Scott was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to Authur and Justine Stanard Scott, the third in a family of ten. As a child Jimmy got his first singing experience by his mother's side at the family piano, and later, in church choir. At thirteen, he was orphaned when his mother was killed by a drunk driver.
He first rose to national prominence as "Little Jimmy Scott" in the Lionel Hampton Band when he sang lead on the late 1940s hit "Everybody's Somebody's Fool", recorded in December 1949, and which became a top ten R&B hit in 1950. Credit on the label, however, went to "Lionel Hampton and vocalists", so the singer's name did not appear on any of the songs. This omission of credit was not only a slight to Scott's talent but a big blow to his career. A similar professional insult occurred several years later when his vocal on "Embraceable You" with Charlie Parker, on the album One Night in Birdland, was credited to female vocalist Chubby Newsome.
Lionel Hampton gave him the stage name of "Little Jimmy Scott" because he looked so young, and was short and of slight build. However, it was his extraordinary phrasing and romantic feeling that made him a favorite singer of fellow artists such as Billie Holiday, Ray Charles, Frankie Valli, Dinah Washington, and Nancy Wilson.
In 1963, it looked as though Scott's luck had changed for the good. He was signed to Ray Charles' Tangerine Records label, under the supervision of Charles himself, creating what is considered by many to be one of the great jazz vocal albums of all time, Falling in Love is Wonderful.
Owing to obligations on a contract that Scott had signed earlier with Herman Lubinsky, the record was yanked from the shelves in a matter of days, while Jimmy was honeymooning. Forty years later this cult album became available to the public again. Scott disputes the "lifetime" contract; Lubinsky loaned Jimmy out to Syd Nathan at King Records for 45 recordings in 1957–58. Another album, The Source (1969), was not released until 2001.
Scott's career faded by the late 1960s and he returned to his native Cleveland to work as a hospital orderly, shipping clerk and as an elevator operator in a hotel.
Scott eventually resurfaced in 1991 when he sang at the funeral of his long-time friend Doc Pomus, an event that single-handedly sparked his career renaissance. Afterwards Lou Reed recruited him to sing back-up on the track "Power and Glory" from his 1992 album Magic and Loss, which was inspired, to an extent, by Pomus's death. Scott was seen on the series finale of David Lynch's television series Twin Peaks, singing "Sycamore Trees", a song with lyrics by Lynch and music by Angelo Badalamenti. Scott was featured on the soundtrack of the follow-up film, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me.
Also in attendance at Pomus's funeral was Seymour Stein, founder and operator of Sire Records, who released Scott's 1992 album All The Way, produced by Tommy Lipuma and featuring artists such as Kenny Barron, Ron Carter, and David "Fathead" Newman. Scott was nominated for a Grammy Award for this album.
He followed this up with the album Dream in 1994 and the jazz-gospel album Heaven in 1996. His next work, a critically acclaimed album of pop and rock interpretations entitled Holding Back The Years was produced by Gerry McCarthy and Dale Ashley. Released in the US on Artists Only Records in October 1998, it peaked at #14 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. In Japan, it won the prestigious Swing Journal Award for Best Jazz Album Of The Year (2000). The title track marked the first time in his career that Scott overdubbed his own harmony vocal tracks. Holding Back The Years features cover art by Mark Kostabi, liner notes by Lou Reed, and includes critically acclaimed versions of "Nothing Compares 2 U" (written by Prince), "Jealous Guy" (John Lennon), "Almost Blue" (Elvis Costello) and "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word" (Elton John & Bernie Taupin).
In 1999, Scott's early recordings on the Decca label were re-released on CD, as were all of his recordings with the Savoy Label between 1952 and 1975 in a three-disc box set. In 2000, Scott signed to the Milestone jazz label, and recorded four critically acclaimed albums, each produced by Todd Barkan, and featuring a variety of jazz artists, including Wynton Marsalis, Renee Rosnes, Bob Kindred, Eric Alexander, Lew Soloff, George Mraz, Lewis Nash, as well as Jimmy's own touring and recording band "The Jazz Expressions". He also released two live albums, both recorded in Japan, featuring the Jazz Expressions.
In 2012, he joined the 11th annual Independent Music Awards judging panel to assist independent musicians' careers. For some years a new album entitled I Remember You was mentioned via various official channels, including Jimmy's official website.
He died on June 12, 2014, aged 88.
Legacy
Scott's career spanned sixty-five years. He performed with Charlie Parker, Sarah Vaughan, Lester Young, Lionel Hampton, Charles Mingus, Fats Navarro, Quincy Jones, Bud Powell, Ray Charles, Wynton Marsalis, and Peter Cincotti. He also performed with a host of musicians from other genres of music, such as David Byrne, Lou Reed, Flea, Michael Stipe, and Antony & The Johnsons.
Scott performed at President Dwight Eisenhower's (1953) and President Bill Clinton's (1993) inaugurations, where he sang the same song, "Why Was I Born?". Later, Scott appeared in live performances with Pink Martini, and continued to perform internationally at music festivals and at his own concerts until shortly before his death.
In 2007, Scott received the 2007 NEA Jazz Master Award. He also received the Kennedy Center's "Jazz In Our Time" Living Legend Award, and N.A.B.O.B.'s Pioneer Award in 2007. In September 2008 he did a "two-day video interview" at his Vegas home with the "Smithsonian Institute for the National Archives". Scott and his wife Jeanie lived in Las Vegas, Nevada after 2007, having previously living in Euclid, Ohio, for 10 years.
Little Jimmy Scott's "If I Ever Lost You" can be heard in the opening credits of the HBO movie Lackawanna Blues. He was also mentioned on The Cosby Show, when Clair and Cliff Huxtable bet on the year in which "An Evening In Paradise" was recorded. On August 17, 2013, at Cleveland State University in his hometown, Cleveland, Ohio, he was inducted into inaugural 2013 of the R&B Music Hall of Fame.
Please Forgive Me
Jimmy Scott Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Understanding and peace of mind.
But, if it's not asking too much
Please send me someone to love.
Show all the world how to get along,
Peace will enter when hate is gone.
But, if it's not asking too much,
I lay awake night and ponder world troubles.
My answer is always the same.
That unless men put an end to all of this,
Hate will put the world in a flame, (oh) what a shame.
Just because I'm in misery.
I'm not begging for no sympathy.
But if it's not asking too much,
Just send me someone to love.
Heaven please send to all mankind,
Understanding and peace of mind.
But if it's not asking too much,
Please send me someone to love.
Learn to love me or leave me, either one you wanna do
Learn to love me or leave me, either one you wanna do
Because strange things are happenin', babe, an' somethin' might happen to you
If you know you don't love me, why don't you let me be?
If you know you don't love me, why don't you let me be?
Because it's better to be without you, then to live on in misery
The song "Please Send Me Someone to Love" by Jimmy Scott is a plea for love in a world filled with hate and misery. The lyrics yearn for heaven to send understanding and peace of mind to all mankind, but the singer also asks for the more personal request of someone to love. The lyrics urge people to learn to get along, knowing that peace will only come when hate is gone. The singer passionately describes how he ponders on the troubles of the world at night and realizes that unless men put an end to hate, the world would be consumed by a flame. The song talks about the misery that is present in life but stops short of requesting sympathy. The final plea of the song is a simple request to heaven for someone to love.
One of the interesting facts about the song is that it was written by Percy Mayfield and originally recorded by him in 1950. Mayfield was in a severe car accident that left him paralyzed, and he was forced to write his songs in bed. He was known as "the poet laureate of the blues" and wrote some of the most iconic songs of the blues era. "Please Send Me Someone to Love" was one of his most successful songs, and it has been covered by numerous artists over the years.
The song has been performed by many great artists, including Etta James, Lou Rawls, and B.B. King. It has also been used in several movies, including "The Color Purple" and "Cadillac Records." The song's beauty and haunting quality have made it one of the most memorable songs of the blues and jazz era.
The chords for the song are as follows:
Verse:
Am7 D7
Heaven please send to all mankind,
G7 Cmaj7
Understanding and peace of mind.
Am7 D7
But, if it's not asking too much
G7 Cmaj7
Please send me someone to love.
Chorus:
Am7 D7
Show all the world how to get along,
G7 Cmaj7
Peace will enter when hate is gone.
Am7 D7
But, if it's not asking too much,
G7 Cmaj7
Please send me someone to love.
Bridge:
Fmaj7 E7
I lay awake night and ponder world troubles.
Am7 D7
My answer is always the same.
Fmaj7 E7
That unless men put an end to all of this,
Am7 D7
Hate will put the world in a flame, (oh) what a shame.
The song "Please Send Me Someone to Love" is a timeless classic that speaks to the universal human desire for love and understanding. Through its poignant lyrics and haunting melody, it reminds us of the importance of love in a world filled with hate and misery.
Line by Line Meaning
Heaven please send to all mankind, Understanding and peace of mind.
A plea to Heaven to bring about understanding and peace of mind for all humanity.
But, if it's not asking too much Please send me someone to love.
A request for love, despite the bigger ask for world peace and understanding.
Show all the world how to get along, Peace will enter when hate is gone.
Advocating the removal of hate in order to promote world peace.
I lay awake night and ponder world troubles.
A reflection on the state of the world and its problems.
My answer is always the same.
Despite the reflection, the answer seems unchanging.
That unless men put an end to all of this, Hate will put the world in a flame, (oh) what a shame.
Allowing hate to persist will only cause the world to be consumed by its flames.
Just because I'm in misery.
Despite being unhappy, there is no desire for pity.
I'm not begging for no sympathy.
Clarifying that there is no request for sympathy.
But if it's not asking too much, Just send me someone to love.
Reiterating the request for love, with the acknowledgment that the world peace request is significant.
Learn to love me or leave me, either one you wanna do
An ultimatum to either learn to love or walk away from this relationship.
Because strange things are happenin', babe, an' somethin' might happen to you
Warning of strange events and possible consequences.
If you know you don't love me, why don't you let me be?
If the love isn't there, it's best to let the relationship go.
Because it's better to be without you, then to live on in misery
It's preferable to be alone than to stay in a miserable relationship.
Heaven please send to all mankind, Understanding and peace of mind.
Reiterating the earlier request for world peace and understanding.
But if it's not asking too much, Please send me someone to love.
Finalizing the plea for love, wrapping it with the appeal for world peace and understanding.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Percy Mayfield
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind