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
Rosemary
Lenny Kravitz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Her parents left her, she was out in the cold
Alone to live and find her way
In this great world of heartache and pain
Eyes of brown, matted locks of gold
Her flowered dress is tattered and soiled
Tear stained cheeks, her feet cold and bare
Rosemary your day will come
He loved you so He gave His only son
Keep the faith in your soul
Stay down on your knees
I'm begging you please
Hold onto the beads at your heart
A burning heart and tired eyes
Howling winds for lullabys
No one there to soothe her fright
Nowhere to turn but the inward light
Because life is for believing
That your heart can turn to gold
All you need is Christ to receive it
There's eternal life for every soul
Rosemary your day will come
He loved you so He gave His only son
Keep the faith in your soul
Stay down on your knees
I'm begging you please
Hold onto the beads at your heart
Rosemary, Rosemary
He loves you
He needs you
He wants you
So don't let him down
Singing
Rosemary your day will come
He loved you so He gave His only son
Keep the faith in your soul
Stay down on your knees
I'm begging you please
Hold onto the beads at your heart
Yeah yeah,
Rosemary, singing, Rosemary
Rosemary
Rosemary, come on now yeah
Got to keep the faith yeah
Keep the faith
The lyrics to Lenny Kravitz's song "Rosemary" tell the story of a young girl named Mary who is left alone to fend for herself in a world full of heartache and pain. Her parents have abandoned her and she is left to find her own way through life. The song speaks of her struggles and loneliness, but also of her faith in God and her perseverance through difficult times.
Mary is described as having "eyes of brown, matted locks of gold" and a "flowered dress" that is "tattered and soiled". She is tear-stained and her feet are "cold and bare". The lyrics suggest that despite these hardships, she is a child who is "rare" and deserving of love and care. The chorus speaks directly to Mary, encouraging her to keep the faith and hold onto the beads at her heart.
The song also references Christ and the idea of eternal life, suggesting that Mary's struggles are temporary and that there is hope for her in the future. The lyrics suggest that she is not alone and that God is with her, watching over her and offering his love and support.
Overall, "Rosemary" is a song about love, faith, and perseverance in the face of adversity. It is a tribute to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of hope and belief.
Line by Line Meaning
Little Mary was five years old
A girl named Mary was only five years old at the beginning of the song.
Her parents left her, she was out in the cold
Mary's parents abandoned her and left her alone to fend for herself.
Alone to live and find her way
Mary had to learn to survive on her own without the help or guidance of her parents.
In this great world of heartache and pain
The world is full of sadness and suffering, which Mary must learn to cope with.
Eyes of brown, matted locks of gold
Mary has brown eyes and blonde hair that is matted and unkempt.
Her flowered dress is tattered and soiled
Mary's dress is torn and dirty from living on the streets.
Tear stained cheeks, her feet cold and bare
Mary has been crying, and her feet are bare and cold from walking outside without any shoes.
Who could have left a child so rare
The artist wonders how someone could abandon a child as precious and unique as Mary.
Rosemary your day will come
The artist assures Mary that she will have a better future.
He loved you so He gave His only son
God loves Mary so much that he sent his only son, Jesus Christ, to save her.
Keep the faith in your soul
The singer encourages Mary to have faith and trust in God.
Stay down on your knees
Mary should pray often and stay humble before God.
I'm begging you please
The singer pleads with Mary to listen and follow their advice.
Hold onto the beads at your heart
Mary should hold onto her rosary beads, symbolizing her faith and trust in God.
A burning heart and tired eyes
Mary's heart is full of passion and her eyes are weary from the hardships she's endured.
Howling winds for lullabys
Mary has had to sleep outside in the cold, with the wind as her only comfort.
No one there to soothe her fright
Mary doesn't have anyone to comfort her fears and console her when she's scared.
Nowhere to turn but the inward light
Mary can only rely on her inner strength and faith to get through difficult times.
Because life is for believing
The purpose of life is to have faith and believe in something greater than oneself.
That your heart can turn to gold
Believing in and having faith can change a person's heart and make it pure like gold.
All you need is Christ to receive it
To achieve this, one needs to trust in Jesus and follow his teachings.
There's eternal life for every soul
By having faith in Jesus, one can attain eternal life.
He loves you
God loves Mary and every person unconditionally.
He needs you
God has a plan for Mary, and she is an important part of it.
He wants you
God desires a personal relationship with Mary and every person.
So don't let him down
The singer urges Mary not to disappoint God by losing faith.
Got to keep the faith yeah
The singer reiterates the importance of having faith in God.
Keep the faith
The artist encourages Mary to hold onto her faith no matter what happens.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: LENNY KRAVITZ, LISA M. BONET
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Paela Peterson
on American Woman
There's you some GUITAR!