Kravitz plays guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, percussion, and sitar. He often plays these instruments on each recorded track, but frequently collaborates with other musicians as well when recording.
His 1989 debut album Let Love Rule was a moderate success. In 1991 he released his second album, Mama Said, which reached the top 40 of the Billboard album charts. In 1993, the album Are You Gonna Go My Way was released, reaching #12 on the Billboard 200 and Kravitz earned a Brit Award for best international male artist in 1994. He released the Circus album in 1995, which reached number 10 on the Billboard chart on the back of his past achievement. With 5 (1999), Kravitz embraced digital technology such as Pro Tools and samplers for the first time. He would win the first of his four consecutive Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance at the Grammy Awards of 1999.
His cover version of The Guess Who's hit "American Woman" won him another Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance at the Grammy Awards of 2000. Kravitz released a Greatest Hits compilation in 2000. It proved to be his most successful album. The single "Again" would earn him his third consecutive Grammy for the Best Male Rock Vocal in the Grammy Awards of 2001. Kravitz released his sixth album Lenny in October 2001. He won his fourth consecutive Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal at the Grammy Awards of 2002. Kravitz's seventh album Baptism was released in May 2004. His album, It Is Time For A Love Revolution was released in 2008. He has always edited his albums on Virgin Records America. The lead single from Kravitz’s ninth album, Black and White America, "Stand" was released on June 3, 2011. (Stand Songfacts).
He is the son of Ukrainian-Jewish American NBC television news producer Sy Kravitz, and Bahamian American actress Roxie Roker, best known as her character Helen Willis on the hit 1970s television sitcom The Jeffersons. Black and White America's title track is an autobiographical look back at his upbringing in New York. (Black and White America Songfacts).
Artist website: www.lennykravitz.com
No Expectations
Lenny Kravitz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And put me on a train
I've got no expectations
To pass through here again
Once I was a rich man and
Now I am so poor
But never in my sweet short life
You heart is like a diamond
You throw your pearls at swine
And as I watch you leaving me
You pack my peace of mind
Our love was like the water
That splashes on a stone
Our love is like our music
Its here, and then its gone
So take me to the airport
And put me on a plane
I've got no expectations
To pass through here again
The song No Expectations by Lenny Kravitz features the story of a man who has lost everything in his life but has gotten beyond materialistic expectations. As the song begins, the singer requests to be taken to the station and put on a train. He has no intentions of coming back to this place, indicating the lack of attachment to any physical object. Furthermore, he talks about his former wealthy state and how he has now become poor. These feelings depict a certain acceptance of fate and the ability to not hold any desires of monetary gain. The next verse talks about the woman he loves, who has a heart of a diamond but unfortunately ends up being with the wrong kind of people. As he sees her leave him, he realizes that he has lost his inner peace as well. The last verse talks about the precious love that was shared between the two, comparing it to water splashing over rocks, how it was here one moment and gone another. The singer, in the end, requests to be taken to the airport and put on a plane, with no intentions of ever returning. This song sets the mood of accepting fate, allowing things to pass, and letting go of all materialistic possessions, an essential aspect of a stoic lifestyle.
Line by Line Meaning
Take me to the station
Take me to a place where I can leave all my worries behind
And put me on a train
Let me embark on a journey, set me free from everything that's holding me back
I've got no expectations
I have no hopes or desires for anything, no worries to carry with me
To pass through here again
To come back and face the same troubles and problems that I'm trying to leave behind
Once I was a rich man and
I used to have a lot of money and everything that comes with it
Now I am so poor
But now I have nothing, I've lost it all
But never in my sweet short life
Though I've only lived for a short while, I've never experienced anything like this before
Have I felt like this before
I've never felt so low and powerless in my life
You heart is like a diamond
You have a precious heart that's rare and valuable
You throw your pearls at swine
But you tend to waste it on people who don't deserve it, who don't care for it
And as I watch you leaving me
And now you're leaving me behind, without any regards for my feelings
You pack my peace of mind
You take away my inner calm, my tranquility
Our love was like the water
Our love was like a flowing river, never stopping and constantly changing
That splashes on a stone
But it always runs into obstacles and problems, just like we did
Our love is like our music
Our love is like the music we make, it's fleeting and temporary
Its here, and then its gone
It doesn't last forever, it fades away and disappears over time
So take me to the airport
Take me away from here, let me escape and find a new beginning
And put me on a plane
Let me fly away and leave everything behind, start a new adventure
I've got no expectations
I don't ask for anything, I just want to leave everything behind and start afresh
To pass through here again
And I don't want to come back, I don't want to face the same troubles again
Lyrics © Abkco Music, Inc.
Written by: Keith Richards, Mick Jagger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Stephen Cook
I was at this concert and right at the front. We all went mad when Jagger came on. I was 18. Awesome.
Mike Hand
Mick Jagger feat. Lenny Kravitz - No Expectations , live 1991 You can't expect any better !
Stephen Cook
I was at this concert right at the front. We all went mad when Mick Jagger walked on. I was 18.
Mike Hand
Mick Jagger feat. Lenny Kravitz - No Expectations , Live 1991
Very nice song .
Paul Robichaud
Man I think this is an awesome song l! I relate
to songs like this Lenny what an awesome talent man!
Paul Robichaud
+Mike Hand
Terry Murphy
+Paul Robichaud The Stones original is way better .
claptongroupie
Everyone should be focused on the musical talent and thats it....
tracey adby
Trust loyalty and faithfulness...are there to be broken...I learnt this painful lesson..as a child...Love many...trust few...It's all there to be broken....Just wait for it.....
Bele tte
j aime