He was an accomplished instrumentalist and composer, who played keyboards, guitars, drums, bass and cellos, as well as singing vocals. His talents also extended to producer. He toured with Eddie Money before winning the Yamaha songwriting competition with his progressive rock group Giraffe. Producer Patrick Leonard was impressed with Gilbert's performance at the competition and invited him to join him in forming a new band which became Toy Matinee. During this time, Gilbert worked on the projects of several established pop musicians, including Madonna, Michael Jackson and produced Keith Emerson's album Changing States.
The lone Toy Matinee album was released in 1990 but effectively shelved by the record company, so Gilbert assembled a new backing band to promote the album, eventually getting two successful singles released: "The Ballad of Jenny Ledge" and "Last Plane Out".
Later, Gilbert was part of a songwriting collective (called "The Tuesday Music Club") that met at producer Bill Bottrell's studio in Pasadena, California. After he began bringing his then girlfriend Sheryl Crow to the sessions, the result was Crow's debut album, Tuesday Night Music Club. Gilbert co-wrote many of the songs on that album, including 1995 Grammy Record of the Year "All I Wanna Do." Crow later acrimoniously split with most of the musicians in the collective and only Bottrell was involved in her follow-up album. Meanwhile the remainder of the collective worked with singer-songwriters Susanna Hoffs and Linda Perry on two more albums.
Gilbert continued to work in television and movie soundtrack work as well as studio work and producing and eventually released his first solo album Thud(1995) as well as partially reforming Giraffe to perform the Genesis masterpiece "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" at Progfest 94. Gilbert's manager sent a copy of the recording to Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford who were searching for a new Genesis front man to replace Phil Collins. His manager was coming to Gilbert's home to tell him that he had managed to get him an audition when he discovered him dead.
Gilbert's second solo album, The Shaming of the True was released posthumously. The album was largely incomplete, but Gilbert's estate asked Spock's Beard drummer Nick D'Virgilio to complete it based on the extant tapes and Gilbert's notes. A live album (composed mostly of songs from Thud), and a compilation of Giraffe material that Gilbert had been working on and an "industrial" album with Gilbert's latest group, Kaviar have also been released in the years since his death. His estate has promised two more posthumous studio albums and a live performance from Gilbert's promotional group for Toy Matinee.
Discography:
N.R.G. - No Reasons Given (1984)
Giraffe - The Power Of Suggestion (1987)
Giraffe - The View From Here (1989)
Toy Matinee - Toy Matinee (1990; remastered & rereleased 2001)
Sheryl Crow - Tuesday Night Music Club (1993)
Kevin Gilbert - Thud (1995)
Giraffe - Giraffe (1999)
Kevin Gilbert & Thud - Live at the Troubadour (1999)
Kevin Gilbert - The Shaming of the True (2000)
Kaviar - The Kaviar Sessions (2002)
Kevin Gilbert - Nuts (2009)
Kevin Gilbert - Bolts (2009)
Kevin Gilbert - Performs Toy Matinee Live (2010)
Kevin Gilbert - Toy Matinee Acoustic Rehearsal (2014)
When You Give Your Love To Me
Kevin Gilbert Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't think that I'm deluding myself
I don't think that this is just a phase
And I don't mean to shock you - I hope that I'm not rushing in
But I think that this is kinda important
and I don't know exactly where to begin
My whole life has been a constant ailment
Yeah, I'm gonna show some vast improvement
When you give your love to me
And you can trust that I'm a worthy recipient
And be assured I'll act responsibly
I'll treat it like a work of rare and priceless art
When you give your love to me
So how's about it girlfriend? Am I gonna have to twist your arm?
Perhaps it's not the most original concept
but it has a kind of timeless charm
You'll have the little birds flying all around your head
and you'll gaze at me dreamily
Yeah, the whole world's gonna smile and wave
when you give your love to me
And I will write you a hundred sonnets - Every word will rhyme easily
And all your friends will be genuinely supportive
When you give your love to me
I'm sick of hearing about sadness
I'm sick of violent crime
I'm sick of angry militant lesbian feminists
I'm sick of imperfect rhyme
I've always heard that we should love one another
And what a fine example we will be!
Maybe we can start a trend or something
When you give your love to me
And maybe then we'll get our friends together
And they'll all get along famously
I think that everyone will feel much better
When you give your love to me
There'll be global peace and religious tolerance
All men as brothers in a world that's free
There'll be a perfect cosmic harmonic convergence
When you give your love to me.
In "When You Give Your Love To Me," Kevin Gilbert expresses his intense desire for love and affection. The lyrics suggest that he is tired of seeing the negativity around him and is ready for a positive change in his life. The song starts with Gilbert saying that he has been thinking about love for the last three days and he believes that it is an essential part of life. He wants to express his feelings to someone but is hesitant about it. The lyrics show that he does not want to rush into anything and wants to take things slow.
The second verse suggests that Gilbert's life has been filled with struggle and heartache, and he believes that love could be the cure to all of his problems. He believes that he is worthy of love and affection and can handle it maturely. The chorus is a harmonious plea for love, and Gilbert promises to cherish it and treat it like a priceless work of art. In the bridge, Gilbert expresses his frustration with the negativity in the world and the news we hear every day, and he believes that a little love can make a significant difference in the world.
The song ends on a positive note, suggesting that when love is given freely and generously, it has the power to connect people, bridge gaps, and create a world filled with happiness and peace.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been thinking about this for the last 3 days
I have been contemplating this idea for three days now.
I don't think that I'm deluding myself
I truly believe in what I am about to say.
I don't think that this is just a phase
This is not a temporary feeling or thought.
And I don't mean to shock you - I hope that I'm not rushing in
I am not trying to surprise you, and I hope I am not moving too fast with my words.
But I think that this is kinda important
I believe that this thought/feeling is significant.
and I don't know exactly where to begin
I am unsure of how to start explaining this.
My whole life has been a constant ailment
My life has had its struggles consistently.
You can provide a simple remedy
Your love can act as a cure for me.
Yeah, I'm gonna show some vast improvement
I will significantly improve with your love.
When you give your love to me
Your love will make all the difference.
And you can trust that I'm a worthy recipient
You can believe that I am deserving of your love.
And be assured I'll act responsibly
I will handle your love with care and consideration.
I'll treat it like a work of rare and priceless art
I will value and cherish your love as if it is the most significant possession.
So how's about it girlfriend? Am I gonna have to twist your arm?
So, what do you think, my girlfriend? Do I need to persuade you to love me?
Perhaps it's not the most original concept but it has a kind of timeless charm
This idea may not be unique, but it still holds an enduring appeal.
You'll have the little birds flying all around your head
You will feel an enchanting sensation when you are with me.
and you'll gaze at me dreamily
You will have a dreamy expression when you look at me.
Yeah, the whole world's gonna smile and wave
The whole world will be happy for us.
And I will write you a hundred sonnets - Every word will rhyme easily
I will write you a hundred love poems, and they will be effortless and striking in their rhyming scheme.
And all your friends will be genuinely supportive
Your friends will have true and sincere support for us.
When you give your love to me
Your love will bring us all these amazing experiences.
I'm sick of hearing about sadness
I am tired of all the sad stories around us.
I'm sick of violent crime
I am sickened by the prevalent violent crimes happening around us.
I'm sick of angry militant lesbian feminists
I am tired of hearing about the extremist views of feminists with militant stances.
I'm sick of imperfect rhyme
I am tired of poor or inadequate rhyming in poetry.
I've always heard that we should love one another
I have always believed in the importance of loving one another.
And what a fine example we will be!
We will become a beautiful epitome of love.
Maybe we can start a trend or something
With our love, we may inspire others and create a positive shift in attitude and behavior.
And maybe then we'll get our friends together
With our love, we can bring our friends together.
And they'll all get along famously
Our friends will have fantastic relationships with one another.
I think that everyone will feel much better
I believe that others will feel happier with our love in the world.
When you give your love to me
Our love will be the cause of all these positive changes.
There'll be global peace and religious tolerance
With the manifestation of our love, the world will experience peace and acceptance of different religions.
All men as brothers in a world that's free
With our love, there will be brotherhood amongst all mankind, and the world will have a sense of liberty.
There'll be a perfect cosmic harmonic convergence
Our love will cause an ideal coming together of cosmic energies, and this will create a harmonious universal consciousness.
When you give your love to me.
Overall, your love will bring a positive and transformative change to the world.
Contributed by Camilla M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.