Early in his career, Mabern played in Chicago with Walter Perkins' MJT + 3 in the late 1950s before moving to New York in 1959. Mabern has worked with Jimmy Forrest, Lionel Hampton, the Jazztet (1961-1962), Donald Byrd, Miles Davis (1963), J. J. Johnson (1963-1965), Lee Morgan (1965), Hank Mobley (1965), Sonny Rollins, Freddie Hubbard, Wes Montgomery, Joe Williams (1966-1967), and Sarah Vaughan. In more recent years, he has recorded extensively with his former William Paterson University student, the tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander.
He performed in a video recorded session with Wes Montgomery in 1965, available on DVD as Wes Montgomery Live in '65.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Mabern led four albums for Prestige Records, performed with Lee Morgan, and recorded with Stanley Cowell's Piano Choir. Harold Mabern has recorded as a leader for DIW/Columbia and Sackville and toured with the Contemporary Piano Ensemble (1993-1995).
A longtime faculty member at William Paterson University, Mabern was a frequent instructor at the Stanford Jazz Workshop.
I Want You Back
Harold Mabern Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I didn't want you around
Those pretty faces always made you
Stand out in a crowd
But someone picked you from the bunch
One glance was all it took
Now it's much too late for me
To take second look
Oh baby give me one more chance
To show you that I love you
Won't you please send me back in your heart
Oh darlin' I was blind to let you go
But now since I see you in his arms
I want you back
Yes I do now
I want you back
Ooh ooh baby
Yeah yeah, naw
Trying to live without your love
Is one long sleepless night
Let me show you girl
That I know wrong from right
Every street you walk on
I leave tear stains on the ground
Following the girl
I didn't even want around
Oh baby give me one more chance
To show you that I love you
Won't you please send me back in your heart
Abuh buh buh buh
All I want!
Abuh buh buh buh
All I need!
Abuh buh buh buh
The lyrics to the song "I Want You Back" by Harold Mabern are about a man who realizes the mistake he made by pushing the woman he loves away because he didn't want her to stand out in a crowd due to her beauty. Despite his attempts to move on, he is unable to live without her and now desires her back. He is seeking a second chance to prove his love for her, admitting that he was blind to let her go. The lyrics are emotional and raw, expressing regret and a longing for a chance at redemption.
The repetition of the phrase "baby give me one more chance" in the chorus reinforces the theme of the song and highlights the desperation of the man's plea. The use of "buh buh buh buh" in the outro serves as a musical and nonverbal way of expressing his desire and need for her.
Overall, the song portrays the pain of losing someone due to one's own mistakes and the desire to make amends and rekindle the love that was once there.
Line by Line Meaning
When I had you to myself
When I had you all to myself
I didn't want you around
I didn't want anyone else around
Those pretty faces always made you
The attention from other people always made you
Stand out in a crowd
Seem more desirable than you already were
But someone picked you from the bunch
Someone else chose you
One glance was all it took
They only needed one look to realize
Now it's much too late for me
But now it's too late for me
To take second look
To reconsider my decision
Oh baby give me one more chance
Please give me another chance
To show you that I love you
To prove my love to you
Won't you please send me back in your heart
Let me back into your heart
Oh darlin' I was blind to let you go
I was foolish to let you go
But now since I see you in his arms
But now that I see you with someone else
I want you back
I want you back
Yes I do now
I really do
Ooh ooh baby
Oh, baby
Yeah yeah, naw
Yeah, yeah, no
Trying to live without your love
Trying to live without you
Is one long sleepless night
Is unbearable and keeps me up at night
Let me show you girl
Let me prove to you
That I know wrong from right
That I know how to make the right decisions
Every street you walk on
Everywhere you go
I leave tear stains on the ground
I cry and leave tears wherever I go
Following the girl
Following you
I didn't even want around
Even though I didn't want you to leave in the first place
Abuh buh buh buh
All I want!
Abuh buh buh buh
All I need!
Abuh buh buh buh
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Freddie Perren, Alphonso Mizell, Deke Richards, Berry Gordy Jr
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind