Born in Providence, RI, Jeffrey Osborne was the youngest of 12 children and was constantly bombarded with music as he was growing up. He had five brothers and six sisters, some of whom went on to have music careers. His father, Clarence "Legs" Osborne, was a popular trumpeter who played with Lionel Hampton, Count Basie, and Duke Ellington, and died when Jeffrey was only 13. His mother, Wanita, is ancestored by a Pequot Indian sachem. His oldest brother, Clay Osborne, is a singer and pianist, and Billy, another brother, is a songwriter and producer in Los Angeles. But Osborne's father had the greatest influence on his musical career; Clarence "Legs" Osborne turned down many top band offers during his career to be with his family. It was only after receiving his mother's encouragement that Jeffrey left for Los Angeles to play with L.T.D. At the age of 15, he sat in with the O'Jays when the drummer was too tired to play, and went on to play with them for two weeks. It was at a Providence nightclub that fate brought him together with the band Love Men Ltd. in 1969.
Osborne's solo career has brought him five gold and platinum albums, including Stay With Me Tonight, Aymuk, and Only Human. He also recorded an album of duets with popular singer James Ingram, and scored an international hit with "On the Wings of Love" in 1982. Osborne's touring and recording continue to keep him busy much of the time, but he also devotes some of his time to charity work.
Close to You
Jeffrey Osborne 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 off from the sky
Every time you walk by?
Just like me, they long to be
On the day that you were born
The angels got together
They decided to create a dream come true
So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair
And put a starlight in your eyes so 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
Just like me, they long to be
Close to you
Aah
Close to you
The song "Close to You" by Jeffrey Osborne is a romantic ballad that speaks of the desire to be close to the person he loves. The first verse asks the question of why birds suddenly appear every time she is near. The reference to birds appearing is used as a metaphor for the feeling of joy and happiness that comes when the woman is around. Osborne then likens himself to the birds, in that he too longs to be close to her.
In the second verse, Osborne again uses metaphor, this time referring to the stars falling out of the sky every time she walks by. This conveys the idea of the woman being so captivating that she has the ability to influence the world around her. As in the first verse, Osborne expresses his desire to be close to her, like the stars that fall from the sky.
The bridge of the song speaks of the woman's birth and how the angels created her as a dream-come-true. The moon dust that was sprinkled in her hair and starlight in her eyes create a feeling of magic and wonder, which is why all the girls in town follow her. The song closes with Osborne repeating the main chorus and his desire to be close to her.
Line by Line Meaning
Why do birds suddenly appear
The singer wonders why birds seem to appear every time the person they are singing to is near.
Every time you are near?
The singer notes that the birds appear only when the person they are singing to is nearby.
Just like me, they long to be
The singer feels a connection with the birds and believes that, like him, they also yearn to be close to the person he is singing to.
Close to you
The singer expresses a desire to be close to the person he is singing to.
Why do stars fall off from the sky
The singer questions why stars seem to fall from the sky every time the person he is singing to walks by.
Every time you walk by?
The singer notes that the stars only fall when the person he is singing to passes by.
Just like me, they long to be
The singer again feels a connection with the stars and believes that, like him, they yearn to be close to the person he is singing to.
On the day that you were born
The singer recalls the day the person he is singing to was born.
The angels got together
The singer figuratively imagines a gathering of angels to create a special person, the one he is singing to.
They decided to create a dream come true
The singer imagines that the angels' purpose was to create the perfect person, a dream come true.
So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair
The singer imagines that the angels made the person's hair special by sprinkling it with moon dust.
And put a starlight in your eyes so blue
The singer imagines that the angels gave the person beautiful blue eyes by infusing them with starlight.
That is why all the girls in town
The singer suggests that the special qualities of the person he is singing to are the reason why all the girls in town are drawn to them.
Follow you, all around
The singer notes that the girls in town seem to follow the person he is singing to wherever they go.
Just like me, they long to be
The singer feels a connection with the girls in town and believes that, like him, they also yearn to be close to the person he is singing to.
Aah
This is an expression of heartfelt emotion from the singer towards the person he is singing to.
Close to you
The singer repeats his desire to be close to the person he is singing to.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Burt Bacharach, Hal David
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rodrigo F. R. de Souza
Versão magnífica!!!
Ivan Franco
Classy cover of this classic with a beautiful.arrangement.Mr Osborne did a great job.
Celso Silva
Excelente interpretação! Belissíma voz!
Ericston Sloan
Bobby Womack really put his mark on this song really.....but Jeffery Osborne is most definitely one of my all time favorites.
Ben Mitchell
A beautiful, classic, timeless voice. God on bless very few with a voice like that
Sharon Ehrlich
Amazing voice!
Thomas Bryant
great song
Imma De Martino
love love .... great voice !
Jazziz Café
Great Tune, love this version. @_JeffreyOsborne incluyó esta versión de "(They Long to Be) Close to You" junto a @KamasiW, @mcbridesworld o George Duke entre otros, en el álbum "A Time For Love" editado por el cantante en 2013. Doce versiones de grandes clásicos, como esta del éxito que el tándem Burt Bacharach y Hal David compusieron en 1963 que, aunque fue grabado inicialmente por el actor/cantante Richard Chamberlain ese año, no fue hasta 1970 cuando The Carpenters lo convirtió en un éxito. #SmoothVocals
Josie Centeno
Great version ❤️