobley also spent a brief time in 1961 with Miles Davis, during the trumpeter's search for a replacement for John Coltrane. He is heard on the album Someday My Prince Will Come (alongside Coltrane, who returned for the recording of some tracks), and some live recordings (Miles Davis - In Person Friday And Saturday Nights At The Blackhawk, Complete and At Carnegie Hall). Though considered by some as not having the improvisational fire of Coltrane, Mobley was still a major voice on tenor saxophone, known for his melodic playing.
Mobley was forced to retire in the mid-1970s due to lung problems. He worked briefly with Duke Jordan before his death from pneumonia in 1986.
The More I See You
Hank Mobley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Each time you're near me the thrill is new
And there is nothing that I wouldn't do for
The rare delight of the sight of you for
The more I see you, the more I want you
Somehow this feeling just grows and grows
With every sigh I become more mad about you
Can you imagine how much I love you?
The more I see you as years go by
I know the only one for me can only be you
My arms won't free you, my heart won't try
I know the only one for me can only be you
My arms won't free you, my heart won't try
The song "The More I See You" by Hank Mobley is a love song that expresses the overwhelming emotions one feels for their significant other. The first two lines of the song 'Each time I look at you is like the first time, Each time you're near me the thrill is new' conveys the excitement and exhilaration one experiences when they are in love. The next lines, 'And there is nothing that I wouldn't do for, The rare delight of the sight of you for' signify the intensity of love where one is willing to do anything for their lover to experience the sheer joy they feel when they are together.
The chorus of the song 'The more I see you, the more I want you, Somehow this feeling just grows and grows, With every sigh I become more mad about you, More lost without you and so it goes' tells us about the addictive nature of love where the more one interacts with their lover, the stronger their feelings grow. The lyrics reveal that the singer is so deeply in love with their partner that they cannot imagine life without them. The line 'Can you imagine how much I love you?' emphasizes the extent of the love and affection the singer has for their partner.
The song's concluding lines 'I know the only one for me can only be you, My arms won't free you, my heart won't try' highlight the ultimate declaration of true love, where the singer pledges that their heart belongs only to their lover and that they would do everything in their power to keep them by their side.
Line by Line Meaning
Each time I look at you is like the first time
Every time I see you, my heart races as though we've never met before
Each time you're near me the thrill is new
Every moment spent with you is like a new adventure, full of excitement and wonder
And there is nothing that I wouldn't do for
The rare delight of the sight of you for
I would do anything just to see your beautiful face, as the joy it brings me is immeasurable
The more I see you, the more I want you
Every time I lay my eyes on you, my hunger for you grows deeper and stronger
Somehow this feeling just grows and grows
My passion for you keeps growing, and I cannot explain why
With every sigh I become more mad about you
Every time I take a deep breath, my heart becomes more obsessed with you
More lost without you and so it goes
Without you, I am aimless and lost, constantly yearning for your loving presence
Can you imagine how much I love you?
The love I have inside me for you is so intense that it is almost unimaginable
The more I see you as years go by
As time passes, my love for you only grows stronger, with no sign of slowing down
I know the only one for me can only be you
I am certain that nobody else in this world can ever replace you as the one and only love of my life
My arms won't free you, my heart won't try
My love for you is unconditional and everlasting, so you'll always be wrapped in my loving embrace
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Mack Gordon, Harry Warren
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind