Jesse who was born in Chicago on February 20, 1985 spent most of his childhood in Jamaica and Miami before spreading roots as a teenager in New York City. In his youth Jesse spent most of his time outside of school learning valuable life lessons from his family. His aunts and uncles taught him the value of setting goals for himself; his grandmother a respect for spirituality; his mother a sense of passion and the importance of staying dedicated and focused in order to reach his goals and from all of them was grown an adoration and reverence for music.
Jesse’s own musical creations began in the 4th grade. He developed a talent for hearing sounds in his environment and using them as a guide to create melodies that he would record on his karaoke machine. It was around this time that he began to seek out music outside of what he had been exposed to growing up. He sought out soul artists such as Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Donny Hathaway; enigmatic artists such as Bjork, Sade and Pink Floyd and realizing from them the impact of words in their songs he began to delve into the writings of Shakespeare and Langston Hughes. From them he learned how to create depth in his lyrics. He studied their use of metaphors and imagery, and examined how they used these techniques to create stories and worked these methods into his own personal style.
At 16 Jesse was selected out of the nation to be 1 of 13 singers in the Grammy Jazz Ensemble, where he was discovered and later recruited by The New School University for Jazz and Contemporary Music. While studying at The New School University, Jesse worked on refining his skills as a writer, performer, arranger, producer and vocalist. He studied with classical trainer Kenneth Kamal Scott and soul artist Bilal. He also created bonds with other talented creative people who became integral parts of his team and dedicated musicians forming his supporting band, The Beauty Created.
In early 2008 Jesse entered into the mainstream music scene with his first release Dopamine: My Life On My Back. His first single from that album, Tabloids peaked at #2 on the Billboard Video Monitor. His ambitious follow-up release later that year, The Beauty Created affirmed critics’ acclaim for Dopamine while solidifying Jesse’s defining place in the history of soul music. With the success of both albums, music videos and many collaborations with contemporaries such as The Foreign Exchange, Theophilus London, MeLo-X, Machine Drum, and Phantom Lover he has gained international recognition and built a loyal worldwide following.
Jesse’s talent and hard work was also recognized by BET in 2010 when they tapped him to be a major component in their BET Music Matters™ campaign granting him the distinction of being one of the first Independent Artists to premiere a video on their popular show 106 & Park. Jesse was further rewarded by earning a nomination for a 2010 Soul Train Award, which can be largely credited to his release of the video, Amorous (dir. Jarrett Woo) and his worldwide Romantic Movement Tour that year.
Currently Jesse is completing his third album Love Apparatus with producer Machine Drum. With the lead single B4 the Night is Thru, released on Robert “Bobbito” García’s vinyl label Alala Records, they delighted fans and critics alike with the evolution of his sound. Jesse considers himself a musical explorer. While recording Love Apparatus Jesse traveled worldwide marking new experiences and exploring new sounds and incorporating that into the project. In his own words he says, “I create World Soul that marks moments in time. Each time I introduce new music to my fans I want it to become a defining part of their lives as much as it is a part of mine.”
Amorous
Jesse Boykins III Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But of course i did approach
I thought id break the ice a bit
With maybe two or three notes
She was way too fly from me
So i tried to grow wings
Small laughs and paid compliments
Would maybe stretch out some things
She was amorous
I tried to give her the more of me
More than gorgeous
More than i have ever seen
She was amorous
I tried to give her the more of me
But she was way too much
More than i have ever seen
She was way too fine for me
But of course i did approach
I thought id ask her out tonight
And maybe she'd say yes and go
She was way too fly for me
So we ate on the top floor
I was hoping all this altitude
Would impress her even more
She was amorous
I tried to give her the more of me
More than gorgeous
More than i have ever seen
She was amorous
I tried to give her the more of me
But she was way too much
More than i have ever seen
She was way too delicate
So i had to warn more hands
She seemed a little bit fond of this
But new to romance
Her body was shivering
As she asked me to proceed
She was angel like
As she wrapped her wings
Around me
She was amorous
I tried to give her the more of me
More than gorgeous
More than i have ever seen
She was amorous
I tried to give her the more of me
But she was way too much
More than i have ever seen
The lyrics to Jesse Boykins III's song Amorous describe the singer's attempt to pursue a woman he finds incredibly attractive. He acknowledges that she seems out of his league, but he approaches her nonetheless. He tries to connect with her by using music - "two or three notes" - and pays her compliments in the hopes of winning her over. Despite his efforts, he still feels intimidated by her and believes she is "way too much" for him.
Undeterred, he asks her out to dinner and takes her to a fancy restaurant on the top floor. He hopes that the impressive setting will impress her, but he's still uncertain if she's interested. As the evening progresses, she seems more responsive to his advances and gives him the go-ahead to proceed with physical intimacy. The singer describes her as being "delicate" and "angel-like," and he marvels at how she wraps her wings around him.
Overall, the lyrics suggest that the singer is deeply attracted to this woman, but also somewhat in awe of her. He recognizes her beauty and allure, but feels like he has to work harder to win her over. The title, "Amorous," suggests that this song is about the intense, all-consuming feeling of falling in love.
Line by Line Meaning
She was way too fine for me
She was stunning and attractive in a way that made the singer feel inadequate and unworthy.
But of course i did approach
Despite feeling intimidated, the singer decided to take a chance and introduce himself to her.
I thought id break the ice a bit
The singer wanted to start a conversation with the woman to get to know her better and make her feel comfortable around him.
With maybe two or three notes
The artist intended to use some small talk or compliments to initiate the conversation with the woman.
She was way too fly from me
The woman had a cool, confident vibe that made the artist feel less cool in comparison.
So i tried to grow wings
The singer attempted to display confidence and charm to match or impress the woman's vibe.
Small laughs and paid compliments
The singer used humor and flattery to try and charm the woman and make her interested in him.
Would maybe stretch out some things
Using humor and compliments could help to prolong the conversation and create a more comfortable atmosphere between them.
She was amorous
The woman was showing strong feelings of love or desire towards the artist.
I tried to give her the more of me
The artist attempted to display his best traits and characteristics to impress the woman and make her feel more interested in him.
More than gorgeous
The singer wanted to offer more than just physical attractiveness to the woman, such as a charming personality, intelligence, or humor.
More than i have ever seen
The artist felt that he was giving the woman more attention, compliments, and admiration than he had ever given to anyone before.
But she was way too much
Despite the singer's efforts, the woman's level of beauty, charm, and desirability was beyond anything he had experienced before and left him feeling overwhelmed.
But of course i did approach
The singer did not want to miss the opportunity to get to know the woman better, even if it meant feeling intimidated or shy around her.
I thought id ask her out tonight
The singer wanted to take the chance to invite the woman on a date to spend more time with her and get to know her in a romantic context.
And maybe she'd say yes and go
The artist was hopeful that the woman would accept his invitation and agree to go on a date with him.
She was way too fly for me
The woman's confidence and self-assuredness made the artist feel like he was not quite on her level.
So we ate on the top floor
The singer took the woman to a fancy or exclusive restaurant in an effort to impress her and make the date memorable.
I was hoping all this altitude
The singer was hoping that the high location of the restaurant, and the impressive view it provided, would impress the woman and make the night more memorable.
Would impress her even more
The artist was trying to create an impressive experience for the woman in the hope of winning her affection or admiration.
She was way too delicate
Despite her beauty and confidence, the woman also seemed vulnerable and in need of care or protection.
So i had to warn more hands
The artist took care to be gentle and respectful with the woman, making sure to ask for consent and communicate openly with her.
She seemed a little bit fond of this
The woman enjoyed the singer's attentive and respectful behavior towards her and felt more comfortable with him as a result.
But new to romance
Despite her attractiveness and confidence, the woman may not have had much experience with romantic relationships or intimacy.
Her body was shivering
As the singer and the woman became physically closer or more intimate, she may have been feeling nervous or excited.
As she asked me to proceed
The woman was giving consent to the singer to continue with the romantic or intimate interaction between them.
She was angel like
The singer found the woman's beauty and vulnerability to be almost saintly or divine in nature.
As she wrapped her wings around me
The woman became physically affectionate with the artist, perhaps embracing him or holding him tightly.
Contributed by Austin K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@myblackisbeautiful89
Fell IN LOVE with this song years ago & keep coming back for more! Literally been a fan for a decade! I remember when this song/video barely had any views and to make it to over 1million is beyond amazing! So glad people see what I’ve been seeing! Need more Artist like you! One of my favorite Artist! Still on repeat in 2020! 🖤💋🔥♥️
@darius410
Same found it on a random Spotify Playlist
@CBfeb1
Me too, beautiful 💙
@winig5558
The same! Oh sweet memories of growing through the seasons and coming back to a song that improves with time.
@tannykhan5625
I used to ride the Night Bus back in the day … in my own world listening to this … WHAT a jam! ❤
@LifeWitTank
Same 😌💕💕🙌🏾
@flamingopink2288
...what R&B needs to sound like. miss stuff like this so much. it's rare these days to find artists with this amount of soul and passion.
@melvinjonas
Just read an article on CNN about the loss of great R&B music nowadays and saw this... "There you'll find singers like Jesse Boykins III, a 26-year-old with a supple, soulful voice that would've fit right in during the classic soul era." Its not really lost.... it just manifested itself in new singers like Jesse.... Great voice!
@msl7752
This song transports me to a place where "love" lives.
@donaldbryant8679
This is what a rainy, cozy stress less Saturday afternoon feels like.