Person grew up in Florence, South Carolina, and first played piano before switching to tenor saxophone. He studied at South Carolina State College where he was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in 1999.
In the United States Air Force, he joined a service band stationed in West Germany, and played with Don Ellis, Eddie Harris, Cedar Walton, and Leo Wright. He later continued his studies at Hartt College of Music in Hartford, Connecticut.
He first became known for a series of albums for Prestige Records in the 1960s. Contrary to popular belief, he was never married to the vocalist Etta Jones, but did spend many years as her musical partner, recording, performing and touring, and for much of his career this association was what he was best known for. They first met playing in organist Johnny Hammond's band.
There are more than 75 albums recorded by Houston Person as a bandleader, on Prestige, Westbound, Mercury, Savoy, and Muse Records, and he has most recently been recording on HighNote Records. He has recorded with Grant Green, Charles Brown, Bill Charlap, Charles Earland, Lena Horne, Etta Jones, Lou Rawls, Horace Silver, Dakota Staton, Billy Butler, Richard "Groove" Holmes and others.
Close To You
Houston Person Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every time you are near
Just like me, they long to be
Close to you
Why do stars fall down from the sky?
Every time you walk by
Just like me, they long to be
On the day that you were born
And the angels got together
And decided to create a dream come true
So they sprinkled moon dust
In your hair of gold
And starlight in your eyes of blue
That is why all the girls in town
Follow you all around
Just like me, they long to be
Close to you
On the day that you were born
And the angels got together
And decided to create a dream come true
So they sprinkled moon dust
In your hair of gold
And starlight in your eyes of blue
That is why all the girls in town
Follow you all around
Just like me, they long to be
Close to you
Just like me, they long to be
Close to you
The song "Close to You" by Houston Person is a soulful ballad that talks about how the singer (presumably Houston himself) feels enchanted and drawn to a particular person. The lyrics pose rhetorical questions as to why birds appear every time the person is near and why the stars seem to fall from the sky every time they walk by. The answer to both these questions is that just like the singer, creatures of nature "long to be close" to this person. The song then narrates a charming origin story for this person's creation. According to the song, the day this person was born, angels got together to create a dream come true, complete with sprinkling moon dust in their hair of gold and starlight in their eyes of blue. Consequently, all the girls in town seem to follow this person around like the singer does because they all, just like him, yearn to be close to the person.
The lyrics of this song, although seemingly simple and straightforward, convey a highly romantic and enchanting message. The fact that the singer compares himself to birds and stars might suggest a somewhat lowly self-image, especially compared to the person they're singing about. The refrain of the song that repeats the phrase "just like me, they long to be close to you" further confirms this sense of yearning and surrender.
Line by Line Meaning
Why do birds suddenly appear?
Do you ever wonder why birds always seem to be around whenever you're near? Just like me, they want to be close to you.
Every time you are near
Whenever you're close by, birds and I can't help but feel drawn to you.
Just like me, they long to be
Birds, just like me, yearn to be close to you.
Why do stars fall down from the sky?
Have you ever thought about why stars seem to fall from the sky whenever you pass by? Like me, they want to be near you.
Every time you walk by
Whenever you walk past, stars and I are entranced by your presence.
On the day that you were born
The day that you were born was a special day, for it was the day that the angels collaborated to make a dream come true.
And the angels got together
The heavenly beings came together on this day to create something magnificent.
And decided to create a dream come true
The angels made the decision to create a perfect dream on this day, which was unique in all of history.
So they sprinkled moon dust
The angels scattered moon dust with care, like a love potion.
In your hair of gold
Your lovely golden hair was dusted with moonlight and magic by the angels.
And starlight in your eyes of blue
The angels chose to place starlight in your eyes of blue, as befitting a dream come true.
That is why all the girls in town
That is the reason why all the girls in town pursue you.
Follow you all around
They can't seem to resist being close to you, just like me and the birds and stars.
Just like me, they long to be
Just like me, all of the girls in town also yearn to be near you.
Close to you
Everybody, including me, desires to be near you for we all feel a connection to you on a deep, mystical level.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Burt Bacharach, Hal David
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jolly
The straight-ahead swing is so refreshing. Houston Person doesn't overplay his hand; he just finds a groove and stays with it, as if he has nothing to prove to anyone. There's a sense of honesty and authenticity in his approach.
Ellias AJADI
Fabulous