Kenneth Earl Burrell (born July 31, 1931 in Detroit) is an American jazz gu… Read Full Bio ↴Kenneth Earl Burrell (born July 31, 1931 in Detroit) is an American jazz guitarist. His playing is founded in bebop and blues but works well with other jazz styles, so he has performed and recorded with a wide range of jazz musicians.

Burrell made his first recording in 1951, with Dizzy Gillespie. After moving from Detroit to New York City in 1956, he recorded with a wide range of prominent musicians, including John Coltrane, Benny Goodman, Gil Evans, Stan Getz, Billie Holiday, Milt Jackson, Quincy Jones, Oscar Peterson, Sonny Rollins, Jimmy Smith, Stanley Turrentine, and Cedar Walton. He also led his own groups since 1951.

In the 1970s he began leading seminars about music, particularly Duke Ellington's (Burrell has a music degree from Wayne State University). A highly popular performer, he has won several jazz polls in Japan and the United Kingdom as well as the United States.

He has recorded about 40 LPs, including Midnight Blue (1961), Blue Lights, Guitar Forms, Sunup To Sundown (1990), Soft Winds (1993), Then Along Came Kenny (1993), and Lotus Blossom (1995).

Burrell now serves as Director of Jazz Studies at UCLA.

I Hadn't Anyone Till You
Kenny Burrell Lyrics

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I hadn't anyone till you,
I was a lonely one 'til you,
I used to lie awake and wonder if there could be
A someone in the wide world just made for me,
Now I see

I had to save my love for you, (I saved my love for you)
I never gave my love 'til you, (I saved it all for you)

And through my lonely heart demanding it,
Cupid took a hand in it,
I hadn't anyone till you.

I kept my love in secrecy,
I put it under lock and key,
I had to save my love for you!
I never gave my love away,
I waited for that lucky day
When I could give it to you

And through my lonely heart demanding it,

Cupid took a hand in it,
I hadn't anyone till you.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Kenny Burrell's song "I Hadn't Anyone Till You" express the transformative power of love to uplift and invigorate the human spirit. The first verse of the song sets the stage for the singer's feelings of loneliness and despair before encountering the object of their affections. The second verse paints a picture of the singer's guardedness and reticence towards love before meeting their soulmate. Finally, the chorus emphasizes the extent of the singer's devotion and the role that fate played in bringing them together with their beloved.

The repetition of the phrase "I hadn't anyone till you" throughout the song emphasizes the profound transformation love has brought to the singer's life. The use of past tense in the lyrics, "I used to lie awake and wonder," serves to highlight the transformative nature of love, indicating that the singer's life had been fundamentally changed by their relationship.

The use of metaphor in the line, "I put it under lock and key," represents the singer's fear of being vulnerable and the lengths they were willing to take to protect their heart. The lyric "through my lonely heart demanding it, Cupid took a hand in it," suggests that despite the fear and hesitation, the power of the singer's longing for love ultimately led to the manifestation of divine intervention or fate.

Overall, "I Hadn't Anyone Till You" is a heartfelt tribute to the unstoppable force of love and its ability to change lives for the better.

Line by Line Meaning

I hadn't anyone till you,
I didn't have anyone in my life until you came along.

I was a lonely one 'til you,
I felt lonely until you entered my life.

I used to lie awake and wonder if there could be A someone in the wide world just made for me,
I would often ponder if there was someone out there who was perfect for me.

Now I see
Now I understand that you are the one who was meant for me.

I had to save my love for you, (I saved my love for you)
I held onto my love and kept it exclusively for you.

I never gave my love 'til you, (I saved it all for you)
I didn't give my heart to anyone else, as I was waiting for you.

And through my lonely heart demanding it, Cupid took a hand in it,
Although I was feeling lonely and desired companionship, fate intervened and brought us together.

I kept my love in secrecy, I put it under lock and key, I had to save my love for you!
I kept my feelings for you hidden, protecting them from others, because I knew that you were the one for me.

I never gave my love away, I waited for that lucky day When I could give it to you
I patiently held onto my love until the day when I could finally give it to you.

I hadn't anyone till you.
You were the first person who truly mattered to me, and I am grateful for your presence in my life.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: NOBLE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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