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.
Teach Me Tonight
Jeffrey Osborne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well don't think I'm trying not to learn
Since this is the perfect spot to learn
Teach me tonight
Starting with the ABC of it
Getting right down to the XYZ of it
Help me solve the mystery of it
The sky's a blackboard high above you
And if a shooting star goes by
I'll use that star to write "I love you"
A thousand times across the sky
One thing isn't very clear my love
Teachers shouldn't stand so near my love
Graduation's almost here my love
You'd better teach me tonight
I've played loves scenes in a flick or two
And I've also met a chick or two
But I still can learn a trick or two
Hey teach me tonight
I who thought I knew the score of it
Kind of think I should know much more of it
Off the wall, the bed, the floor of it
Hey teach me tonight
The midnight hours come slowly creeping
When there's no one there but you
There must be more to life than sleeping
Single in a bed for two
What I need most is post graduate
What I feel is hard to articulate
If you want me to matriculate
You'd better teach me tonight
What do you get for lessons
Teach me, come on and teach me, teach me tonight
In Jeffrey Osborne's song Teach Me Tonight, the singer is expressing his desire to learn about love and romance from his partner. He acknowledges that he has a lot to learn, but he is willing to try. He wants to start with the basics of love and work his way up to the more complicated aspects of relationships. He uses a metaphor of the sky as a blackboard to show his willingness to learn, even using a shooting star to write "I love you" across the sky.
The singer also expresses his desire for physical intimacy within the relationship. He has played love scenes in movies and met a few women, but he still wants to learn more about physical intimacy. He wants to be taught how to be a better lover, and he asks his partner to teach him tonight.
However, there is a subtle sense of urgency in the singer's request. He mentions that graduation is almost here, suggesting that time is running out. He also expresses his loneliness at night, implying that he needs his partner's guidance before it's too late.
Overall, Teach Me Tonight is a passionate expression of desire for emotional and physical intimacy. The singer is willing to learn, but he needs his partner's guidance in order to truly understand love.
Interesting facts about the song:
Line by Line Meaning
Did you say that I've got a lot to learn
Acknowledging the criticism for not knowing enough
Well don't think I'm trying not to learn
Assuring the teacher that efforts are being made to learn
Since this is the perfect spot to learn
Realizing that there is no better time and place to learn
Teach me tonight
Requesting the teacher to impart knowledge immediately
Starting with the ABC of it
Asking the teacher to begin with the basics
Getting right down to the XYZ of it
Asking the teacher to cover even the advanced topics
Help me solve the mystery of it
Asking for help in understanding the complex aspects of the subject
Teach me tonight
Reiterating the request to learn immediately
The sky's a blackboard high above you
Comparing the dark sky to a blackboard
And if a shooting star goes by
Using a shooting star as a metaphor for an opportunity to learn
I'll use that star to write "I love you"
Expressing love while utilizing the opportunity to learn
A thousand times across the sky
Reiterating the willingness to learn and the love expressed
One thing isn't very clear my love
Confessing that there is still confusion and lack of clarity
Teachers shouldn't stand so near my love
Expressing the awkwardness of being too close to the teacher
Graduation's almost here my love
Acknowledging that the end of the learning period is approaching
You'd better teach me tonight
Emphasizing the urgency to learn before it's too late
I've played loves scenes in a flick or two
Having some experience in romantic situations
And I've also met a chick or two
Having some experience in relationships
But I still can learn a trick or two
Realizing there is still room for improvement
Hey teach me tonight
Reiterating the request to learn immediately
I who thought I knew the score of it
Realizing that what was previously thought to be understood is incorrect
Kind of think I should know much more of it
Acknowledging that there is still much more to learn about the subject
Off the wall, the bed, the floor of it
Expressing the desire to understand all aspects of the subject, even the unconventional ones
Hey teach me tonight
Reiterating the request to learn immediately
The midnight hours come slowly creeping
Describing the late hours when there is time to learn
When there's no one there but you
When there is opportunity for one-on-one learning
There must be more to life than sleeping
Realizing that there is more to life and that time should be well spent learning
Single in a bed for two
Acknowledging the loneliness of not having anyone to share the bed with
What I need most is post graduate
Expressing the need for more advanced learning
What I feel is hard to articulate
Describing the difficulty in expressing thoughts and feelings about learning
If you want me to matriculate
Asking for the teacher to guide and encourage towards higher education
You'd better teach me tonight
Emphasizing the urgency to learn and the need for immediate guidance
What do you get for lessons
Questioning the benefits of the lessons
Teach me, come on and teach me, teach me tonight
Reiterating the request to learn immediately
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Sammy Cahn, Gene De Paul
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind