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
Sweet Gitchey Rose
Lenny Kravitz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Emerald eyes
All I could do was stare
Fixed in a trance
Her serpent smile
Invited me to dance
The smell of gumbo filled the humid air
Right then and there
I had my share
Sweet Gitchey Rose
Sweet Gitchey Rose
Sweet Gitchey Rose
Sweet Gitchey Rose
I had a plan
To steal her heart and be her only man
I'd buy her things
Find us a home where she could rest her wings
But all an eagle wants to do is fly
She doesn't stop or ask the question why
One day she leaves
With no goodbye
Sweet Gitchey Rose
Sweet Gitchey Rose
Sweet Gitchey Rose
Sweet Gitchey Rose
I wonder, could she ever be my queen?
Could loving only me be her own routine?
You gotta let a brother dream, oh
Sweet Gitchey Rose
Sweet Gitchey Rose
Sweet Gitchey Rose
Sweet Gitchey Rose
Ahhh-ahhhh, ahh-ahhh
Ahhh-ahhhh, ahh-ahhh
Sweet Gitchey Rose
Sweet Gitchey Rose
Sweet Gitchey Rose
Sweet Gitchey Rose
How could I fall for such a tease?
Yeah
Well, that's my own disease
Oh yeah
Sweet Gitchey Rose
The lyrics to Lenny Kravitz's song Sweet Gitchey Rose tell the story of a man who falls deeply in love with a woman named Gitchey Rose who captivates him with her beauty and mysterious aura. The descriptions of her "ebony hair" and "emerald eyes" paint a picture of an exotic and alluring woman. The singer is unable to resist Gitchey Rose's hypnotic "serpent smile" and she leads him to her "lair" with the smell of gumbo filling the air. Despite his intentions to win her heart and create a life together, she ultimately leaves him without warning or explanation, causing the singer to wonder if she could have ever been his "queen."
The lyrics showcase the concept of desire and the illusion of control. The singer falls for Gitchey Rose's charm and attempts to create a life with her, but in the end, she chooses to fly off and live her own life without him. The lyrics suggest that despite our best intentions, we cannot control the actions of those we desire and love. The song also highlights the oftentimes painful reality of unrequited love and the lengths we go to in order to win over someone's heart.
Line by Line Meaning
Ebony hair
Her hair was as dark as ebony
Emerald eyes
Her eyes were as green as emerald
All I could do was stare
She was so stunning that it was hard to take my eyes off of her
Fixed in a trance
I couldn't move or break away from her gaze
Her serpent smile
Her smile was alluring and seductive
Invited me to dance
She wanted me to dance with her
She took my hand and led me to her lair
She took control of the situation and brought me to where she wanted
The smell of gumbo filled the humid air
The scent of gumbo cooking was present in the air
Right then and there
In that moment
I had my share
I was content with what I had
Sweet Gitchey Rose
The woman's name was Sweet Gitchey Rose
I had a plan
I had a strategy in mind
To steal her heart and be her only man
I wanted to win her heart and be the sole person she loved
I'd buy her things
I planned to shower her with gifts
Find us a home where she could rest her wings
I wanted to find a comfortable place for us to live
But all an eagle wants to do is fly
Like an eagle, Sweet Gitchey Rose wanted to be free and not tied down
She doesn't stop or ask the question why
She continued on her journey without questioning it
One day she leaves
One day she departed
With no goodbye
She left without saying farewell
I wonder, could she ever be my queen?
I still think about whether she could have been my partner for life
Could loving only me be her own routine?
I ponder whether she could love only me and make me her daily routine
You gotta let a brother dream, oh
Sometimes you need to let a man dream about what could have been
Ahhh-ahhhh, ahh-ahhh
Vocalization of a musical interlude
How could I fall for such a tease?
I question how I could have fallen for someone who wasn't interested in settling down
Well, that's my own disease
I acknowledge that it was my own flaw that led me to pursue someone who didn't want the same things
Oh yeah
Exclamation of agreement or affirmation
Contributed by Matthew C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Paela Peterson
on American Woman
There's you some GUITAR!