1) Jesse Powel… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist with this name, including:
1) Jesse Powell ( born in Gary, Indiana, on 12 September 1971; died 13 September 2022) was an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter remembered for his hit "You".
2) Jesse Powell (born in Fort Worth, Texas, on 27 February 1924; died 19 October 1982) was an American jazz and rhythm and blues saxophonist.
1) Jesse Powell ( born in Gary, Indiana, on 12 September 1971; died 13 September 2022) was an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter. Remembered for his hit "You" which peaked at No. 2 US R&B and No. 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100, Powell released four albums, and was the older brother of fellow contemporary R&B singers Trina & Tamara. Powell was credited with a four octave vocal range. He was a Grammy nominee.
His first single "All I Need" was written by Powell, Sam Salter and Laney Stewart and was released in March 1996. It received moderate airplay on BET and Urban stations, peaking at No. 32 on the US Billboard R&B chart. His self-titled album was released on March 12, 1996, opening at No. 35 on the US Billboard R&B and No. 32 on US Heatseekers charts. A second single, a remake of the classic "Gloria" followed later that year and garnered Powell another charting single (No. 51 R&B).
Powell then began work on his second album, debuting the lead single "I Wasn't with It" in 1998 which became his first single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 (No. 85 US, No. 25 R&B). Bolstered by the success of the single, his sophomore album 'Bout It was released on September 8, 1998, opening at No. 1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart (for artists who have yet to crack the Top 100 on the Billboard 200).
Following Silas Records merge into MCA Records, Powell's first release on the label was the single "If I" in 2000, which peaked at No. 58 on the R&B chart. His third studio album JP was released on March 27, 2001, opening at No. 18 R&B and No. 71 on Billboard 200. A second single, "Something in the Past" (No. 67 R&B) followed, in addition to Powell doing some promotion for the release. In 2002, he left the label and signed with Riviera Records. His fourth studio album Jesse was released on October 14, 2003 and was supported by the singles "By the Way" (No. 99 R&B) and "Touching It Tonight", peaking at No. 85 on the Billboard R&B chart. The album served as his last release before his retirement from the music industry.
2) Jesse Powell (born in Fort Worth, Texas, on 27 February 1924; died 19 October 1982) was an American jazz and rhythm and blues saxophonist.
Powell studied music at Hampton University, where he became inspired by Count Basie’s Lester Young and Herschel Evans, and played his tenor saxophone with the bands of Oran ‘Hot Lips’ Page (1942-43), Louis Armstrong (1943-44), and Luis Russell (1944-45). In 1946 he accepted an offer from Count Basie to replace Illinois Jacquet in the reed section. After briefly leading his own band in 1948 and being featured at that year’s Paris Jazz Festival, he joined Dizzy Gillespie’s Orchestra (1949-50), but the R&B era found him with copious session work and, again, his own unit, which recorded for Federal (the infamous ‘Walkin’ Blues’ sung by Fluffy Hunter) and Jubilee.
In a November 1951 session for Federal, he backed Fluffy Hunter on the notorious “The Walking Blues” and “My Natch’l Man.” In October 1953 he had a second session for Federal, recording four good R&B numbers – “Love To Spare” / “Rear Bumper” (Federal 12159) and “Leaving Tonight” / “Hot Box” (Federal 12171). These four tracks were featured on the old Westside CD “Groove Station” which utilized the artwork from “Blow Man Blow” on its back cover.
Powell continued his R&B career through the 1950s with sessions for Josie and Jubilee, mainly as an arranger and session man on vocal group sessions, particularly with The Cadillacs. He released three solo singles on Josie – “Moonlight In Vermont” / “Riggin’” (Josie 782), “Can’t Help Myself, Parts 1 and 2” (Josie 799) and “Turnpike” / “Ain’t You Gonna” (Josie 834).
The session at which Josie 782 was recorded also brought forth a couple of novelty numbers by Jesse – “The Head Hunters” and “Scotch On The Rocks”, the latter with bagpipe accompaniment. These two sides were released as by The Goofers on Port 7006.
The Josie and Port tracks featured on the Sequel CDs “Jumping At Jubilee” and “Saxophony!” and also on the Westside CD “Titanic And 23 Other Unsinkable Sax Blasters.”
After recording “Blow Man Blow” Jesse had two more LPs released in the early 1960s – “It’s Party Time” on Tru-Sound and “A Taste Of Honey” on Kapp. Powell died in New York in October 1982.
Is It Over
Jesse Powell Lyrics
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As the widest river is long
And here stands the man the man too afraid
To jump in so you thought it should end.
Thoes pretty eyes never lie
You say it's over but you eyes deny
You so in control, that's what you think
You're not fooling me
[Chorus:]
Is it over
You and I
Are you truly better off without me there by your side
Is it over
You and I (something in your eyes)
Something in your eyes is telling me not to say goodbye
Baby if it's over
If it's gone
Stop this world I don't want to stay on
If time heals all wounds
Why is it no use
It's no use at all to my broken heart
You're involved
Moving on
And you just can't up and leave him alone
It wouldn't be right
To do him so wrong
Please don't expect my sympathy
Girl when you just did that to me
[Chorus]
I'd like just to be your friend
And hope that someday we'd love again
Sorry but I can't pretend
Because I love you, I love you
I do I do
[Chorus]
Jesse Powell's song "Is It Over" speaks to a heartbroken man struggling to accept the end of a relationship. The singer acknowledges the strength of his love for his ex-partner, comparing it to the length of a wide river. However, he also admits to being too afraid to jump back in, leading to the end of their relationship. Despite his ex's insistence that it is over, the singer notices a contradiction in her words and her eyes. He pleads with her to tell him the truth, whether or not they are truly better off without each other. The singer suggests that time may heal all wounds, but this has not been the case for his broken heart.
The song creates a vivid picture of a man in pain, struggling to move on from a relationship that ended too soon. Jesse Powell's soulful voice provides a poignant interpretation of the lyrics, conveying the singer's raw emotions. The chorus repeats the question, "Is it over," emphasizing the singer's need for closure and clarity. Ultimately, the singer acknowledges his deep love for his ex-partner and his hope for a future when they can be together again.
Line by Line Meaning
Your love is as strong,
As the widest river is long
The love between us is powerful and immense.
And here stands the man the man too afraid
To jump in so you thought it should end.
I was too scared to give our relationship a chance, but you thought it was time to call it quits.
Thoes pretty eyes never lie
You say it's over but you eyes deny
Your eyes tell me that you still want to be with me, even though you say otherwise.
You so in control, that's what you think
Why are you fooling yourself, baby
You're not fooling me
You like to believe that you have everything under control, but you can't deceive me with your act.
[Chorus:]
Is it over
You and I
Are you truly better off without me there by your side
Is it over
You and I (something in your eyes)
Something in your eyes is telling me not to say goodbye
Are we truly done? Should we move on without each other? Your eyes make me feel like we should give our love another chance.
Baby if it's over
If it's gone
Stop this world I don't want to stay on
If time heals all wounds
Why is it no use
It's no use at all to my broken heart
If our relationship is truly over, I don't want to continue living in this world. Even though they say time heals all wounds, it doesn't seem to work on my broken heart.
You're involved
Moving on
And you just can't up and leave him alone
It wouldn't be right
To do him so wrong
Please don't expect my sympathy
Girl when you just did that to me
You're already seeing someone else and can't just leave him for me. It wouldn't be fair to him either. Don't expect me to feel sorry for you when you just broke my heart.
I'd like just to be your friend
And hope that someday we'd love again
Sorry but I can't pretend
Because I love you, I love you
I do I do
I wish we could be friends and hope that someday we'll rekindle our love. But I can't pretend that I am over you because the truth is that I love you.
[Chorus]
Are we truly done? Should we move on without each other? Your eyes make me feel like we should give our love another chance.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: CARL E ROLAND, JESSE POWELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind